As reported by NFL.com, former Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith will miss the 2017 NFL season due to injuries suffered in the January 1st Fiesta Bowl game verses Ohio State. In a medical recheck performed Friday in Indianapolis, reports show that there was not much difference between the condition of Smith’s knee back in February at the combine and the second evaluation.
Before the injury, Smith was expected to be a high 1st round selection, now this latest development puts his draft status up for debate. The injury included nerve damage to the knee, which will delay rehabilitation. While he is expected to recover eventually, teams will be hesitant to invest too heavily into Smith. This puts him in a situation very similar to former South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore, who dislocated his knee, but was still drafted, in the 4th round by the San Francisco 49ers. Lattimore never played a down in the NFL.
The question is not if a team will take a chance on Smith, in this case it’s when. After their trade with the Los Angeles Rams for the rights to the top draft pick, the Tennessee Titans have multiple picks in the 2nd and 3rd rounds and may decide that the risk is worth the reward. If he is able to return to form, Smith could possibly be the steal of the draft if taken with a late round pick.
Smith has the potential to be a terrific pro—he also could very well not play an NFL down. We’ll have to wait and see which organization chooses to gamble throw the dice in two weeks.