Conflicting rumors are an annual tradition before the NFL Draft and reports currently place Myles Jack’s knee somewhere between a non-issue and holding on by a thread. With less than two weeks until the first round of the draft begins, there’s plenty of motivation for the spread of false information pushing either narrative.
Myles Jack’s knee is either a red flag or nothing to worry about, depending on who you ask
Jack tore his meniscus in September and concerns are still swirling with less than two weeks until the 2016 NFL Draft.
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
For Jack, millions of dollars are on the line. If the UCLA linebacker slides down draft boards as teams are unwilling to take a risk on a knee they don't believe will hold up, it will affect the size of his rookie contract greatly. Last year, Amari Cooper signed a four-year, $22.7 million deal with the Oakland Raiders after he was selected with the No. 4 pick, but Vic Beasley received a four-year, $14.5 million contract for going just four picks later to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8 overall.
Really, the only one who benefits from positive reports about Jack’s knee is Jack.
But teams interested in snagging the talented UCLA linebacker can attempt to benefit from convincing other organizations that his knee is a long-term concern. Yes, teams should believe the prognosis made by their own doctors, but that’s not going to stop them from attempting to influence a player’s stock and spook other general managers into taking a safer selection.
Consider two reports from within the last week:
NFL source calls Myles Jack "a time bomb" whose knee could give him several good years, or not. Bone and cartilage starting to break away.
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) April 18, 2016
Just heard from NFL draft prospect Myles Jack that his medical recheck went great. "No one had any concerns."... https://t.co/1yBYEtvOvO
— Stephania Bell (@Stephania_ESPN) April 15, 2016
Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith looks to be in for a long slide after reports indicated his medical re-check showed he won't be ready to play at all in 2016. Two years after the San Francisco 49ers essentially wasted a fourth-round pick on Marcus Lattimore, a running back who never took an NFL snap after a devastating knee injury at South Carolina, there's more justification than ever for a team to use their picks elsewhere.
Still, taking a risk on a player with injury concerns can pay off, too. Todd Gurley earned 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after an ACL tear late in his final season at Georgia, and the San Diego Chargers grabbed an excellent receiver in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by taking Keenan Allen after concerns about his slow recovery from a PCL tear caused for a draft day slide.
Les Bowen followed his tweet that called Jack’s knee a “time bomb” by saying the injury was compared to one that Jonathan Vilma had when entering the NFL. The Jets still took Vilma in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft and got one Pro Bowl season out of him before he joined the New Orleans Saints and earned two more Pro Bowl nods. The injury is credited for Vilma’s sharp decline and early exit from the NFL, though.
On Monday, Jack’s agent continued to push against the narrative of the linebacker’s knee being reason for concern with a video of the prospect going through a workout in Arizona:
Video of @MylesJack this morning in AZ after an intense workout with the Jags Saturday night in LA. Easy pic.twitter.com/zhRcptdu2J
— JohnThornton (@JohnThornton) April 18, 2016
Even with the reports of Jack's knee troubles, most mock drafts project the linebacker to go early in the draft with more than half surveyed by SB Nation pegging the Jacksonville Jaguars as the landing spot at No. 5 overall.
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