Bad News for Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith

[az jam]

Terrible new. Who knows when he may play again.

Ian Rapoport
‏@RapSheet
Difficult day for #NotreDame LB Jaylon Smith, who had his medicals. Ankle & knee nerve issues, teams believe he's out for 2016 -- at least.

 

[az jam]

Matt Miller ‏@nfldraftscout
Matt Miller Retweeted Ian Rapport

Well that is 100% different than what we were told in Mobile. Really tough news for a great player.

 

[cardncubfan]

I read earlier that there was no nerve damage whatsoever.

 

[oaken1]

3rd round?

 

[az jam]

Matt Miller ‏@nfldraftscout
Only thing we can do right now with Jaylon Smith is wait and see. He'll get checked again in six weeks by NFL docs @kevk37

 

[sundevil04]

Wow. Id spend a 3rd rounder on him

 

[Jetstream Green]

Drafting really is for the future and not immediate returns, if he is good and can help us later this is only good news in my opinion for the Cardinals drafting at twenty nine... ah, the draft lol

 

[Jetstream Green]

Wow. Id spend a 3rd rounder on him

A third? Sign me up for possibly a second round pick or a late first

 

[az jam]

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet
#NotreDame OLB Jaylon Smith (knee, ankle), had a $5M loss of value insurance policy. If he paid the premiums, he gets the payout tax-free

 

[az jam]

A third? Sign me up for possibly a second round pick or a late first

Per medical reports and exams, he suffered nerve damage. He may never play football again.

 

[TJ]

This feels like a Marcus Lattimore situation. A career-threatening injury w/ a high likelihood that he will never play football again. Nerve issues are no joke.

I'd spend a 6th on him in the off chance he plays again, but I'd bet money he's done.

 

[az jam]

This feels like a Marcus Lattimore situation. A career-threatening injury w/ a high likelihood that he will never play football again. Nerve issues are no joke.

I'd spend a 6th on him in the off chance he plays again, but I'd bet money he's done.

49ers drafted him. He sat out a year and tried to play for almost 2 seasons and never got right. He was a hell of a college player.

 

[TJ]

49ers drafted him. He sat out a year and tried to play for almost 2 seasons and never got right. He was a hell of a college player.

They spent a 5th rounder on him, but at the time, the 49ers had around 13 draft picks that year, so they had the luxury of stashing him and having very little risk associated with the pick. If we get a comp pick, we'll only have 7.

The more I think about it, the more disinclined I am to spend any pick on Smith.

 

[Bodha]

Id use our 1st on him.


Mainly I dont feel theres anyone at #29 whos a game changer anyways. Healthy Jaylon Smith is a game changer.

We've essentially become a superbowl contender without our last 2 1st rounders (Coop/Hump) anyways. So they arent THAT important.


and im not saying "throw the pick away", its a gamble. But a gamble thats worth it.

Healthy Jaylon would be the best player on our D. Moreso than PP or Tyrann even. Kid is special

 

[TJ]

Id use our 1st on him.


Mainly I dont feel theres anyone at #29 whos a game changer anyways. Healthy Jaylon Smith is a game changer.

We've essentially become a superbowl contender without our last 2 1st rounders (Coop/Hump) anyways. So they arent THAT important.


and im not saying "throw the pick away", its a gamble. But a gamble thats worth it.

Healthy Jaylon would be the best player on our D. Moreso than PP or Tyrann even. Kid is special

And Deone Buchannon was the #27 pick in 2014 and he's an every down backer.

The problem is, we dont know if Smith still "is" a game changer rather than "was."

By taking him in the first round, you're gambling on him being even remotely effective in 2017, and considering the significant nerve damage, that could be a long shot.

But like you said, we're in "win now" mode, so why not grab someone who can help out now like an outside pass rusher who has two working legs?

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Id use our 1st on him.


Mainly I dont feel theres anyone at #29 whos a game changer anyways. Healthy Jaylon Smith is a game changer.

We've essentially become a superbowl contender without our last 2 1st rounders (Coop/Hump) anyways. So they arent THAT important.


and im not saying "throw the pick away", its a gamble. But a gamble thats worth it.

Healthy Jaylon would be the best player on our D. Moreso than PP or Tyrann even. Kid is special

Healthy is the key word. If he has nerve damage, that's a huge red flag and means he's likely done.

I'm not taking him at 29 because, if he's there, there's a reason, and it's probably because he'll likely never play.

I agree a healthy Smith would be incredible but a healthy, or chance at a healthy Smith isn't available at 29.

 

[az jam]

This is an update from the Great Blue North Draft Report site:

Irish LB Smith could miss 2016 season; maybe more … NFL Network sources are reporting that medical tests done on injured Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith revealed that in fact he suffered nerve damage to both the knee and ankle when he tore his ACL and MCL in the Irish’s Fiesta Bowl loss to ohio State in early January. After the initial surgery after the injury, there were reports that there was no nerve damage leading to hopes that Smith wou;ld be ready to play sometime early in the upcoming season. However, those hopes appear to have been dashed by today’s reports which suggest that more than a few teams now doubt whether he will be able to play at all in 2016 and that there are in fact no guarantees for 2017. All of this, if true, will no doubt have a major impact on where Smith is ultimately selected in this April’s draft. He’d be a top 5-10 talent if healthy and would probably still be a first-round candidate if he had only suffered the torn ligaments, but with these additional issues all bets are off. Stay tuned

 

[WisconsinCard]

I feel bad for the kid. I had him still in my top 5 even with the initial reports. In fact I had him at 5 to J-Ville in my pre-combine mock.

 

[az jam]

So who do you believe??? The medical reports or Smith?

Michael Rotstein ESPN:

Linebacker Jaylon Smith, considered one of the top players in the 2016 draft, said he hopes to play at some point during his rookie season after suffering what he said was a torn left ACL and MCL in Notre Dame's Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State.

"That's the goal, you know, as soon as possible," Smith said Friday from the NFL scouting combine. "I can't tell when I'll be back, but I'll be back 100 percent.

Smith declared for the draft after the injury in January and started walking again last week. He said he will return to Indianapolis for the injury recheck process in early April before the draft.

The 20-year-old Smith said he did not suffer nerve damage in the knee, adding that there is no soreness or pain there. He did say, though, that he didn't know when everything will heal.

"The nerve isn't stretched at all," Smith said.

Smith said he would stress in meetings with teams that he is a long-term investment for a franchise. At the combine, Smith said among the teams he met with were the Lions and the Packers, calling the Green Bay get-together "a great meeting."

He said it's been great watching former Georgia running back Todd Gurley come back from a significant knee injury in his final college season to play well as a rookie for the Rams. He called it "encouraging."

"It's a long-term decision, you know, whoever drafts me," Smith said. "I'm a guy who will be around for a while playing at an elite level and an impact player."

 

[oaken1]

even with nerve damage he may be a good investment... Didn't Palmer have some nerve damage last season?? He came back okay...point is...it can recover suddenly....the guy is young.
Don't think I would spend our first on him though.

 

[GuernseyCard]

This is an update from the Great Blue North Draft Report site:

Irish LB Smith could miss 2016 season; maybe more … NFL Network sources are reporting that medical tests done on injured Notre Dame LB Jaylon Smith revealed that in fact he suffered nerve damage to both the knee and ankle when he tore his ACL and MCL in the Irish’s Fiesta Bowl loss to ohio State in early January. After the initial surgery after the injury, there were reports that there was no nerve damage leading to hopes that Smith wou;ld be ready to play sometime early in the upcoming season. However, those hopes appear to have been dashed by today’s reports which suggest that more than a few teams now doubt whether he will be able to play at all in 2016 and that there are in fact no guarantees for 2017. All of this, if true, will no doubt have a major impact on where Smith is ultimately selected in this April’s draft. He’d be a top 5-10 talent if healthy and would probably still be a first-round candidate if he had only suffered the torn ligaments, but with these additional issues all bets are off. Stay tuned

He's posted a denial.

 

[Harry]

The Patriots will take unless the medicals are worse than stated. Cards can't waste the pick.

 

[WisconsinCard]

The Patriots will take unless the medicals are worse than stated. Cards can't waste the pick.

You think New England will move up into the first round to get him? They lost their first rounder this year due to deflate-gate. Or do you think he's a second round pick now?

 

[az jam]

From: http://walterfootball.com/combine2016rumors_tony.php#dLEzbzrrBYRSHDHy.99


Finally, those in attendance when Jaylon Smith weighed in yesterday tell me his injured leg looked terrible when he stepped on the scale. Smith struggled moving the leg as well as controlling the leg. I was told it was a glum mood and there was a lot of sadness for Smith from the scouts and coaches on hand. From one source I heard, "I felt like crying."

 

[Buckybird]

You think New England will move up into the first round to get him? They lost their first rounder this year due to deflate-gate. Or do you think he's a second round pick now?

He might darn well fall to rounds 3 or 4. That RB from S Carolina's injury the Niners took was eerily similar. He never panned out a bit.