7 NFL players who overcame Myles Jack's biggest red flag
For months, UCLA linebacker Myles Jack was viewed as one of the five best players in the 2016 NFL Draft. He's an uber-athletic linebacker who can do everything from stonewalling a running back behind the line of scrimmage to covering a wide receiver 30 yards down the field.
There isn't much he can't do on a football field. Yet, he took a dramatic tumble down draft boards on Thursday night, falling all the way out of the first round. Why? Because he suffered a torn meniscus last season and has degenerative issues in his knee that will probably require microfracture surgery.
According to Dr. James Andrews, Jack may not need surgery. That's not a certainty, though, as it's still a possibility.
Despite the very serious reality that he could have to undergo microfracture surgery on his knee, Jack is well worth a second-round pick. He's a rare talent that likely would have been the first defender off the board had he been healthy. At the draft he said he's been cleared to work out and play by doctors, but it's long-term concerns that are scaring teams away one after the other.
Microfracture surgery has a reputation for being a career-ending procedure, or one that limits a players' production at the very least. That's not to say there haven't been several success stories, though.
Here are seven other players who faced a similar situation to Jack's.
The Bengals linebacker is a great comparison for Jack. He's not on the same level talent-wise, but he's a young linebacker who was forced to overcome microfracture surgery. Burfict underwent the procedure in January 2015 but returned to start 10 games last season. Burfict showed no ill effects of the surgery in what was arguably his second-best year in the league. If Jack is forced to face a similar situation, a team will get a player like Burfict without the baggage at the very least.
Colston came into the league as "Mr. Irrelevant" in 2006 and burst onto the scene as an immediate contributor in his rookie season. He has gone on to have a great career in the NFL despite undergoing microfracture surgery not once but twice -- in 2009 and 2011. In 2011, after having offseason surgery, Colston played 14 games, catching 80 passes for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. After having the procedurein 2009, he was ready for Week 1 and played all 16 games.
The longtime Steelers defensive back is another example of a player having the procedure done early in his career. Woodson reportedly had the surgery in April 1991 and was ready for Week 1. He played 15 games that season and went on to play 13 more years -- 17 total in his career. Granted, he was a Hall of Famer and an elite player, but he was able to overcome the knee issue and play on for more than a decade.
The Chiefs' budding tight end underwent microfracture surgery on his knee in October 2013, but all he's done since then is dominate in the AFC West. He's played in all 32 games the past two seasons, catching five touchdowns in each and eclipsing 860 yards in back-to-back years, too. He appears to be perfectly healthy at this point in his career and should have plenty of success going forward. He's an emerging star after overcoming the knee issue.
There's no doubt Bush has had to overcome several injuries in his career, one of which was microfracture surgery in late December 2008 -- his third season in the NFL. In the following season, he played 14 games and racked up more than 700 yards of total offense. More important, he has remained in the league and has had decent success despite bouncing from team to team. He rushed for more than 950 yards in each season from 2011 to 2013, proving that his knee was a non-issue.
The former tight end had the procedure done in 2007, but it did little to impact his production for the years shortly after. He played 10 games in 2008 before playing in all 16 games from 2009 to 2011 in Tampa Bay. In each of those seasons, he caught at least 66 passes and had more than 700 receiving yards. A later knee injury derailed his career, but the immediate effects of the microfracture surgery were almost non-existent, as proven by his numbers.
Just three years into his career, Marino was forced to have the procedure on his knee in 1986. In 1987, he played only 12 games, but he started all 16 games in each of the next five seasons. He made the Pro Bowl four times after having the surgery, and though playing quarterback is different than linebacker, the surgery didn't limit his availability.
Of course, there are also players that didn't have as much success following microfracture surgery. Jadeveon Clowney is one who certainly comes to mind as his career has gotten off to a slow start because of it, but he still has plenty of time to turn things around. Up to this point, he's played in just 17 games in two seasons. Terrell Davis underwent microfracture surgery late in his career, 2002, and never played another down. That's a different situation because he had played only 17 games in the three seasons prior, and the procedure came late, not early as Jack's likely will.
Only time will tell how Jack turns out in the NFL, but he's a rare talent who certainly deserves to be picked on Day 2. It's a risk, but one worth taking at this point in the draft.
