Jaylon Smith

Just curious what the thinking is in maybe taking a flyer on this guy late in round 2. Obviously a risk and dependis on how the docs think he can recover but if long term prognosis is good I may do it if it were me. Top 5 pick talent. Thoughts?

You'd have to be prescient to figure out where this guy is going to go. I've heard everything from the 1st round to the 5th round.

As far as pure talent, he's a top 5 guy this draft. Problem is, no one is sure if he's ever going to recover. Everyone wants a draft steal, plus no one really wants to see a kid like this go down like that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't make his knee stronger or heal better.

I can't see teams throwing a 2nd round pick with that much risk, but stranger things have happened.

Hawks46":3827lojy said:

You'd have to be prescient to figure out where this guy is going to go. I've heard everything from the 1st round to the 5th round.

As far as pure talent, he's a top 5 guy this draft. Problem is, no one is sure if he's ever going to recover. Everyone wants a draft steal, plus no one really wants to see a kid like this go down like that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't make his knee stronger or heal better.

I can't see teams throwing a 2nd round pick with that much risk, but stranger things have happened.

Click to expand...

Two names comes to mind: Willis McGahee and Todd Gurley. Devastating injuries and both picked in round 1.

seabowl":lm2keqnp said:

Hawks46":lm2keqnp said:

You'd have to be prescient to figure out where this guy is going to go. I've heard everything from the 1st round to the 5th round.

As far as pure talent, he's a top 5 guy this draft. Problem is, no one is sure if he's ever going to recover. Everyone wants a draft steal, plus no one really wants to see a kid like this go down like that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't make his knee stronger or heal better.

I can't see teams throwing a 2nd round pick with that much risk, but stranger things have happened.

Click to expand...

Two names comes to mind: Willis McGahee and Todd Gurley. Devastating injuries and both picked in round 1.

Click to expand...

However, both were also probably considered the best player in college football.

Hawks46":3uxdoxn2 said:

. Problem is, no one is sure if he's ever going to recover. Everyone wants a draft steal, plus no one really wants to see a kid like this go down like that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't make his knee stronger or heal better.
.

Click to expand...

Actually the doctor that did the surgery has said that he believes that he will make recovery and that the nerve is growing just as it should. He said that people shouldn't be expecting the nerve to grow anymore then the approx. 2 inches that it has grown and that it will take 9-15 months for everything to be completely healed. If a team is willing to let him sit this year. which I think that the Hawks can then he would be a steal that has been compared to Patrick Willis.
Plus, JS has said on the radio that this draft doesn't have a drop off in talent and that its deep in DL and OL. That means that we could get good linemen in the 2-4 range. Especially since they would probably not start and take some time to gel any way.
Personally, I hope we do take him.

I'd feel great getting him in the 3rd, I fell like our first 2 pick need to be impact players.

Jason La Confora cryptically hinted that Seattle trusted their medical staff and wasn't afraid to draft a guy with a bad medical if the team trainers believed in him. It's possible this was hinting at Seattle considering Miles Jack, Jaylon Smith, Shon Coleman, or Shaq Lawson as they are all 1st round talents with medical concerns.

seabowl":20tjkp2d said:

Hawks46":20tjkp2d said:

You'd have to be prescient to figure out where this guy is going to go. I've heard everything from the 1st round to the 5th round.

As far as pure talent, he's a top 5 guy this draft. Problem is, no one is sure if he's ever going to recover. Everyone wants a draft steal, plus no one really wants to see a kid like this go down like that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't make his knee stronger or heal better.

I can't see teams throwing a 2nd round pick with that much risk, but stranger things have happened.

Click to expand...

Two names comes to mind: Willis McGahee and Todd Gurley. Devastating injuries and both picked in round 1.

Click to expand...

Neither of them had the nerve issues that jaylon does though, if I remember correctly. The thing about nerve damage is that everyone will heal differently. Some could take months to heal, and some will never heal at all. I have nerve damage from my lower back into my left leg. My toes drag the ground when I am having trouble. Mine never did heal right. But also I don't have access to as good of doctors as he does. Have to go into the chiropractor and have it stimulated with a cold laser. Manning still doesn't have feeling in his finger tips.

I bet he will be able to play after a redshirt year. He looks pretty good in his running videos, considering that the injury happened in a bowl game. But I am no expert obviously, and that is a guess. I would take a risk on him in the third or fourth, but personally view the second as too early.

Tical21":1hvw6pp2 said:

seabowl":1hvw6pp2 said:

Hawks46":1hvw6pp2 said:

You'd have to be prescient to figure out where this guy is going to go. I've heard everything from the 1st round to the 5th round.

As far as pure talent, he's a top 5 guy this draft. Problem is, no one is sure if he's ever going to recover. Everyone wants a draft steal, plus no one really wants to see a kid like this go down like that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't make his knee stronger or heal better.

I can't see teams throwing a 2nd round pick with that much risk, but stranger things have happened.

Click to expand...

Two names comes to mind: Willis McGahee and Todd Gurley. Devastating injuries and both picked in round 1.

Click to expand...

However, both were also probably considered the best player in college football.

Click to expand...

I have read and heard that smith probably would have been the consensus pick as the best pick in the draft.

seabowl":2961bxlu said:

Hawks46":2961bxlu said:

You'd have to be prescient to figure out where this guy is going to go. I've heard everything from the 1st round to the 5th round.

As far as pure talent, he's a top 5 guy this draft. Problem is, no one is sure if he's ever going to recover. Everyone wants a draft steal, plus no one really wants to see a kid like this go down like that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't make his knee stronger or heal better.

I can't see teams throwing a 2nd round pick with that much risk, but stranger things have happened.

Click to expand...

Two names comes to mind: Willis McGahee and Todd Gurley. Devastating injuries and both picked in round 1.

Click to expand...

Other name to consider. Marcus Lattimore. niners drafted him in the 4th, he never played a down.

4th round is a safer place to take a risk like that

I wouldn't be that excited about drafting Smith early. The team that drafts him will be the one who is the most optimistic about his injury progress despite what the other 31 teams think. Odds are they'll be overly optimistic.

And while every team in the NFL has injury problems, I feel like we've drawn the injury short straw when it comes to our prospects the last few years. Predominantly issues on both sides of the line (Okung, Carpenter, Garrett Scott, Jordan Hill, Jesse Williams) but also skill position guys like Tharold Simon and Paul Richardson.

Previous bad luck is not a good reason to avoid taking gambles in the future but at some point you have to wonder how much of it is simply bad luck and how much of it is overconfidence influencing the process somewhere. A lot of our "bad luck" has been with guys who have had previous concerns. This history doesn't make me inclined to be more optimistic about injuries than other NFL teams are.

If it were a broken bone or a ligament injury, I would be o.k. with taking a flyer in the middle rounds.

A nerve damage is a major gamble. I would hate to see this guy be carried off the field due to a dead leg injury. I would also not be in favor of drafting someone like Shon Coleman who had leukemia. I think some medical flags like Jesse Williams, Shon Coleman, and Jaylon Smith are just too risky.

I agree too risky..I'd use a 5th on him at best

Wanted him bad

Might be the coolest, most touching draft room view ever. So much emotion.

I hate Dallas, but I will be rooting for Jaylon Smith. Legitimately great guy who deserves his shot.

I'm also glad the Seahawks don't have to make that choice.

Isn't it odd that Dallas drafted Jaylon Smith ahead of Myles Jack? I though Smith will miss the upcoming season with his injury. My understanding of Jack is that he has a defect in his knee that may shorten his career but he will be ready to play this upcoming season. Is Dallas really in a position where they can afford to redshirt players for a year?