Multiple NFL teams reportedly harbor concerns about possible nerve damage in Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith’s left knee, according to a report.
Smith was regarded as the best linebacker in the nation and a possible top fifteen pick before he tore his ACL and MCL during the Fiesta Bowl. Now, according to Jeff Legwold and Adam Schefter of ESPN, multiple teams failed Smith’s physical exam at the Combine on Friday fearing potential nerve damage, and three teams told Legwold and Schefter that they would not be drafting Smith.
Smith downplayed the concerns about possible nerve damage.
“The nerve wasn’t stretched at all. It’s just the healing game. That’s all,” Smith said. “It’s a process. I’ll be back 100 percent. We just don’t know when.”
Smith remains unsure if he’ll be able to play at all in 2016 following the injury, and his draft status was already up in the air. If there are legitimate concerns over nerve damage, he could be looking at a long wait when the draft comes.
