Report: Top LB prospect Foster facing 4-month recovery from shoulder surgery

One of this year's top defensive prospects won't take part in pre-draft workouts.

Former Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster is facing a four-month recovery after recently undergoing surgery on his rotator cuff, a league source told ESPN's Adam Caplan.

The lengthy timeline means he'll be forced to sit out drills at the upcoming scouting combine and presumably the Alabama Pro Day that will follow.

Foster should have plenty of time to get healthy in advance of training camp over the summer, though, so his draft stock may not take a hit.

A true three-down contributor, and one of the most complete linebacker prospects in recent memory, Foster is widely expected to come off the board in the top half of the opening round.

He makes the jump to the professional level on the heels of a stellar senior season in Tuscaloosa, where his 115 tackles, 13 stops for a loss, and five sacks earned him the Dick Butkus Award as the nation's most outstanding player at the position.