Skip to content

Report: Jaylon Smith still expected to sit out 2016 after medical recheck

Norm Hall / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith's medical recheck revealed no significant new information and the draft prospect is still expected to sit out the 2016 season, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

Smith tore his ACL and MCL and may have suffered nerve damage in the Fighting Irish's bowl game, and he's not expected to be healthy enough to play as a rookie. Rapoport notes that many teams expect Smith to return to form in 2017.

Where Smith is ultimately selected is one of the draft's most intriguing storylines. When healthy, there's little doubt he's a first-round talent - and perhaps deserves to be a top five pick. But concerns over whether he'll ever be fully healthy could lead some teams to remove him from their draft boards entirely.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox