Jaylon Smith touts knee strength: 'I am leg-pressing over 600 pounds'
The status of Jaylon Smith's knee remains one of this year's draft biggest question marks.
The former Notre Dame linebacker was considered one of the top prospects in the 2016 NFL Draft before he tore both the ACL and LCL in his left knee during his team's Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State - his final college game.
His precarious draft status took a further hit when reports surfaced that he'd also sustained nerve damage in the knee, which, if true, means that he'd almost certainly miss his rookie year and would be in danger of never playing a down in the NFL.
However, Smith believes he has made significant progress in his rehabilitation in the short time since the combine. He wasn't able to participate in Notre Dame's pro day, but was able to walk with no visible discomfort and did not appear to be wearing any brace on the knee.
"Oh yeah, absolutely," Smith said when asked if he can feel a tangible difference physically in the past five weeks, according to Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports.
"A few weeks have made a huge difference, even the past two weeks. I can feel it. Rehab is going great. I am leg-pressing over 600 pounds right now. I am squatting over 400 pounds. I am getting that strength back. It's just a matter of time."
The reports about Smith's nerve damage apparently caused several teams to completely remove him from their draft board, and his inability to walk without a limp during the NFL Scouting Combine did little to alleviate their fears.
Where Smith is drafted will still likely be determined by future medical checks, where the potential nerve damage will continue to be assessed.
"We'll see when I go back there (to the medical recheck)," Smith said. "We'll see what the doctors say then. I feel like I've regained some of it. I'm happy where I am at right now."
If Smith is able to prove to teams that his injury has minimal long-term concerns, he could still be drafted in the opening rounds of the draft. If the severity of the nerve damage is confirmed, however, it's uncertain just how far he could fall.
"The good news is that I feel great, that's a big step," Smith said.