The futures of two of the 2016 NFL Draft's top linebacker prospects - and top prospects period - lay now in the hands of doctors. That is to say, the medical staffs of the teams that will be afforded the opportunity to either select or pass on UCLA's Myles Jack and Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith later this month will offer opinions that go a long way toward deciding the long-term future of these highly touted players.
The knee issues for Smith, once considered the best prospect in the draft, are well known at this point. He injured his knee early in the Fighting Irish's 2015 season and apparently suffered nerve damage as well. As a result, Smith is not only in danger of falling out of the first round, but may even go undrafted.
Per a recent report, it's possible that Jack suffers a similar fate.
Jack, who suffered a knee injury of his own and missed every snap of the Bruins' 2015 campaign, is viewed as a "time bomb" whose wonky knee could keep him standing and pummeling ballcarriers and wide receivers for the next decade or could break down before he ever steps foot on an NFL field.
The report indicates that Jack's NFL future is viewed similarly to that of another former high draft pick whose stock suffered from pre-draft concerns over his health but who went on to a fairly successful, if shorter than hoped for, NFL career - Jonathan Vilma.
Vilma, despite those medical concerns, went 12th overall to the New York Jets in the 2004 NFL Draft. He started quickly with the Jets, posting more than 100 tackles - topping out at 169 in 2005 - over his first three seasons.
But Vilma suffered an injury in 2007 that cost him nine games and, though he had several more productive NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints thereafter, sent his career on a downward trajectory.
By 2011, Vilma was a shell of his former self. By 2013, he was done.
Now, a nine-year NFL career with six seasons of elite production is nothing to scoff at and would likely be viewed as a homerun selection for NFL talent evaluators who know all too well that the average professional career lasts just a little more than three seasons.
But will it scare teams away, considering that may be the ceiling for Jack's career?
Of course, Jack isn't Vilma, and while that's an easy comparison to make considering they're both linebackers coming into the league with questions regarding their knees, it's entirely possible that he puts the concerns behind him and goes on to an extremely successful career with the San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys or some other team picking in the top 10.
But, if like Smith - who the report also suggests is dealing with a situation called drop-foot, which develops as a result of nerve damage and has ended plenty of careers years too soon - Jack's knee is enough of a concern to teams worried about wasting a top-5 or top-10 pick, he could be set for a similar fall down, and maybe even off, draft boards.
