Michigan fans who had a front-row view of Will Johnson’s elite skills may be surprised today to find him still available at the start of the 2nd round. However, there were significant pre-draft medical concerns that were a harbinger of this possibility.
In my pre-draft medical concern rankings, I placed Will Johnson in the severe category along with Josh Simmons and Abdul Carter. Based on public reports, here are the concerns:
#1 Toe
Johnson stated he tore multiple ligaments in his toe in October that prevented him from running for 3 months. Presumably this is a big toe injury which is critical to sprinting and jumping. There is no evidence of full recovery as he has had no game action since the injury. He also missed the combine workouts and had only a limited workout at his pro day where he skipped the 40-yard dash. Drafting a player without evidence of recovery is risky.
#2 Shoulder
Johnson missed one game last season due to a shoulder issue suffered while making a tackle against USC. This is the least concerning of the issues.
#3 Knee
Recently, Adam Schefter reported that there is a concerning knee issue. While there are no details, we know this isn’t an ACL because he would still be in recovery. Other ligaments are a possibility, but the main thing that would concern teams long-term is a cartilage issue.
Two types of cartilage are present in the knee – meniscus and articular. The meniscus provides a cushion between the two bones of the knee (femur and tibia) while the articular cartilage is the smooth, slick surface that covers the ends of the bones. After you eat your gameday feast of chicken wings or legs, you can feel the almost-magical slickness of the articular cartilage with your fingers.
Both types of cartilage are important for long-term knee health, but it’s the articular cartilage that is the final defense against a chronic “degenerative” or arthritic knee. While there are surgical treatments to attempt to fix articular damage, there is no perfect solution as of yet. Star Trek fans might say it’s the final frontier of orthopedic medicine.
Meniscus damage is generally more of a long-term concern, while articular damage is both a short-term and long-term worry. While we don’t know for sure whether Johnson has a cartilage issue, it is a possible explanation for his draft-day slide.
OUTLOOK
The fact that Johnson has fallen out of the 1st round despite his immense talent suggests that NFL teams harbor significant concerns. NFL medical staffs have access to MRIs, surgical reports, etc., thus have much more precise information than is available publicly.
The 2nd and 3rd rounds of the draft are tonight, so we’ll soon find out which team takes the chance that Johnson can overcome these injuries to once again become the elite player he showed as a Wolverine. It’s doubtful that team will be the Lions, who have the 28th pick in the 2nd round (#60 overall) and have no significant need for a CB, but we shall see.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Will Johnson slips out of the 1st round likely due to medical concerns
Michigan fans who had a front-row view of Will Johnson’s elite skills may be surprised today to find him still available at the start of the 2nd round. However, there were significant pre-draft medical concerns that were a harbinger of this possibility.
In my pre-draft medical concern rankings, I placed Will Johnson in the severe category along with Josh Simmons and Abdul Carter. Based on public reports, here are the concerns:
#1 Toe
Johnson stated he tore multiple ligaments in his toe in October that prevented him from running for 3 months. Presumably this is a big toe injury which is critical to sprinting and jumping. There is no evidence of full recovery as he has had no game action since the injury. He also missed the combine workouts and had only a limited workout at his pro day where he skipped the 40-yard dash. Drafting a player without evidence of recovery is risky.
#2 Shoulder
Johnson missed one game last season due to a shoulder issue suffered while making a tackle against USC. This is the least concerning of the issues.
#3 Knee
Recently, Adam Schefter reported that there is a concerning knee issue. While there are no details, we know this isn’t an ACL because he would still be in recovery. Other ligaments are a possibility, but the main thing that would concern teams long-term is a cartilage issue.
Two types of cartilage are present in the knee – meniscus and articular. The meniscus provides a cushion between the two bones of the knee (femur and tibia) while the articular cartilage is the smooth, slick surface that covers the ends of the bones. After you eat your gameday feast of chicken wings or legs, you can feel the almost-magical slickness of the articular cartilage with your fingers.
Both types of cartilage are important for long-term knee health, but it’s the articular cartilage that is the final defense against a chronic “degenerative” or arthritic knee. While there are surgical treatments to attempt to fix articular damage, there is no perfect solution as of yet. Star Trek fans might say it’s the final frontier of orthopedic medicine.
Meniscus damage is generally more of a long-term concern, while articular damage is both a short-term and long-term worry. While we don’t know for sure whether Johnson has a cartilage issue, it is a possible explanation for his draft-day slide.
OUTLOOK
The fact that Johnson has fallen out of the 1st round despite his immense talent suggests that NFL teams harbor significant concerns. NFL medical staffs have access to MRIs, surgical reports, etc., thus have much more precise information than is available publicly.
The 2nd and 3rd rounds of the draft are tonight, so we’ll soon find out which team takes the chance that Johnson can overcome these injuries to once again become the elite player he showed as a Wolverine. It’s doubtful that team will be the Lions, who have the 28th pick in the 2nd round (#60 overall) and have no significant need for a CB, but we shall see.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Will Johnson slips out of the 1st round likely due to medical concerns
