Myles Jack, LB, UCLA
Former UCLA linebacker Myles Jack is easily one of the best players in this entire class. He is an athletic freak that is capable of making plays all over the field, and as the league continues to lean on the passing game, Jack’s elite coverage skills and open-field tackling ability are what NFL defenses are looking for at linebacker in today’s NFL.
According to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, Jack was his No. 2 ranked overall player in this year’s draft behind now Jacksonville Jaguar Jalen Ramsey.
Like Joseph, Jack watched his draft stock take a significant hit after he suffered a serious knee injury in the final year of his collegiate career. After just three games into his junior season, Jack suffered a torn meniscus that would require 4-6 months of recovery time, but as doctors continued to look into his knee at the combine and at his medical recheck in Indianapolis, concerns surrounding the longevity of his career surfaced. The doctors highlighted the degenerative issues in his knee that could lead to microfracture surgery down the road, per CBSSports.com.
With the length of his NFL career still in question, Jack is. of course, a risky decision in any round of the 2016 NFL draft, but his upside as a player should have him off the board somewhere on Day 2. With that being said, Oakland could benefit from bringing in Jack in the second round because of their need at linebacker and given that he is a top five talent in this class, but it will be interesting if they reconsider drafting him after they already bet on another player with a serious knee injury in the first round.
Next: Best Available Day 2 Prospects