2018 NFL Draft: Are these late rumors fact or fiction?
6. Leighton Vander Esch‘s medical issues will knock him out of first round
Buzz started to circulate a week before the NFL Draft concerning the medical reports of Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. His camp staunchly denied the rumors, but they’ve continued to linger as draft day draws near.
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock went as far as to say “He wears that neck brace for a reason. He’s got a cervical issue, and teams around the league right now are having the conversation about how bad or good is it really and at what level should we draft him?”
Whereas Maurice Hurst’s medical issues will drop him significantly, Vander Esch’s concerns won’t impact his stock. It’s not a double standard, instead it points to a significant difference between the two kinds of problems.
Next: Final 7-Round 2018 NFL Mock Draft
Teams are considered with Vander Esch’s neck, but the extent to the injury hasn’t been reported to be significant enough to scare every team away. Some teams will take Vander Esch completely off their draft board, but the slim linebacker class and the known extent of the issue aren’t going to be enough to let him pass by so many linebacker needy teams on Day 1.