LBs Jack, Smith go early in 2nd round
CHICAGO – It was a long wait and a soft landing for Myles Jack and Jaylon Smith.
Now about those knees.
The pair of athletic linebackers with health questions went early in the second round of the NFL Draft Friday, with Jacksonville trading up to grab Jack two spots after Dallas selected Smith with the No. 34 overall pick.
Jack and Smith were two of the biggest names still on the board at the beginning of the day, and Alabama running back Derrick Henry went to Tennessee at No. 45. Henry powered the Crimson Tide to the national championship last season and won the Heisman Trophy.
Jack was considered a potential top-five pick at one point, but concerns about his right knee sent him tumbling down the board. He played both ways as a freshman at UCLA and was the Pac-12 offensive and defensive newcomer of the year. But a knee injury limited him to three games last season.
Smith also was expected to be a first-round pick before he tore two ligaments in his left knee during Notre Dame’s loss to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
Jack and Smith might not be able to play much this season, but the Jaguars and Cowboys clearly figured the value was too good to pass on at this point in the draft.
Mississippi State defensive tackle Chris Jones, one of the last players left in the green room, went to Kansas City at No. 37 and got a big ovation when he walked onstage. He gave Commissioner Roger Goodell a big hug as the crowd roared.
Jones said he has never been to Kansas City.
“I heard they got the best steak, the best barbecue … I can’t wait to get there and eat,” Jones said.
Linebacker Reggie Ragland went No. 41 to Buffalo, defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson was drafted by Detroit with the 46th overall selection, and No. 49 was DT Jarran Reed to Seattle, giving Alabama four players in the second round after center Ryan Kelly was the only one from the Crimson Tide to go on the first day.
Reed was the last player in the green room at the draft.
Also worth noting: defensive end Noah Spence from Eastern Kentucky to Tampa Bay at No. 39, and wide receiver Michael Thomas of Ohio State to New Orleans at No. 47. Spence began his collegiate career with the Buckeyes, but was banned from the Big Ten after two failed drug tests. Thomas is the nephew for former NFL receiver Keyshawn Johnson.
Jets take Hackenberg: The New York Jets selected Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg with their second-round pick in the NFL draft.
With Ryan Fitzpatrick still unsigned and in a contract stalemate with the Jets, New York added another quarterback to the roster in Hackenberg. The 6-4 Hackenberg threw 16 touchdowns with six interceptions last season for the Nittany Lions.
Bengals get Pitt WR Boyd: The Bengals filled their biggest hole by taking Pitt receiver Tyler Boyd in the second round.
They lost two of their top three receivers to free agency – Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu – and hoped to get a pass catcher in the first round. Instead, the top four receivers were taken before they got a chance. They decided to pick cornerback William Jackson III at 24th overall – the third time in the last five years they got a cornerback with their top choice.
With plenty of defensive players available in the second round, they took Boyd with the 55th overall pick.