NFL roundup: Marcus Mariota making strides in his recovery

Marcus Mariota broke his leg during the Tennessee Titans’ NFL Week 16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and is still on the road to recovery.

If the Tennessee Titans want to take the next step forward in 2017, they are going to need their star quarterback back at 100 percent. Marcus Mariota broke his leg in Week 16 of the NFL season, as the Titans saw their playoff chances go out the window in the team’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mariota currently is happy with the progress on his recovery, and all signs point to him being ready for the 2017 NFL season.

One star player who will not be with his former team is New York Jets center Nick Mangold, who was released by the team this past week. Mangold was the cornerstone of the Jets offensive line for the past 11 seasons, but that all came to an end in shocking fashion. Mangold recently said he was “caught off guard” by the release, though he has no plans to retire, and could seriously help a team out next season.

Myles Garrett is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in this April’s NFL Draft, and he is using the NFL combine to cement his status. Garrett has proven to be an absolute beast during the drills, and after putting up 33 reps on the 235-pound bench press, he followed with a 41” vertical jump. He is going to be the top pick in April, the only question is whether or not the Cleveland Browns will hang onto the pick.

One defensive star who plans on being a first round pick in April’s draft is Takkarist McKinley, a freak of a player out of UCLA. While McKinley should certainly be an impact player at the next level someday, that day may have to wait, as he needs surgery on his troublesome right shoulder. McKinley is expected to be out 4-to-6 months with the surgery, though he should still be selected fairly early during the 2017 NFL Draft.

Next: NFL: 15 Biggest Draft Busts Of All-Time

We close with another defensive star who will likely be drafted in the first round in April, though his combine was the stuff of legend for the wrong reasons. Alabama star linebacker Reuben Foster was sent home from the combine before team interviews, due to a heated altercation with a hospital worker. Foster is the No. 1 rated linebacker in this draft class, and on Sunday, he sent a letter to all NFL teams apologizing for the incident. He is too good of a player to pass up, but teams have to be concerned at this point.