Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- General managers around the NFL defied conventional wisdom by selecting multiple prospects with significant injury histories in the first round.
- Three players, each carrying a history of serious physical setbacks, were chosen in the Top 20 picks despite their red flags.
- The decisions signal a shift in how teams evaluate risk, with front offices apparently confident in modern medical advancements and rehabilitation techniques.
NFL general managers heard your worries about first-round draft prospects' injury histories ... and just did not care one bit. Three players with multiple injuries in the last couple seasons were selected in the top 20 picks on Thursday night, a sign of both their potential on the field and the uncertainty in this draft class on the whole.
Only time will tell whether those gambles are going to pay off, but let's examine each of them — and why their new teams decided to roll the dice anyways.
WR Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans Saints
The Sun Devil product suffered a multi-ligament tear in his knee in 2022 while at Colorado, a broken collar bone late in 2024 and an aggravated hamstring pull last season. Just seeing his name on a long-term injury report in three of his four college seasons is concerning enough, but you have to look a bit closer at the specifics of the ailments to understand why the Saints brushed all that aside.
Tyson's knee tear was long enough ago that he's clearly demonstrated there aren't any lingering issues holding back his elite abilities; he came back and lit it up at Arizona State, after all. A broken collarbone is a one-off incident that actually makes the affected area stronger if healed correctly (and, so far, there's nothing to suggest it didn't). The hamstring issue would be the most concerning, but NFL medical care in the year 2026 should be at a level to sufficiently handle soft-tissue injuries. After his highly attended pro day went off without a hitch, it's no surprise he was chosen as high as he was. He's the most physically gifted receiver in this class with a clean bill of health.
OT Francis Mauigoa, New York Giants
The dominant Miami tackle reportedly is dealing with a herniated disc in his back, but the Giants didn't find that nearly concerning enough to let him go at No. 10 and instead take safety Caleb Downs (who ended up with the rival Dallas Cowboys). Mauigoa was widely considered the best lineman in the draft, capable of playing either inside or outside. But with New York already having a history of first-round linemen unable to overcome injury setbacks, adding another one had some scratching their heads.
According to multiple reports, Mauigoa's disc issue is considered asymptomatic, and head coach John Harbaugh was assured by the Hurricanes training staff ahead of the draft that there's nothing to worry about. That was good enough for general manager Joe Schoen, and he pulled the trigger on a needed young blocker for QB Jaxson Dart. Now Giants fans will pray Mauigoa isn't a repeat of the Evan Neal debacle.
DT Caleb Banks, Minnesota Vikings
The Florida product missed all but three games for the Gators in 2025 after suffering a foot injury in training camp. Most of his draft profile was based on that limited sample size and his 2024 play, yet he still went as the first defensive tackle off the board. Mock drafters struggled with where to place him: Some felt he was good enough to be selected in the late first round based on potential alone, while others thought it best to wait for Day 2. The Minnesota Vikings took the former advice after getting some good news.
Ahead of Thursday, teams received a letter stating a recent CT scan undertaken by Banks revealed that his foot is healing properly after surgery. It also stated the 23-year-old is "on pace to be fully cleared for full football activities in early June." That was enough for the Vikings to roll the dice at No. 18 overall, passing on safety Dillon Thieneman — who was frequently mocked to Minnesota assuming Banks' injury would scare most teams off. Now fans keep their fingers crossed that Banks doesn't experience any setbacks ahead of training camp.
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee: The only warning taken seriously?
The one prospect considered a first-round talent who had an injury history concerning enough to wave teams off was Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy. He was not among the first 32 players picked, and that may have been for good reason: McCoy suffered a torn ACL and missed the entire 2025 season for the Volunteers, leaving tape only as recent as 2024 for NFL teams to gauge his abilities. But that's not the only reason he may have slipped out of Thursday's first round.
According to insider Tom Pellisero, doctors were reportedly concerned that McCoy may need another surgery to replace a bone plug that was used to repair a previous cartilage defect in his knee. It's unclear how long that kind of procedure would sideline the 20-year-old, but it appears to be a serious enough possibility that teams refrained from spending a first-round pick on him. It would be shocking to see McCoy fall any further than Round 2 on Friday, but he'll be one prospect to keep an eye on throughout the summer health-wise.
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