2012 NFL Draft Impact: Should Teams Be Worried About Ryan Tannehill's Foot?

Lost in Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill's recent rise in mock drafts is the reason that we didn't see him at the Senior Bowl or the combine—his broken foot.

Usually when a player is sidelined for a good part of draft season, his stock falls because he doesn't create positive momentum for his draft stock. Tannehill's stock has done the exact opposite, with more and more draftniks believing that he is deserving of a top 10-12 pick (myself included) as we have had more time to examine his film.

So why has Tannehill's broken foot been swept under the rug for the last two months? I consulted with Footballguys.com's Dr. Jene Bramel for some insight:

"

Tannehill’s injury—a fifth metatarsal fracture—has become a more common injury in recent years. These fractures, both those resulting from a single trauma, like Tannehill’s, and stress fractures are always treated in elite athletes with a surgically placed screw. Generally, imaging shows the bone to be fully healed within eight weeks of surgery.

There is some risk that the bone will not heal properly despite surgery. Poor healing and a higher risk of re-breaking the metatarsal is more likely with stress fractures and if a player returns too quickly after the initial injury. That risk has decreased over the past decade, as surgeons continue to refine techniques and the screws used to fix the bone.

Tannehill broke his foot and had surgery in early January. He had no setbacks in his rehabilitation and recovered to have an outstanding Pro Day performance by late March. Though there remains some long-term risk of re-injury, his successful recovery thus far strongly suggests that risk will be minimal and it’s doubtful teams will consider him a durability risk on their draft board.

"

Knock Tannehill's rapid rise up draft boards for his lack of experience or winning percentage or demonstrated ability to read defenses, but don't cite the broken foot that kept him sidelined for most of draft season. Unless a medical exam reveals problems that we haven't heard about, it's very likely that teams view Tannehill as if the injury never happened.