Draft Impact: Jacksonville Jaguars DT Terrance Knighton Undergoes Eye Surgery

The weekend brought troubling news for the Jacksonville Jaguars, as starting nose tackle Terrance Knighton suffered an eye injury at a nightclub early Sunday morning that required surgery later that day. Knighton was discharged after the procedure.

The severity and nature of the injury are unknown, as the team only said they are still gathering information and that their only concerns are for Knighton's health and recovery.

We might not learn many more specifics about Knighton's condition before the draft, but many of his teammates passed on prayers via Twitter. Any changes to GM Gene Smith's draft day strategy will shed light on internal evaluations of Knighton's condition, and it should also noted that Knighton is a free agent next year.

There is no true nose tackle worth consideration at number seven, but Mississippi State DT Fletcher Cox is probably the best overall defensive tackle on the board. Cox doesn't project well as an immovable two-gap tackle, but 2010 first-round Tyson Alualu might be able to play some snaps at the nose and 2010 third-rounder D'Anthony Smith could help out if healthy. 

I've made Cox my favorite if the Jaguars don't trade their first-round pick, but a trade down is a good option and there are a slew of players the Jaguars could consider later in the round. Either way, the likelihood of Cox' going to the Jaguars increased when Knighton went under the knife.