That's probably my greatest concern - perhaps I haven't articulated it well.

There's really not much of a path to a MEH or FAU sort of 'disappointing player for his draft position but still someone who can contribute'

I don't see much of a gap for that kind of outcome. I mean, I guess if he's just healthy but not very good...thats where you land.

But mostly this looks ENTIRELY boom or bust. And damn, that is just so so so rare in the 1st round. Most of the time there's a floor in place that mitigates the risks associated with taking a guy in the top 50 picks or so. The Trey Smiths of the world with no floor to speak of go on day 3.

This sure looks like a 'no floor' player taking where it's just damn rare to see them taken.

Actually I'd probably compare it to Kelce's microshock surgery. It was an extremely rare injury for an NFL player with almost no data to pull from. What data was there was from NBA players and not NFL guys.

Something like 50% of NBA guys retired and it was over. Really bad odds. We got lucky and Travis had a nice long career and it was never an issue again.

I'd be curious if this was something that stem cells could really help with. It seems like a tendon that just doesn't want to heal right and always leads to pain and inflammation. Perhaps injections could help it heal faster and better.

Teams don't exactly make elite LTs available in this league very often, as we've gotten to understand over the past half decade since Eric Fisher got hurt.

Yeah, I'm willing to take a chance on this one.

I'm aware of all of these cases. I messed up Bentley (being on his second deal with Cleveland, crossed it in my head to second season in New Orleans). The staph infection prevented us from knowing what that recovery would have looked like, yeah.

I don't look at PFF grades because I generally consider them BS (I was actually annoyed at the study that's been cited because it relied on PFF grades to measure return to performance level, which was iffy at best). I do know that since Conklin blew out the patellar tendon, he came back and blew out every tendon in his OTHER knee shortly thereafter.

Jack Conklin is NOT the same. He was a two-time first team All-Pro before the injury, which occurred when he was 27 or 28, if memory serves. Sources in Cleveland have cited him as a trade candidate because of his declining play, and his most recent PFF grades had him ranked around 60 of NFL T - a far cry from being a first-team All-Pro.

Buckhalter came back and was productive. Jimmy Graham came back and was productive for a single season before falling off. Neither one of those guys was as explosive athletically as they were before. Both lost speed and quickness and cutting ability (things that are generated by the power of the quadriceps). Those are the best feathers in the cap I've seen cited, and they're not great ones.

The LT they signed as a FA.

It seems more like the Comerica Park center field, to me...

I don't disagree, but maybe when you have to pick 30 plus every year, this is the dice roll you have to take.

Apparently I missed that Jawaan Taylor has knee issue and is rehabbing it?

Whether you like this pick or not, everyone needs to acknowledge the pick was based on need.

That’s not really debatable, yeah?

That's my concern. And Veach just doesn't have a history of taking these types of risks. This is a guy that hates players over 30 because they fall off quickly and get hurt.

IIRC, he was on the injury report with the knee issue throughout the postseason.

I bet someone rubbed deer antler cream on it and healed it for him which was a really nice thing to do. Thank goodness.

Even if we assume the Chiefs fully believe he's the long term solution at LT (and one might assume that isn't the case based on this pick last night), doesn't somebody have to also play RT after Taylor goes?

You know the number to the 700 Club?...

I asked Grok on NBA recoveries.


NBA Players with Patella-Related Surgery
Kyrie Irving
Injury: Patellar fracture

Details: Suffered a left patellar fracture during the 2015 NBA Finals. Underwent surgery to implant screws. In 2018, he required additional surgery to remove the screws due to an infection at the site. Missed the end of the 2017-18 season.

Recovery: Returned to play, appearing in 50 games in the 2024-25 season before a torn ACL in 2025 ended his season.

Blake Griffin
Injury: Broken kneecap (patellar stress fracture)

Details: Suffered a broken kneecap during the preseason of his rookie year (2009) with the Los Angeles Clippers after coming down from a dunk. Required surgery, causing him to miss his entire rookie season. Later had arthroscopic surgery to address swelling in the same knee.

Recovery: Returned for the 2010-11 season, became a perennial All-Star, and powered the Clippers to playoff contention.

Andre Roberson
Injury: Ruptured left patellar tendon

Details: Suffered a ruptured left patellar tendon on January 27, 2018, with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Underwent surgery, followed by two additional procedures (one to clean out scar tissue and another to remove an irritating suture).

Recovery: Missed significant time, with a recovery timeline of at least six months for sports resumption. His return was uncertain, and he did not regain his prior level of play.

Jeremy Lin
Injury: Ruptured right patellar tendon

Details: Suffered a ruptured right patellar tendon in the 2017-18 season opener with the Brooklyn Nets. Underwent surgery the day after the injury. Expected to miss the entire season.

Recovery: Was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 2018 and reported being ready for training camp, with videos showing him back on the court shooting and running.

Dino Radja
Injury: Left patella fracture

Details: Required surgery on a left patella fracture in January 1997 while with the Boston Celtics. Missed the remainder of the season.

Recovery: Did not return to the NBA the following season (1997-98), marking the end of his NBA career, though he continued playing internationally.

Antonio McDyess
Injury: Ruptured patellar tendon

Details: Suffered a ruptured patellar tendon 10 games into the 2001-02 season with the Denver Nuggets. Underwent surgery, missing nearly two seasons.

Recovery: Returned but never regained his pre-injury form, averaging 7.8 points per game post-injury compared to 17.6 pre-injury.

Randy Foye
Injury: Stress reaction/fracture in left patella

Details: Diagnosed with a stress reaction in the left patella in November 2007 while with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Did not explicitly require surgery, but the injury is noted as a stress fracture, which may have involved surgical intervention in some cases.

Recovery: Returned to play, remaining active as a rotation player, though his statistics never fully recovered to pre-injury levels.

Unnamed Player (2005-06 Season)
Injury: Torn right patellar tendon

Details: Underwent surgery in January 2006 after injuring the right patellar tendon just before the end of 2005. Had prior left knee tendinitis a decade earlier (1995-96 season with the Raptors).

Recovery: Missed the remainder of the season. No further details on identity or return-to-play status.

Unnamed Player (2006-07 Season)
Injury: Right patella fracture

Details: Suffered a right patella fracture in November after 20 games. Attempted to heal without surgery but required surgery in February 2006 to insert screws, missing the rest of the season.

Recovery: Returned for the 2006-07 season, playing all but one regular-season game, and played all 82 games in 2007-08, though with slightly reduced stats due to fewer minutes.

Unnamed Player (Chondromalacia Patella)
Injury: Chondromalacia patella (roughening under kneecap)

Details: Underwent surgery on the left knee at the end of October to repair chondromalacia patella, described as similar to a bone chip. Missed four months.

Recovery: Did not play in the 1996-97 season but appeared in 45 games for the Lakers in 1997-98, the most in his short NBA career.

Notes
Patellar Tendon Tears vs. Patella Fractures: The list includes both patellar tendon ruptures (e.g., Lin, Roberson, McDyess) and patella fractures (e.g., Irving, Griffin, Radja). Tendon tears often have poorer return-to-play outcomes, with studies showing only 75% of NBA players returning to play after patellar tendon surgery, often at reduced performance levels.

Recovery Variability: Recovery times vary significantly. For example, Blake Griffin missed a full season but returned as an All-Star, while Antonio McDyess never regained his prior form. Patellar tendon repairs typically require 6-12 months of recovery, with risks of long-term weakness or re-tear.

Data Limitations: The sources do not always specify the exact nature of the surgery or the player’s identity, especially for older injuries. Some players (e.g., Randy Foye) are listed with stress reactions/fractures that may not have required surgery, but they are included due to their relevance to patella injuries. Additionally, microfracture surgeries (e.g., Greg Oden) or other knee procedures are not included unless explicitly tied to the patella.

I think a sizeable number of us are looking at Taylor going as a good thing.

From what I was told by the PhD PT who is married to my old roommate/
colleague, and some of what I've read (think DJ dug up something in the draft forum that spoke to this), the biggest issues with the patellar tendon repair is getting the tendon to be "just right" when it comes to tightness. Make it too loose and the tendon doesn't function properly and transfer power. Make it too tight and the tendon doesn't function properly, limiting mobility, range of motion, flexibility, etc.

I was already out when old roomie and I had our usual pre-draft call. What her husband told me shifted me even more firmly that way.

Is Ray Lewis on Chiefs medical team? Lmao