Heading into the combine earlier this year, Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was seen by most analysts as a potential first-round pick, with some even going so far as to say he was the best defensive tackle in the draft.
Then, during his medical check at the combine, Hurst was diagnosed with a heart condition, though he’s since been cleared for football activities by cardiologists.
Apparently, that might not matter to some teams. ESPN’s Todd McShay reports some teams have removed Hurst from their draft board completely, and he could fall into the third day of the draft, meaning Round 4 or later.
Latest on Maurice Hurst, from ESPN's Todd McShay: "Because of the nature of his heart condition, several teams have taken him off their board. It's a risk-reward issue, but he could fall into Day 3." https://t.co/y2MkpVAvcD
— Aaron McMann | MLive.com (@AaronMcMann) April 23, 2018
Hurst’s heart condition has been compared to the one that caused former New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Nick Fairley to be released by the club. Like Hurst, he was diagnosed with a heart condition during the combine, and like Hurst, he was cleared by doctors to play.
So, clearly, there is some risk involved with selecting a player with this type of condition.
Hurst was a dynamo for the Wolverines. He finished his career at Michigan with 130 tackles, 32 behind the line of scrimmage, 13.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.