Expected to be a first-round pick in April’s draft, former Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst is now dealing with something much more serious.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hurst was diagnosed with a heart condition at the NFL Scouting Combine this week and will undergo further testing. He will not take part in combine drills this weekend.
Michigan DT Maurice Hurst, projected as a potential first-round pick, was diagnosed today with a heart condition, league sources told ESPN. Hurst will not go through combine drills and will undergo further testing this week.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2018
A 6-foot-2, 282-pound defensive tackle, it’s long been expected that Hurst will drop off the board at some point in the first round of April’s draft. He was a three-year starter for the Wolverines, recording 31 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks during that span.
NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport notes that the condition is similar to that of former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman whose career might very well be over after the Saints failed to clear him.
#Michigan DT Maurice Hurst is headed home for a week of testing after doctors revealed a heart condition here in Indy. They don't know for sure, but one compared it to Nick Fairley’s. He was cleared out of college, but not cleared by the #Saints. Unknown for Hurst.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 3, 2018
We’ll definitely have more on this developing story once it breaks. But for now, our thoughts are with Hurst during these most trying of times. No one wants to see this, especially when a player is going through the biggest job interview of his life.