Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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1993 and 1994 draft classes for the most in school history through that round. Only Ohio State (12), Clemson (nine) and UCLA (eight) produced more draft picks than Notre Dame, which tied Alabama and Florida for fourth among college programs. The top story of the NFL Draft from a Notre Dame perspective — and arguably from any angle — oc‑ curred when former Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith came off the board as the third pick in the second round to the Dallas Cowboys at No. 34 overall. Smith started all 39 games while at Notre Dame and was a presumptive top‑10 — and possibly even top‑five — selection until suffering a devas‑ tating knee injury in the 44‑28 loss to Ohio State at the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 1. The play that cost him millions of dollars and caused a torn ACL and LCL, as well as nerve damage, was the most significant factor leading to teams' hesitation to select him. Dr. Dan Cooper, the surgeon who performed Smith's surgery and who also is the Dallas Cowboys' head team physician, revealed to USA To- day that Smith has foot‑drop, which means he currently cannot lift his left foot. "He's had time for his nerve to regrow two inches, and the area of where his nerve was injured is six inches above the muscle that it in‑ nervates," Cooper told USA Today. "I wouldn't really expect him to get much innervation back into that muscle for two or three more months. "Then once it does — I've seen kids who are completely paralyzed like him on the lateral side and not able to pick their foot up at all [that] wind up being totally normal." Cooper added that there is no guar‑ antee that the nerve ever fully recov‑ ers, but clearly he and the Cowboys organization felt confident enough in First-Round Selections Under Brian Kelly 2012 WR Michael Floyd, Arizona Cardinals (No. 13 overall) S Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings (No. 29 overall) 2013 TE Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals (No. 21 overall) 2014 OL Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys (No. 16 overall) 2016 OL Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens (No. 6 overall) WR Will Fuller, Houston Texans (No. 21 overall) Will Fuller is the first Irish wide receiver selected in the first round since Michael Floyd in 2012. PHOTO COURTESY HOUSTON TEXANS