INDIANAPOLIS – If Myles Jack had any questions about the thoroughness of NFL personnel departments, it sounds like they've been answered.
What other conclusion could he come to after spending seven hours having every examination imaginable done on his repaired torn meniscus?
"I took my MRI this morning at 7 a.m., I had X-Rays yesterday – I went through a whole wave of probing and prodding and questions," Jack said on Friday. "Trust me, they swept through every question and everything you can do with a meniscus. They did their job today."
Jack won't participate in the on-field portion of this week's NFL Combine while he continues to recover from last September's season-ending injury. But make no mistake: the medical evaluations he'll undergo in Indianapolis will make or break his sky-high draft stock.
The UCLA standout linebacker is considered one of this year's top prospects. He's been widely linked to the Cowboys at No. 4 overall for the last month, but all of that hinges on his health.
NFL teams don't typically spend those types of resources on injury concerns, which puts it on Jack to quell the doubts.
"That's my job, to go out there and erase it," he said. "I don't have any issues, any character flaws or anything like that – I haven't done anything bad. Really the medical question is the only question people have."
Fortunately for Jack, it sounds like everything checked out on the knee, and he should be able to show off his impressive athleticism at UCLA's Pro Day next month.
"I feel like I'm 100 percent," he said. "I'm actually just waiting on the doctor's clearance. I can be cleared on March 11, and then my Pro Day is on March 15 and I'll be full-go."
Just how impressive is Jack's athleticism? The conversations he has had with NFL clubs this week seem to be pretty telling. It'd be one thing if he had the versatility to play any of the three linebacker positions, but some seem to think he can play anywhere on the field – on either side of the ball.
"I've heard safety, Mike, Sam, Will, inside backer," he said. "Some teams joked about running back. I don't think they were serious about that, but, I've heard it all pretty much in the back seven."
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The stats speak for themselves when you're considering the viability of those statements. Jack tallied 163 total tackles in his first two years with the Bruins, and he had 15 tackles and a game-saving interception to his credit when he was sideline for the season after just three games last fall.
Offensively, he took 68 carries for 387 yards – an average of 5.7 yards per carry – and 11 touchdowns as a running back.
Asked where he'd like to end up, Jack opted for diplomacy, saying it's on his future employer to decide where he should play.
"I see myself as a football player," he said. "I want the teams to decide for themselves. I feel like I can play any position."
That decision is months away, and it'll likely come after someone – perhaps the Cowboys – takes Jack high in the first round.
More importantly for now is that it will come after he silences the questions about his knee – when he appears to be in the process of doing.
