The 2023 NFL draft won’t have 100% healthy players. If it did, it would make history.
The reality is all 32 teams will have to make evaluations on adding players whose college careers were marred by injury or had a promising final season cut short with maladies. Even when players complete the season healthy, procedures and surgeries crop up in the pre-draft process that affect a player’s availability for the offseason workout program and more.
Nick Caserio is embarking upon his third draft with the Houston Texans, and the general manager gave a glimpse as to how the organization views a player’s medical history throughout the evaluation process.
“Medical is a component, but then you have to look at the actual analysis of the medical,” Caserio told reporters April 17. “What does the information tell you? What is their availability? Are they going to be ready to go? Is this a chronic condition? Is this something that can be exacerbated or get worse? Then based on that information, then you weigh the risk/reward of where you have the draft the player, the resource allocation involved.”
The Texans aren’t adverse to taking players with medical concerns. Last year, Houston picked cornerback Derek Stingley No. 3 overall despite playing just three games due to a Lisfranc injury. In Round 2, the Texans also grabbed receiver John Metchie, who was recovering from a torn ACL and did not participate in any on-field work throughout the offseason program.
Said Caserio: “In the end you’re making a financial decision as well, so you want to try to make good, sound financial decisions where appropriate. Not that you’re letting that drive your decision making mechanism, but you certainly have to factor it in, which is why you have that medical meeting, so we have an understanding of what the picture of the player is in that particular area.”
The first day of the three-day draft is April 27.
