There aren’t expected to be any running backs selected in the first round on Thursday, leaving aspiring NFL ballcarriers to vie to become the first back off the board when the draft moves on to the second round on Friday.
One of the backs that would like to come off the board early in that round is Tre Mason. The Auburn product’s draft stock seemed to take a hit recently with reports that a medical re-check in Indianapolis showed that he needs surgery to repair a wrist injury. Mason disputed the report, although Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports two team doctors have said that he needs the surgery.
That may not have much negative impact on where Mason winds up going, however. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, who had the initial report on Mason’s wrist, reports that none of the six teams he spoke to about Mason have downgraded him because of his chronic scaphoid fracture.
We’re in the thick of silly season, so any word from teams about any prospect should be taken with more than a grain of salt, but Mason’s expected to be ready for the preseason if he does have an operation so he wouldn’t be missing an onerous amount of time. Given his productivity at Auburn, that outlook should keep him from sliding too far later this week.