Jared Crick left the Ohio St. game with what appeared to be a minor injury which some speculated was a re-injury to whatever he suffered against Washington. On Wednesday, Bo Pelini put the speculation to rest as he announced the senior DT would miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral.
Crick was off to a slow start to the 2011 season and never appeared to be 100% following the injury against Washington. The 6’6″ 285 pound DT registered 22 tackles and a sack in five games played this season. He was coming off 9 sacks in 2009 and 9.5 in 2010.
Crick’s size didn’t lend him to playing DT in the NFL in all likelihood but was viewed by most as a five-technique in the 3-4. The question remains how much will this injury affect Crick’s draft stock?
A torn pectoral for a defensive lineman is devastating as they rely on their upper body. The injury will cost Crick his senior season and will most likely cost him an all important pre-draft process. At 285 pounds, teams have to determine whether Crick is a fit in their system or not and they may not be afforded that opportunity with the injury.
The sweet spot for Crick has always been in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft although some speculated a first round selection. With or without the injury, Crick most likely is taken by a 3-4 team somewhere in the second round.
