Myles Jack

UCLA linebacker Myles Jack fell out of Round 1. (AP Photo | Danny Moloshok)

FLORHAM PARK -- The first round of the NFL Draft came and went Thursday night. And UCLA linebacker Myles Jack -- once considered a potential top 10 pick -- is still available.

The Jets had a chance to take him at No. 20, but they instead opted for Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee.

They also passed on Eastern Kentucky outside linebacker Noah Spence. He has a history of failed drug tests. Like Jack, he fell out of Round 1, despite his prodigious talent.

The issue for Jack, though, is his surgically repaired right knee, and how that might impact his football future. Teams are clearly wary about that.

After picking Lee, Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan danced around a question about why he passed on Jack. But if you read between the lines, it's fairly easy to see the Jets were not quite comfortable with Jack's medical report.

Here is Maccagnan's answer, in which he didn't specifically mention Jack:

"I would probably frame it this way: When you look at players, you look at them not only from their physical ability. And the other part of it you do take in [is] their physical health. We use that as part of our process, how we analyze players. I think that's what a lot of teams do. You have to weigh things accordingly. Because at the end of the day, you're making more or less investments. You're trying to think of not only what will give you the greatest yield. But the other aspect of it is how you think that player is going to develop or perform over a period of time."

So what's the deal with Jack's knee?

Well, it was described as a "time bomb" in the lead-up to the draft.

Which means what, exactly? Here is NFL Media's Ian Rapoport with more details:

The repair of the lateral meniscus that tore off the bone when he suffered the injury in September is not the issue, according to several sources with direct knowledge of Jack's situation. Instead, the cartilage and bone have begun to separate, creating what is referred to by medical professionals as an osteochondral defect.

If or when the bone and cartilage fully separate, Jack will need to undergo another procedure and it will keep him out for a prolonged period of time. One possibility is microfracture surgery, though there are other options that teams have discussed.

Microfracture surgery, in short, is a big deal. It can end careers, but not neccesarily always does. (Here's more about that type of surgery.)

So you can understand why teams would be nervous -- and why a linebacker-needy organization like the Jets would even steer clear of Jack. None of this, of course, means Jack will flame out in the NFL. But he's a risky pick right now.

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.