Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch is dropping on draft boards, and Dan Pompei of The Sporting News says he knows why: As noted by draftheadquarters.com, Pompei said in an ESPN appearance yesterday that Branch has stress fractures in his legs. Some teams, per the report, have taken Branch off their boards completely. A source tells Pro Football Talk, however, that Branch is just fine physically, that his worst affliction is "shin splints maybe" and that he never missed time at Michigan.
So how big a problem is this for Branch? Who knows? The 32 NFL teams have mounds of confidential medical information about every player in the draft. Getting detailed physical exams of 300 players is the No. 1 reason the scouting combine exists (the 40-yard dash is more interesting for fans, but not for general managers). Medical problems are the main cause of players dropping in the draft.
So if Branch is falling, that's probably why. I'm just not convinced he's falling as far on the real draft boards as he is on the ones you can find on the web. We'll find out a week from tomorrow.
Previously at FanHouse:
NFL Draft: Alan Branch Continues to Slide
College Eye For The NFL Guy: Alan Branch
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