If the linebackers are not ready, well, the NFL is willing to wait.
In the first several picks of the second round, both the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars took talented players who had suffered injuries.
Dallas took Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith at No. 34, and Jacksonville took UCLA linebacker Myles Jack at No. 36. Knee injuries caused both to fall out of the top 10.
Smith is expected to miss the entirety of the 2016 season with a devastating knee injury that caused a bout with drop-foot, a nerve issue that affects his ability to fully maneuver his lower leg.
Jack went two picks later to the Jags, who are quickly assembling an impressive amount of talent on their defense. He slid in the draft because of medical reports on his surgically repaired right knee. Jack admitted this week he may one day need microfracture surgery.
If Jack is healthy enough to play through his rookie contract, the Jags may have just drafted the best two defensive players in the entire draft which includes No. 5 overall pick, cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
