Clemson wide receiver Justyn Ross was once considered one of the top WR prospects in the nation. In fact, his name was often associated with some of the elite first-round talent in his class.
But with all 262 picks in this year’s draft locked in, Ross never heard his name called.
“Damn bru,” he wrote on Twitter.
Damn bru 🤦🏽♂️
— Justyn Ross (@_jross8) April 30, 2022
Ross’ 2022 draft slide stems from a serious medical condition he was diagnosed with in 2020. Doctors found the the former four-star recruit had been born with a congenital fusion in his spine, a condition called Klippel-Feil syndrome. This condition put his football career on pause until he underwent surgery to repair the issue.
Despite concerns that he may not be able to play football again, Ross returned during the 2021 season for the Tigers — logging 46 receptions for 514 yards and three touchdowns. Prior to the discovery of his back condition in 2020, the talented young wide receiver notched 1,865 yards and 17 touchdowns through his first two seasons.
With longterm health issues still looming, it appears NFL teams were hesitant to spend a draft pick on Ross. That being said, he’ll no doubt be picked up as an undrafted free agent sometime this offseason.
NFL insider Ari Meirov ended this year’s draft with some words of encouragement for players like Ross.
“There are more undrafted free agents in the Hall of Fame than No. 1 overall picks, No. 2 overall, No. 3 overall, No. 4 overall, etc. It’s not about where you start. It’s how you finish,” he wrote. “Some hope for the players who will go undrafted today…”
The post Look: Justyn Ross Reacts To His NFL Draft Slide appeared first on The Spun.
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