Fringe 1st-round receiver Brandon Aiyuk undergoes core muscle surgery

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Possible first-round receiver Brandon Aiyuk reportedly had surgery today in Philadelphia, according to NFL Network. 

The speedy Arizona State receiver is thought to be a possible late-first-round or second-round pick in the NFL Draft later this month. 

Meyers, who is based in Philadelphia, is widely considered to be the top surgeon in the country for this procedure. He draws in athletes from all over the country for this particular surgery. 

It’s the same surgery DeSean Jackson ended up needing last year and that another draft prospect, Laviska Shenault, had in February. 

The big question with Aiyuk is this: What does this do to his draft stock? 

Well, a surgery a little over two weeks from the draft certainly won’t help. But at least it explains why he ran a 4.50 in the 40-yard dash at the combine. That’s not a bad time at all, but Aiyuk looks faster in games and that’s probably because he is. 

The likelihood of no OTAs is an interesting wrinkle in this. The normal recovery time after this kind of surgery is around 4-8 weeks. So because there likely won’t be any practices until training camp, there’s a good chance Aiyuk will be completely healed by then. 

In an Eagles-only mock draft on March 31, I had the Eagles taking Aiyuk with the 53rd pick but I wasn’t completely convinced he’d be there. This injury/surgery makes it slightly more likely that he is. 

Replacing N’Keal Harry for the Sun Devils in 2019, Aiyuk had a big season, catching 65 passes for 1,192 yards (18.3) and 8 touchdowns. But he also played just two seasons at ASU after transferring from a JUCO program. 

Despite the injury, Aiyuk tested well at the combine. And his freakish wingspan gives him a giant catch radius. 

Where Aiyuk really shines is with the ball in his hands. He also returned kicks and punts at ASU and his YAC ability is impressive. Aiyuk would be a great weapon for Doug Pederson and the Eagles’ offense. 

Maybe this surgery helps him fall into their range in Round 2. 

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