The ACL injury suffered by Clemson offensive lineman Brandon Thomas during a team workout is the reason South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will not do any on-field workouts in the run-up to the draft, NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday.
Thomas suffered a torn ACL in his right knee last week. According to Rapoport, Clowney, after consulting with agent Bus Cook and others, decided that team workouts would not be worth the risk.
Rapoport reports that Clowney has not worked out for any teams, so this decision means he won't do any. But he will perform one drill for one team that should take about five minutes because the test was not deemed physically demanding and he won't be at risk.
One NFL executive told Rapoport that Clowney's decision wasn't a big deal.
On NFL Network's "Path to the Draft" on Monday night, NFL Media analyst Charles Davis agreed with the executive.
"I applaud (Clowney) for it," Davis said of his decision. "He's done everything he has needed to do."
Clowney is in play to be the No. 1 overall pick. The Houston Texans own the top pick and had a huge contingent, including coach Bill O'Brien, at Clowney's pro day workout April 2. The idea of Houston taking Clowney with the top pick is gaining steam, and he is expected to meet with the team within the next two weeks.
On "Path to the Draft," NFL Network analyst Jamie Dukes called Houston the "most ideal place" for Clowney because of the presence of defensive line coach Bill Kollar and star defensive end J.J. Watt, saying those two would get Clowney ready to play.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.