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With the 54th pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins selected Boise State cornerback Jamar Taylor. Taylor was considered a first round pick prior to the draft, and the fact that he fell to the Dolphins at 54 was surprising. On Wednesday, we go an answer as to why Taylor fell so far.
According to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, a test at the NFL Scouting Combine discovered Taylor had high blood pressure and kidney damage. Jackson states that Taylor was originally diagnosed with the high blood pressure in high school and has been on medication to control it. The problem is, the medication has serious side effects for some people, particularly black males.
The tests at the Combine revealed Taylor's kidneys functioning at just 42% efficiency. A biopsy on the kidneys revealed that the damage had been caused by the medication, and that a new blood pressure medication would help the situation. Taylor would be left with scar tissue on his kidneys, but that their efficiency should increase.
He will be tested again in a few months. He also cannot take anti-inflammatories, as they compound the issue in his kidneys.
Teams were fully briefed on the situation with Taylor's kidneys, but some teams still deemed it too risky. Now, the Dolphins have a player who could become a Week 1 starting cornerback as a rookie, and someone who, thanks to the Combine, dodged a potential kidney transplant in his future as well.
[Hat tip ct1361]