McCants Reportedly Has Injured Knee

ATLANTA —  Alabama linebacker Keith McCants, expected to be a high first-round selection in today’s NFL draft, could miss his entire rookie season because of an injury to his right knee, according to a published report.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in today’s editions that two NFL team physicians who have examined McCants’ knee said he probably has a small cartilage tear, a condition that may be linked to a congenital defect.

The doctors, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said such an injury would require surgery and six or seven months of rehabilitation, the paper said.

Five weeks ago, McCants was the consensus No. 1 player in the draft and was expected to be selected by the Falcons. However, his stock fell after questions arose about his knee and he did not perform as well as expected in pre-draft workouts.