I was asked on Twitter by a loyal follower to address the Star Lotulelei situation. For those of you who don't know, the star Utah defensive tackle and likely top 10 pick was held out of all workouts this week after combine doctors discovered he has a heart condition, where according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen, his left ventricle is pumping at 44% efficiency, well below the 55-70% average. (Photo Credit: Brian Spurlock, USA TODAY Sports)What could this mean? Well we're not sure yet. It could be nothing, a false positive of sorts, and he may continue with all the normal pre-draft workouts as scheduled in the next couple weeks (pro day, team visits, etc.). On the other extreme, it could be a much more serious condition that could keep him away from the game long term. At this point, there's just too many unknowns. For instance, do we know how this condition could affect his play, both short and long term? How long has he had this condition? Has he played with it his whole life or is it a recent development? These are the questions teams' scouts, medical personnel, and even Lotulelei himself will seek to answer in the coming weeks. (He flew back to Utah yesterday to seek a second opinion.)
In the mean time, what we do know is that he was an outstanding defensive player last year and one can only hope he comes out of this okay.
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