The Undroppables - Jaylen Waddle

The speedy WR from Alabama had a scary injury in 2020, as if year was not bad enough. Jaylen Waddle fractured his right ankle in gruesome fashion early in the Crimson Tides’ season. Can an injury such as this zap a player of his speed? In Waddle’s case I think he is going to be just fine.

Injury History

Waddle fractured his right ankle on 10/24/20 vs. Tennessee
Surgery was likely ORIF to stabilize the fracture site
Surprisingly he was able to return on 1/11/21 for National Championship
Return to play timeline: ~12 weeks
This was a speedy recovery considering the data suggests only 3-6% return to play in 3 months

Waddle’s Speed

As most are aware Waddle’s agility is his best trait. The recurring question I’ve seen is whether or not I am concerned that this injury will affect Waddle’s speed/burst. In short, I’m not worried at all.

Waddle had to have some immediate procedure for his ankle fracture – likely an ORIF (hardware in his ankle) to stabilize the joint.

Long term I would not expect this to affect his speed. However, his 40-yard dash time could provide a lot of insight.

Coming out of high school, Waddle was clocked running a 4.52 40-yard dash. There are reports indicating Waddle was pacing Ruggs’ 40 time. If anyone forgot, at last year’s combine Ruggs ran a 4.27 40. If Waddle ever runs at Alabama’s second pro-day and can clocks in a ~4.3, he proves he’s returned to form. A time of 4.5 suggests he may have lost a step.

The 2019 race between Jaylen Waddle and Henry Ruggs was a TIGHT finish 😳🔥🔥
(via IG/jaylenwaddle) pic.twitter.com/vTMzKNw4EY
— 247Sports (@247Sports) March 3, 2021

Surgery

With an Open Reduction and Internal Fixation (ORIF) there are screw(s) or maybe plates surgically implanted around the fracture for stabilization. An ORIF can sometimes mean you sacrifice mobility to achieve stability.

You don’t need a doctor to tell you that Waddle was not 100% for the National Championship game vs. Ohio State (evidence shown here by his pre-game warmups) However, I was curious if there were any other signs of more serious limitations pre vs. post-injury.

Pre-Injury

Here’s a snapshot of Waddle pre-injury. Yellow arrow shows some slight toe out (nothing major) Yellow lines show his ankle, knee, and hip alignment. These lines are fairly straight with maybe a slight outwards bend but his alignment looks good.

Post-Injury

Here’s one of Waddle’s few plays from the National Championship game (post-injury). If he had severe ankle limitations then we would see some alternations in his gait pattern compared to the previous video. The yellow arrow shows some toeing out and the yellow lines showing good alignment. Overall, Waddle is moving the same.

Here is another play from the National Championship game. I’m going to chalk this up to Waddle not being 100%. He doesn’t really push off his right foot during the dig route and as a result, takes some short choppy steps.

Interesting to note, that even with a bum ankle Shaun Wade is giving 10 yards of cushion.

Summary

Waddle sustained a tough injury in 2020 but was able to come back in a short period of time. This is a testament to his rehab and abilities.

With limited footage post-injury Waddles mechanics appear the same.

There could be other reasons to have Waddle outside your top 3/5 rookie WR ranks but I wouldn’t use this injury as one of them.

If you wish to see the link to the original Twitter thread click HERE.

For a more in-depth fantasy football-driven breakdown of Jaylen Waddle and other rookie prospects, make sure you check out The Undroppables 2021 Rookie Draft Guide.

Jaylen Waddle | Injury Profile