(AP photo)

By Tyler Barto
Twitter: @Tyler_Barto
tbarto@trentonian.com

Likely affected by talk of health of his knee, Alabama offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio finally came off the board Friday to the Buffalo Bills in the second round.

Rutgers' Lorenzo Waters, Kouandjio's high school teammate at DeMatha Catholic (Maryland), kept close tabs on his draft stock.

"I'm really proud of him," Waters said this spring. "I'll definitely be keeping up with him. I try to stay in touch. I talk to his brother a little bit more since he's in my class, but I stay in contact with him."

Kouandjio, who had surgery to repair his knee, held a near-unanimous first-round grade before the season. He was diagnosed with an arthritic knee at the NFL Combine, according to rotoworld.com.

"Cyrus Kouandjio at Alabama, very interesting player," ESPN analyst Jon Gruden said. "Had some knee issues, but he's rounding into health. Massive person with experience on the left side."