The New York Jets already weak secondary took a big hit Sunday when two cornerbacks were injured. Third
The Jets have likely lost rookie CB Dexter McDougle for the season after an ACL injury at practice Sunday.(Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray - USA TODAY Sports)
round draft pick Dexter McDougle suffered a torn ACL and will likely be lost for the season. McDougle was tangled up with receiver Stephen Hill during one on one drils at practice on Sunday and was injured when they went to the ground. In a tweet by McDougle, he appeared to be maintaining a positive outlook saying, "Thank you everyone who has sent me your support and prayers. This is a tough blow but I promise, I will be back better than ever."
Also: A Look Back At The Jets' 2014 Draft Class
Later in the same practice, probable starter Dee Milliner went down with an injury as well. Milliner was covering rookie receiver Quincy Enuwa in a seven on seven drill and he suffered a high ankle sprain. Preliminary word is that the injury could keep Milliner out until the start of the regular season. The will rob the young cornerback of valuable time to develop after struggling through the majority of the 2013 season.
The Jets secondary, already paper thin is down to a skeleton crew at the moment. With Milliner and McDougle out the probably starters would be the undwhelming combo of Dimitri Patterson and Kyle Wilson. Despite drafting two cornerbacks, the team still seemingly has a lot of ground to cover before they can rely on their secondary.
Rex Ryan attempted to ease some of the concerns about the state of the secondary saying,
“When those things happen, it's unfortunate. You got to move on. ... You're concerned with everybody's injuries, but that's part of the business. ... I've been talking about our depth and now we'll get to see it. ... We'll be able to play defense. We have a lot of good football players. We'll be fine."
With Milliner expected back by the regular season, the Jets still have some hope for developing a decent secondary. If players like Kyle Wilson and Milliner continue to develop as the coaching staff is hoping, the Jets defense as a whole could be one to look out for. As the regular season draws closer, the Jets certainly cannot afford to lose any more pieces if they hope to conted for an AFC East title.
Also: Check Out The Jets Competition With A Profile Of Pats WR Aaron Dobson
