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New York Jets wide receiver Devin Smith suffered a second major knee injury in less than two years that will force him to miss the 2017 season. The Jets' 2015 second-round draft pick has a torn ACL that was discovered on April 17 just as the team's off-season program began. The team announced Saturday that he will not be available during the coming season.
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Smith tore the ACL during his rookie season in 2015 after starting his career with fractured ribs on the second day of training camp. He didn't return from the first knee injury until midway through the 2016 season.
The injuries have limited the former Ohio State standout to 14 games the past two years. He has 10 receptions for 135 yards and one touchdown.
"It's bad luck and bad timing because the kid worked so hard to get back," Jets coach Todd Bowles said.
An MRI confirmed the latest ACL tear, which might have occurred before the team's first official workout this month.
"He had been around, working and training, but at the first (team workout) he experienced a situation with his knee," general manager Mike Maccagnan said. "We actually examined him before he went out."
The Jets addressed the wide receiver position in the 2017 NFL Draft this weekend by taking Alabama's ArDarius Stewart in the third round and Cal's Chad Hansen in the fourth.
