FOXBORO -- Admit it: You didn’t really care if the Patriots hit on any of their draft picks this year.
That’s because the perception was that the Patriots punted on the draft, which they kind of did. They traded a first and third for Brandin Cooks, moved out of the second round to pick up Kony Ealy, signed an RFA in Mike Gillislee, traded for James O’Shaughnessy and did a bunch of other stuff involving draft cards, lighter fluid and fire.
JAGUARS 31, PATRIOTS 24
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Well, one of their selections was looking to be a player, but his progress has been halted for the time being. Deatrich Wise, whom the Pats chose out of Arkansas with the 131st overall pick, suffered a head injury on the Jaguars’ third drive of the game Thursday.
The injury occurred on a running play, with Wise remaining down before eventually walking off the field. He looked visibly concussed, as a TV shot showed him stumbling as he took a step walking off.
There’s no such thing as a well-timed head injury, but Wise’s disrupts a training camp in which he had seemingly surpassed fellow rookie defensive end Derek Rivers, whom the Pats chose 48 picks earlier.
New England Patriots
While his arm length was his most notable attribute in the pre-draft process, the 6-foot-5, 274-pound defensive end has drawn praise for being a better pass-rusher than expected. He got the start Thursday against the Jaguars, but his preseason debut was obviously short-lived.
Wise didn’t return to the game after his injury, and time will tell when he next takes the field. The Patriots can only hope he picks up where he left off.