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Patriots injury issues continue, as they lose first-round pick Isaiah Wynn for season

Frank Schwab
NFL writer

The New England Patriots were in a nice spot for a team that came a few minutes from a Super Bowl title, adding a pair of first-round picks to help this season.

It won’t go that way. Running back Sony Michel is out for the preseason due to a knee issue. The news on offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn, the first of the Patriots’ two first-round picks, was much worse.

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According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Wynn tore his Achilles tendon in Thursday night’s preseason game. Wynn will miss the entire season.

New England Patriots first-round pick Isaiah Wynn tore his Achilles in the team's second preseason game. (AP)
New England Patriots first-round pick Isaiah Wynn tore his Achilles in the team’s second preseason game. (AP)

Isaiah Wynn was expected to contribute, maybe start

Wynn was supposed to help an offensive line that lost left tackle Nate Solder in the offseason. Massive Trent Brown, acquired in an offseason trade with the San Francisco 49ers, is slotted in at left tackle but Wynn was making a push to be the starting right tackle.

Wynn was the 23rd overall pick of the draft. The Georgia product brought some extra value to the Patriots because he’s capable of playing either tackle spot or at guard. It just won’t happen this season.

The Patriots are deep enough to overcome losing a rookie offensive lineman. But it’s not ideal to lose a talented player already, and it especially hurts because it came in a game that doesn’t count.

Patriots have taken on many hits since last season

It hasn’t been a great offseason and preseason for the Patriots. They lost a lot of talent in the offseason. Solder, cornerback Malcolm Butler, receiver Danny Amendola and running back Dion Lewis were among the players to sign elsewhere. Receiver Brandin Cooks was traded to the Rams. Receiver Julian Edelman was suspended four games to start the season due to a violation of the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.

Now the Patriots are dealing with injuries to their top rookies. Wynn is done for the season. Michel will be back but it’s a big challenge for a rookie to contribute in the Patriots offense without any preseason work. Second-round pick Duke Dawson, a cornerback, missed Thursday’s game due to injury. On top of that, running back Rex Burkhead is dealing with a “slight tear” in his knee according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

The Patriots would probably be happy if the rest of the preseason was canceled.

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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!