During the Jets' pre-draft news conference, GM Mike Maccagnan was discussing fourth-round pick Chad Hansen when he updated the media with some injury news on a veteran receiver.
"Now I will say there is one bit of information I can pass on to you. Devin Smith injured his knee just before the first day of OTAs," he said. "He actually tore his ACL and he will be out for this season."
For Smith, it is the second ACL tear in his right knee. He suffered the first in December of his rookie season and that injury forced him to start the 2016 campaign on the PUP list. The second-round pick has been snake bitten throughout his career, going down with broken ribs and a partially punctured lung in his first training camp before playing 10 games. The Ohio State product make his season debut until Dec. 11 last season and ended up playing in four games.
"It's a setback. It's part of the business unfortunately," Maccagnan said of Smith's knee setback. "With all the work he did to come back, it's unfortunate that happened though."
"I will be talking to him. Like Mike said, it's unfortunate," said head coach Todd Bowles. "It's bad luck and bad timing because the kid worked so hard to get back. He has to persevere and adversity will help him get stronger. Hopefully he comes back and it doesn't happen again. But unfortunately in this game, over my course of time playing and coaching, you see these types of things. Some of the best athletes get hurt and don't get a chance to get on the field and it's just bad timing, bad luck."
