New England Patriots rookie offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn will miss the entire 2018 season after tearing his Achilles during Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wynn's injury did not originally look serious, as he was blocking Eagles' star pass-rusher Michael Bennett, backing up towards Tom Brady. After the play, Wynn briefly limped then walked it off. However, he was taken off on a cart and diagnosed with an ankle injury. Unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the very worst injuries any athlete can endure.

Wynn was drafted with the 23rd pick by the Patriots, which had been obtained in the Brandin Cooks trade. The 6-foot-2, 310-pound Georgia product was a First Team All-SEC selection in 2017, and entered the draft as one of the top offensive lineman prospects.

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He was the third offensive tackle selected in the draft, taken after Mike McGlinchey (ninth overall to the San Francisco 49ers), and Kolton Miller (15th overall to the Oakland Raiders).

The Patriots lost key offensive lineman Nate Solder in free agency, Brady's long-time blindside protector, on a four-year deal with the New York Giants. Wynn was in line to win a starting job on the offensive line before the injury, so we shouldn't be surprised if the Pats sign a veteran to fill the void.

New England will be short of a couple key players heading into the 2018 season. Besides Wynn, top wide receiver Julian Edelman is suspended for the first four games after failing a drug test, leaving Brady without his go-to player.

But this is a Patriots team that always gets by without injuries. Remember, they did win Super Bowl 51 without Rob Gronkowski for the entire postseason. Losing Wynn for the season hurts, but nobody should doubt the team's ability to find a suitable replacement before Week 1 begins.

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