The Cincinnati Bengals received their first injury blow of the season today. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Bengals first round draft pick William Jackson III has a torn pectoral muscle. This is the same injury that ended the season of Cleveland Browns defensive end Desmond Bryant.
Bengals first rounder William Jackson suffered a torn pec, source said. Big blow.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 2, 2016
Bengals Cornerback William Jackson III Has Torn Pectoral Muscle
Jackson, a highly coveted cornerback in the 2016 NFL Draft for his prototypical size, added a lot to the Bengals secondary. The 24th overall pick led all of Division I college football with 23 pass breakups. He also had five interceptions for the Houston Cougars last season. This includes two he had in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. He had 93 targets and allowed 46 catches, with quarterbacks only having a 57.9 passer rating against him. He also came into the draft as Pro Football Focus’s second highest graded cornerback as well.
This leaves the Bengals with Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick as the outside cornerbacks, while Darqueze Dennard is set to be the slot corner. Jackson’s injury really hurts the Bengals overall depth at the position. Jackson missing training camp and the preseason is a big blow because he would get significant playing time in those games. This means it could take more time for Jackson to acclimate to the speed of the league, if one of the aforementioned players goes down with an injury. The Bengals also had the gunner position in mind for Jackson on special teams.
According to NFL.com reporter Ian Rapoport, Jackson is seeking a second opinion on the extent of the injury. Currently, he could miss three to four months, or possibly the entire season. If it’s the former, Jackson could be placed on the injured reserve with designation to return.
