The New England Patriots in the 2017 NFL Draft didn't possess a selection in the first two rounds with their first choice coming in the third round with former Youngstown State defensive end Derek Rivers.

However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com is now reporting that Rivers has suffered a torn ACL during a joint practice with the Houston Texans on Friday morning that could potentially put his entire 2017 season in jeopardy.

Although it's just an MRI at this point, the outlook doesn't appear to be too promising as it should be a long road back to recovery if he has indeed torn his ACL that will likely require surgery.

Rivers is coming off a highly successful collegiate career that saw him rack up 37.5 sacks and 173 total tackles in his four years at Youngstown St. The Patriots were hoping to utilize his versatility to play at both defensive end and outside linebacker to help provide a more effective pass rush this upcoming season.

The loss of Rivers is a much larger blow given that veteran outside linebacker Rob Ninkovich had retired earlier this summer. It may push the front office in the market to another pass rusher to their roster before the start of the regular season.