Mike Hughes was the No. 30 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and was expected to immediately contribute to the defense. Throughout the first six games of the season, the Vikings' decision to draft Hughes was proved a smart one. Unfortunately, the Vikings are not going to see their talented corner until next season.
According to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, head coach Mike Zimmer has confirmed that Hughes has torn his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.
Needless to say, this news is a major disappointment for the Vikings. They have not seen their defense perform at the level that it did last season and losing a talent like Hughes certainly won't help.
In the six games that he will have played in during his rookie season, Hughes recorded 22 tackles to go along with a forced fumble, an interception, a defensive touchdown, and three defended passes. Those numbers show exactly why this loss will be a tough one for the Vikings.
Minnesota will rely heavily on Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes throughout the remainder of the season. They will also need Mackensie Alexander to step up.
Zimmer and company may have lost Hughes for the rest of the season, but they should be very excited about his future. Not only did he show true star potential, he also showed that he has matured and was very serious about learning the NFL game.
Hughes has an incredibly bright future ahead of him and will bounce back strong from this setback.