The Patriots might not see fifth-round pick Cameron McGrone on the field until next year. Due to the torn ACL he suffered late last year, the Michigan linebacker may have to shift his focus to 2022, according to head coach Bill Belichick.

“We’re not really sure what the expectation of availability is for him, but we’re prepared certainly to not have him available this year,” Belichick said (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com). “There are no false expectations here. He should have a good recovery and be a good player; we’ll just have to see what the timing is on that.”

The Patriots tapped McGrone with the knowledge that his rehab could take a while. They’ve also backstopped their LB group by signing Harvey Langi, so they’re prepared to wait, if necessary. As Reiss notes, the Patriots have drafted injured players in the past and some have panned out pretty well. That includes 1995 third-rounder Curtis Martin, who would later amass a Hall of Fame career with the Jets.

McGrone, the No. 177 overall pick, played in just 16 total games for the Wolverines. Up until his knee injury against Rutgers, he recorded 91 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a forced fumble between 2019 and 2020.