Disaster has struck the New York Giants.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that rookie cornerback Sam Beal, taken earlier this month in the supplemental draft, has almost certainly been lost for the year with a shoulder injury.
The 21-year-old Beal is likely to undergo surgery after dislocating his shoulder in a "weird practice accident," according to Rapoport.
Taken in the third round -- a pick New York gave up in next year's draft -- Beal was scheduled for meaningful snaps this season behind starters Janoris Jenkins and Eli Apple.
The 6-foot-1, 187-pounder out of Western Michigan was projected by some as a potential top-five player at his position had he waited until next year's draft. With gifts as a one-on-one cover man, Beal loomed as a natural fit for coordinator James Bettcher's overhauled defense.
Instead, his first season in the pros will center around rehabbing in the shadows for a Giants squad now tasked with finding help in the secondary.
