Dallas Cowboys third-round defensive tackle Maliek Collins suffered a broken foot during OTAs and will be out for the next 10-12 weeks.
Collins was injured during last week’s organized team activities and the rookie underwent surgery, the team said Wednesday.
Collins will miss the remaining six of nine offseason practices and June’s three-day minicamp. The Cowboys hope for a possible return late in training camp or early in the season. He will likely start camp on the physically unable to perform list.
The Cowboys selected Collins in the third round (67th overall) to bolster their pass rush this season. He is the Cowboys’ lone unsigned draft pick but the injury will not affect the negotiations.
This isn’t the first time a rookie pass rusher has suffered a foot injury in recent years. DeMarcus Lawrence broke his foot during his rookie training camp in 2014 and he was placed on short-term injured reserve until November.
Collins’ break is similar to the one Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant suffered in the 2015 season opener to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Collins had a screw inserted into the foot to stabilize the joint, plus a bone graft.
The Cowboys were already planning on being without second-round pick Jaylon Smith as he recovers from a serious knee injury during his final college game. The Notre Dame linebacker tore his ACL and LCL during a Jan. 1 bowl game against Ohio State, and he suffered damage to his peroneal nerve in the process.