Vernon Hargreaves Placed on Injured Reserve with Hamstring Injury

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed cornerback Vernon Hargreaves on injured reserve Wednesday due to a hamstring injury.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported the news.

The second-year man hasn't played since the Bucs' Week 10 win over the New York Jets.

Hargreaves, 22, has registered 42 tackles and doesn't have an interception this season in nine games and eight starts.

He headed into the 2016 slate with a bit to prove after going from a potential top-five pick, according to some projections, to the No. 11 selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hargreaves was incredibly productive at Florida and was arguably the best pure cover corner in the 2016 draft, and he was expected to make an instant impact with Tampa Bay.

He struggled at times during his rookie campaign, though he registered 76 tackles and an interception.

Still, his versatility and adaptability give him a ton of upside, and he was hardly the first cornerback to struggle in his initial season. Despite a rocky beginning and bouts of inconsistency in his sophomore effort, he's generally made strides, flashing the upside that made him a top-15 pick.

Hargreaves has all of the makings of an excellent cornerback, though any time off the field is a missed developmental opportunity. The Bucs will hope his time on the sideline is short-lived.

While he sits over the final two games of the season, Robert McClain and Brent Grimes will likely serve as the team's starters.