Browns' Ifo Ekpre-Olomu 'highly unlikely' to play in 2015, Pettine says

It doesn't appear Cleveland Browns fans will have a chance to see rookie cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu in action this season.

Ekpre-Olomu tore his ACL and dislocated his knee while playing at Oregon in December, and is "highly unlikely" to play in 2015, Browns head coach Mike Pettine said Wednesday.

The Browns picked him in the seventh round, but some feel he could have been a first-rounder had he not suffered the serious knee injury.

"Players that have had this injury before, it's rare that you would return that season,'' Pettine told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. "Given our depth, we're very comfortable with him sitting out. That's just one that we felt it was a low-risk, high-reward move when we took him in the seventh round. There's no reason to rush it back given the depth in that room now anyway."

Pettine is right about the depth on the squad, as Cleveland is equipped with Joe Haden, Tramon Williams, and Justin Gilbert, among others at corner.

Selecting Ekpre-Olomu may not pay dividends right away, but it could end up being a huge steal for the Browns if he makes a full recovery and returns to form.