ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The banged-up Detroit Lions have taken another hit.

A big one.

Running back Mikel Leshoure tore his left Achilles tendon on Monday, ending his season before it began.

"There's no more tests that need to be done. He'll have surgery very soon," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "He'll be back, but he won't be back this year."

The rookie was injured after being hit high, quickly and clean, by defensive end Cliff Avril during an 11-on-11 drill in practice.

"I thudded him up and walked off," Avril said. "I didn't even know he fell to the ground until after everybody blew the whistle."

Leshoure was carted off the team's practice field after being attended to by team trainers.

The Lions were counting on the second-round pick from Illinois to provide power in the backfield to go along with the slight and speedy Jahvid Best, who struggled to stay healthy last year as a rookie and in college at California.

"I'm ready for anything," Best said.

The 5-foot-10, 199-pound Best insisted he can be an every-down back.

"I definitely think so," he said. "Size doesn't have anything to do with it."