I think they’ll draft a cornerback but I suspect it will in the third round or lower. I use McCourty and Darius Butler as the benchmarks for what the Pats look for in a high-round potential corner. Yes, Butler flamed out, but it gives us an idea of the boxes they’re looking to check – all-around athleticism, versatility and ability to play special teams are all significant factors.
Someone like Byron Jones does seem to fit that mold, but he’s not one of these shutdown man guys like some might expect Johnson or Peters to be. Strictly as a cornerback those guys are better, but when taking in the whole picture that’s why the Pats might like someone like Jones better.
I think they do need to add another corner, preferably one with better than average size, but when I look at this class the best fits are often undersized. So I’ll be curious to see what they do.
