We’re just a little over two weeks from camp and it’s time to dive into the positional battles that are most fascinating. One thing about the Patriots, everyone starts on equal footing whether you’re the GOAT or an undrafted rookie. This means there are always surprises every summer, with unknowns and unexpecteds winning significant roles with the team.
The Patriots return all their starters from their 2018 Super Bowl run, led by shutdown corner Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore has had defining playoff plays in his first two seasons with the team and has firmly cemented himself as one of the best corners in the league. I still think Pats fans take him for granted but having a player like him makes things a lot easier on the rest of the defense.
In the slot, Jonathan Jones returned from injury in 2018 and immediately returned to his significant role. Jones is one of the fastest and most underrated players on the roster. He played half the defensive snaps during the season. He’s on a one-year, $3 million RFA contract, making this a big year for the 25-year-old. He could be a coveted player next offseason.
Jason McCourty returns on a two-year deal after proving to be a versatile fit at both corner and safety. He played 80 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018, however saw his playing time start to diminish in the playoffs as undrafted rookie J.C. Jackson started to emerge on the outside.
Jackson was the annual undrafted rookie who not only made the team but saw his playing time increase as the year went along. He finished the year having playing 38 percent of the defensive snaps. Any other year and it would be easy to project Jackson into an outside starter’s role across from Gilmore, but the Pats still have an embarrassment of riches behind him.
Keion Crossen was another promising rookie from 2018, a seventh-round pick who showed promise in the preseason but saw just 39 snaps in the regular season.
It’s the new faces that really make things a logjam with 2018 second-round pick Duke Dawson returning from injury and 2019 second-round pick JoeJuan Williams entering the fray.
While Jones recovered from injury last summer, Dawson was immediately inserted into the slot role and showed some promise before starting the year on IR with a hamstring injury. He’d return to the team but never make his game debut setting up a fascinating second training camp for him.
Dawson projects as Jones’ backup in the slot and that’s why he’s in such an interesting spot. Many lament wasting a pick on Dawson, but he could quickly emerge as a vital piece if injuries strike. Can you really cut a second-rounder without ever seeing him in a game? Roster spots are precious and Dawson will be a tough decision to make. Though with Jones only on a one-year deal there could be good reason to find a way to keep Dawson around, or perhaps consider a trade for one of the players.
Williams is a long and athletic outside corner who perfectly fits the man-heavy defense the Patriots like to play. It’s not crazy to think Williams could surpass McCourty and Jackson to start opposite Gilmore, he has that much upside. The rookie could take the Patriots’ defense to another level.
Like many Patriots positional groups, the cornerback group is a spectrum of matchup possibilities. They have big outside guys and quick inside guys. McCourty and Jones can both play some safety responsibilities. And again, this is all aside from Gilmore, who can shadow the best receivers in the game or completely eliminate WR2.
They are well prepared for injuries to strike, a problem they haven’t had to face much in the last few years. If their depth is not tested in August, they’ll have a lot of hard decisions to make in early September, with Dawson and Crossen at the top of the list, not to mention 2019 seventh-rounder Ken Webster.
Ultimately, competition should bring out the best in everyone, with a top line of Gilmore-Williams the favorites to emerge, with Jones in the slot and McCourty playing a versatile inside role. Jackson is too good not to hang on to and they’ll find a way to get him on the field, while Dawson should still be able to find a way onto the roster given his potential value down the road.
Crossen, Webster, undrafted rookie D’Angelo Ross and late-season practice squad addition AJ Howard are likely practice squad or bust, though castoff Patriots corners like Justin Coleman and Kenny Moore have gone on to lucrative paydays despite not being able to crack the roster in New England.
This is a position of strength for the Patriots, where there are a lot of good problems to have. In today’s NFL, a versatile and deep cornerback group is vital and the Pats have one of the most versatile and deepest groups.
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the dawson pick still angers me. i don’t believe he had a 10 or 12 week hamstring injury — he just couldn’t beat out a late round pick and an UDFA at his position and that’s inexcusable for a 2nd round pick.