The New England Patriots finally found an answer at safety in 2013 in Devin McCourty, after years of instability and inconsistency at the position. McCourty became just the third player to be named an All Pro at two different positions.
But with the release of Steve Gregory, McCourty will have a new starter next to him in 2014, with second-year player Duron Harmon the favorite to land the role.
But how do the rest of the safeties match up should injuries strike? Here’s our final training camp positional preview with the safeties.
Devin McCourty is one of the top young safeties in the game. Now entering the final year of his rookie deal, the Patriots have reportedly entered into contract talks and for good reason.
McCourty could only get more expensive as he reaps the benefit of having Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner at cornerback.
Duron Harmon was a surprising third-round pick in 2013, but showed consistency and strong tackling skills as a rookie. While he’s not one of the prototypical strong safeties of a past era, Harmon can play on the back end or in the box.
Is he the proverbial “enforcer” that many Patriots fans have been clamoring for since Rodney Harrison retired? No, but the Patriots prefer a balanced back end approach anyway. Harmon has good range and seems like a good fit for Belichick’s style. That’s probably why he drafted him so high, right?
The Pats also brought back Patrick Chung, who spent 2013 with the Eagles. Chung should contribute on special teams and has the demeanor to make an impact in the box as a safety if necessary. Chung gets into trouble when asked to play man-to-man or on the back end. But let him come downhill and make tackles and he’ll deliver some heavy hits. He’s also the perfect kind of off-the-field citizen the Pats love.
Tavon Wilson had some promise as a rookie in 2012 after being thrown into the fire early after Steve Gregory was hurt, but Wilson was relegated to special teams-only in 2013. He’s likely facing a make-or-break season.
Nate Ebner has been solid as a special teams player in his first two seasons, even being asked to occasionally fill in on defense. But that’s not his specialty and he should once again be a special teams mainstay.
Ebner’s most direct competition might come from Kanorris Davis, who saw spot duty in three games as an undrafted rookie who kicked around from the practice squad to the active roster throughout the 2013 season.
There are some promising rookies looking to make an impact as well, including seventh-round pick Jemea Thomas who has good versatility to play a number of different spots in the secondary.
Shamiel Gary and Travis Hawkins were signed as undrafted rookies and will likely need an injury to make the roster. Both are practice squad candidates. Hawkins is out of Delaware but had an impressive pro day.
Projection:
McCourty is the only lock, while most assume Harmon will get the first shot playing next to him. But if Harmon falters or there’s an injury at the top of the depth chart, things could get dicey rather quickly.
Chung is a good third safety, but if he’s thrust into the starting job he would be a target in coverage.
There’s interesting unknowns who will likely get long looks. The competition between Wilson, Davis, Gary and Hawkins could be competing for one roster spot. Special teams performance might be what matters most.
If Harmon takes a solid step forward in his sophomore season, he and McCourty might make for the best Patriots safety tandem since the Super Bowl years. And their jobs will only be made easier by the high-quality cornerbacks on the roster.
And really, how much does it matter who plays next to McCourty given the talent in the secondary? But as always, the proven depth is only so thick.
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