CURRENT SITUATION
On the roster: Jonathan Jones (2025), Jalen Mills (2024), Marcus Jones (2026), Jack Jones (2026), Myles Bryant (2024), Shaun Wade (2025)
Futures contracts: Quandre Mosely, Rodney Randle Jr.
Patriots Historical Drafting
Over the last 16 years, the Patriots have made 15 selections. There’s no trend on where they’ve drafted from, but they’ve been challenged to find a lockdown corner via the draft. The last homegrown CB1 was Asante Samuel (Central Florida) in 2003 (4th round). In that whole stretch, they have taken 5 DBs with their first pick available. The only true corner was Cyrus Jones (Alabama) who was actually a second-rounder. They’ve targeted CB six times in the second round (Joejuan Williams, Duke Dawson, Jones, Ras-I Dowling, Darius Butler and Terrance Wheatley) which may be a good indicator of when they look to address the position.
Lastly, they deserve credit for Marcus Jones (who we predicted at BSJ) and Jack Jones. Both had solid rookie seasons.
Draft Expectations for the Position
On average there are about four corners picked in the first round (over the last 6 years). However, there’s been 15 selected over the last three drafts. It’s a relatively deep position this year but it’s not elite at the top of the class like last year. That said, there is a tier 1 and tier 1A and then there is a drop off. I expect 4 first-rounders and there is good depth (with a bunch of potential targets) for them in the second round. After that, it’s naturally going to be a hit-and-miss experience. In short, if you want a contributor next year, you’re likely targeting the first two rounds for a selection.
I expect the Patriots will take a corner at some point in the draft. Their division has evolved significantly, and every team has weapons on the outside with quarterbacks who can deliver the ball consistently. This is a position I tend to trust the Patriots, even if they don’t have the best track record. It’s a challenge for the whole NFL. While receivers should be getting easier to project to the NFL game, corners are getting harder. Many college programs run a variation of zone coverage which makes it more difficult to scout and project the transition to the pros, especially teams that run more man coverage. While the Patriots ran some more zone last year, and they had the pass rush to do it, I still believe they index towards a man scheme. For that reason, I lean more towards players who have strong press, man coverage skills and experience.
Potential First-Rounders
CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois (5-foot-11, 181 pounds): The Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year. He was a good player and made a significant jump this year as his awareness really improved. He plays fast and physical in both the run game and the catch. The knock on him is that he isn’t as big but I don’t think he’s too small given his demeanor. Dontayvion Wicks (WR prospect from UVA) told me he was the best corner he played this year. Said you could feel his strength and that he was really physical. Wicks is a strong 6-1, 203.
Coaches will like what he brings to the table and how he holds teammates accountable. He’s played both the slot and outside and he was a ST ace earlier in his college career. Like many top college corners, he'll need to watch his hands downfield but ultimately, he plays with the required bravado and scrappiness of an NFL corner.
CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon (6-1, 197): Physically built to play NFL cornerback with all the length, speed, and athleticism you would want. He's a cover guy and athlete that fits in the modern NFL game. I do think he gets by on that athleticism but against NFL players there’s room for improvement on the anticipation/awareness requirements. While his tackling analytics are strong, I noticed Oregon taking him off the field on running downs. It may be nothing but something for the Patriots to drill into (many teams won’t care). He did impress Oregon coaches after transferring from Colorado (started every game he was eligible for). They liked his work ethic and attitude. He’s scheme versatile but certainly can play man and his length will be valuable in zone. I think he has the highest ceiling of any of the corners in this class but he’s not a finished product. He’ll be gone in the top half of the draft.
CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn St (6-2, 193): You know the name, his father Joey Sr. played in the league for 13 years. I like Porter Jr., but I am a little torn on his evaluation. He played great against top competition (45 yards allowed against Ohio St the last 2 years) which is important for how the Patriots assess. He has freakishly long arms, enough speed, good play diagnosis, and the physicality to match up with bigger wideouts at the next level. He was excellent this year, he only gave up 9 catches for 70 yards (no TDs) when in man. I hear a lot about his penalties, and I think it’s a bit overblown. He had 10 penalties last year (very high) but only 1 this season. Plus, many of top 10 corner prospects also have penalty issues. I also hear that he’s not that fluid. I didn’t see that in the games I watched, while he’s long-limbed his change of direction seemed to be fine for an outside corner.
What is concerning is that in 31 starts he only has 1 INT. You want more ball production from a top guy. Secondly, Penn State has a puzzling track record at the CB position for such a high-level program. They haven’t produced a corner that was drafted in the first 3 rounds in like 20 years. Lastly, in the offseason, Penn State’s Co-Defensive Anthony Poindexter, said Joey’s fellow teammate, safety Ji’Ayir Brown, was their best player. To be fair, Brown was a captain, won their “Iron Lion” award for offseason training, and he’ll be drafted between Rounds 3 to 5. But that quote caught my attention as Porter Jr. is by far the more athletic player and should be considered the best player as a first-round pick. In short, Porter is a boom or bust type pick with reasons to feel conviction about either. The Patriots will have turned over every rock in his evaluation.
CB Deonte Banks, Maryland (6-0, 197): Good-sized corner, who tested at an elite level (4.35) and has fluid hips relative to his peers. I thought he played well in the Ohio State game I watched. He plays with physical tenacity and press man will be a scheme fit but his skill set offers versatility. To really reach his potential his technique needs to increase, and penalties need to decrease (8 this year). Otherwise, he may struggle on the intermediate routes against guys like Stefon Diggs. In 21 starts he only has 2 INTs, so his ball production isn’t ideal for a high pick. But he’s an outside corner who can play man coverage with the aspiration to be a CB1.
CB DJ Turner, Michigan (5-11, 178): He’s not projected to go in the first round right now, but speed always goes higher. He’s the fastest guy in the class this year (4.26). The coaching staff also talks about how hard he works. He plays with good technique, obvious speed, and plenty of quickness. His size (he’s thin) and lack of length will give him challenges against stronger NFL receivers. We did a deep dive on him earlier this year. I liked how he’s willing to be physical despite that frame. I thought he needed to play with better control and the Wolverines provided some coverage help for him over the top. That may speak to MSU’s Jayden Reed but as a first-rounder, I want a lockdown guy. Either way, the raw tools and that speed will ensure he doesn’t last long if he gets to Day 2. He checks several boxes for the Patriots and should develop into a starter.
POTENTIAL PATRIOT FITS BY ROUND
Round 1: Witherspoon, Illinois.
Former NFL and Illini Head Coach Love Smith said, “Probably the toughest guy on our team pound-for-pound. No one competes harder than him.”
Round 2: Cam Smith, South Carolina (6-1, 180).
He's a good, instinctive player. The Gamecocks moved him around this year based on the matchups. He allowed 211 yards on 302 snaps. Only 25% completion percentage when he was the closest defender, which was one of the best marks in the country. He might not have elite traits but does have good size, ball skills, and his footwork is attractive. The biggest concern, Stephon Gilmore and Jaycee Horn had the same worry coming out of South Carolina, is that he’s grabby (10 penalties this year). That hurts his evaluation, so he’ll need technique work to marry the feet and keep his hands in check. Lastly, he’s not the strongest guy but he plays with a swagger that is noticeable. I think he’s an outside corner who is scheme versatile and should contribute on a team next year.
This round is really deep with solid targets. Julius Brents (Kansas St) and Darius Rush (South Carolina) are other prospects I’d be happy with.
Round 3: Riley Moss, Iowa (6-1, 193).
Team captain and won Iowa's "Team Hustle Award" for his work on defense and special teams. He started 38 games at Iowa and was 2x All-Big 10, DB of the Year in 2021, and owns the Iowa state hurdling record. He has excellent quickness, COD (6.6 3C), and obvious leaping ability. He'll be able to play above the rim with bigger corners. A clean bill of health will be important (lost 4 games last year because of knee). I am sure he did well in the interview room and he's a coachable, program fit for the Patriots. I thought he looked good at Senior Bowl - instinctive, fast, and willing to support the run. Worth noting, he had 13 career turnovers, 3 of which went for TDs. Iowa plays press but largely a zone scheme with some man mixed in. He's a solid player that should be an NFL contributor, but the question is where? Like Devin McCourty, he could start at corner, but I think he has a higher ceiling at safety.
Tyrique Stevenson (Miami) or Corey Trice Jr. (Purdue) are other intriguing corners that may hit their ceiling at safety.
Round 4: Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford (6-0, 191).
He was a 4-year starter, and he has the FBI you'd expect from a Stanford player. He's best when he can see the QB and use his instincts (zone or slot) although he did have some good press snaps against Jordan Addison from USC. While he’s not overly physical, he uses his long arms to be disruptive at the catch. Kelly doesn’t have the fastest 40 time (4.52), but he has enough speed and good size. He has excellent footwork which will be important given his speed. His father played in the NFL for 11 years. He could become an NFL starter over time.
Round 5: Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama (6-0, 189).
He's a 2-year starter who is competitive at the catch (22 PD and 5 INTs in 23 games). His 33-inch arms and length make him an ideal man press corner. He ran well and showed good explosiveness in testing. While he comes from a smaller program, he was practicing against NFL prospects every day and he was competitive at the Senior Bowl. He's already married with a family and both the South Alabama and Senior Bowl staffs raved about his character.
Round 6: Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M (6-2, 200).
His father and mother are Navy veterans, so he has a discipline that should appeal to the Patriots. He's started every game the last 3 years when he wasn’t injured. Perfect NFL size for a DB with solid instincts. He didn't run well at the Combine (4.57) but improved to 4.5 at his pro day. He had a solid 3-cone on both days. He does a good job keeping the ball in front of him given his man experience. While he wasn’t targeted a ton, he didn't make the leap this year. There are some false steps that get more pronounced against professional route runners. If you're targeting a bigger corner for press coverage or think he can transition to safety than he's on your board and there's some upside to like.
Round 7: Mekhi Blackmon, USC (5-11, 178).
He has a similar physical profile as Jack Jones and plays with a similar physicality, instincts, and swagger. USC thought highly of him and weren’t afraid to match him up on anyone and he earned first-team All-PAC-12. He led the Pac-12 in passes defensed and quarterbacks had a passer rating of 46.1 when targeting him. While he’s aggressive against WRs, bigger guys may challenge him or he’ll draw flags.
Rankings
Preseason Rankings
- Cam Smith, South Carolina
- Kelee Ringo, Georgia
- Riley Moss, Iowa
- Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
- Garrett Williams, Syracuse
Post Combine Rankings:
- Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
- Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
- Joey Porter Jr., Penn St
- Deonte Banks, Maryland
- Cam Smith, South Carolina