We continue our training camp positional preview series by looking at the cornerback room. A second-year player holds the key to the unit's success.
Signed: Christian Gonzalez, Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones, Alex Austin, Isaiah Bolden, Marcellas Dial, Shaun Wade, Azizi Hearn, Mikey Victor, Kaleb Ford-Dement, and Marco Wilson.
So much of what happens with this group is what Gonzalez is and what they think he can become. I've been pushing back all off-season about his anointed status amongst the fan base. He's not a number one corner...yet. The former first-rounder certainly has all the physical tools to achieve that, but he didn't make it out of the fourth game of his NFL career. Darrelle Revis had one season in his prime, 2012, where he didn't play double-digit games. The same holds true for Stephon Gilmore. Ty Law didn't have a significant physical breakdown until 2004, his 10th year in the league. Availability is not the best ability (if you suck, who cares?), but it's a part of the equation and one that escaped Gonzalez last season.
The other unknown about Gonzalez is how he handles being beaten and having a bad game. Because guess what? It will happen. The other guys get paid, too. And those guys on the schedule this year are damn good.
- Week 1, Ja'Marr Chase
- Week 2, D.K. Metcalf
- Weeks 3 & 8, Garrett Wilson
- Week 4, Brandon Aiyuk (assuming he finally signs a deal with SF)
- Weeks 5 & 12, Tyreek Hill
- Week 6, Nico Collins
- Week 9, DeAndre Hopkins or Calvin Ridley
- Week 10, Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore or Rome Odunze (maybe)
- Week 11, Cooper Kupp
- Week 15, Marvin Harrison Jr.
That's just a snapshot of the likely top dogs a true number one corner who travels would see. That also means facing QBs like Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, Brock Purdy (he did get to a Super Bowl), C.J. Stroud, Matt Stafford, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert. There's also Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa, and Kyler Murray. I'm sure injuries will play a factor on the opposing sidelines as well, but damn, that's a serious list.
I know some of you will read a line or two of this missive, disagree, and turn this into a Giardi-hating Gonzalez situation. Don't be ridiculous. I was the guy who would have traded up in the 2023 draft to get him, not trade back. Waiting gave me heart palpitations. He has the requisite speed, instincts, and smarts to put himself in the #1 corner conversation one day, maybe even at some point this year. But no one can tell me they know based on 14 quarters of football. Sorry. And so if Gonzalez is not the best of this bunch or can't stay healthy, it could have a trickle-down effect that could lessen the impact of a top-10, potentially top-5 defense. After him, there are questions. Lots and lots of questions.
Jonathan Jones is where I'll start. He has been a certified baller since coming to New England as an undrafted free agent out of Auburn. From special teams to dime work to being rewarded with a couple of solid contracts as one of the best nickels in football.
Because of a suspect depth chart, Jones has played more outside in the last two years. He has been a gamer in that regard, and he's better there than I expected. He was terrific down the stretch last season, save for the Kansas City game. But there's a lot of mileage on that 5-8, 185-pound body, and Jones played hurt quite a bit after missing weeks 2-4. He's entering year nine and is coming off of off-season surgery, limiting his work this spring.
That should have opened the door for more work from Marcus Jones, who missed all but a game and a half after shoulder surgery. But he, too, was held back and not given full clearance to participate during OTAs and mandatory mini-camp. There's no doubting his athleticism nor is the notion that both the previous regime and the current one are counting on Jones to develop into a vital piece of the secondary. But he was not good last summer, and on top of that, the injury impeded his development. This is a big summer for him. In an ideal world, the third-year player holds down nickel, with Gonzalez and Jon Jones playing outside.
All the absences, or reduced workloads at the position, led several unheralded players to get a ton of reps, and considering the work coach Mike Pellegrino has down at the position, there's some confidence one of these youngsters - Bolden, Austin, or Wilson (he's 25) - could hit.
Bolden is the most intriguing. He has been moved inside and out these last few months despite standing at 6-2, similar to how he was deployed at Jackson State. Color Jerod Mayo intrigued.
"He's one of those guys that we need to take a step forward. He's one of our fastest guys on the team. He should be a demon on special teams and obviously has some defensive capabilities. So I'm excited to see him, especially when we put the pads on. Anytime you have a bigger corner like that, you know, it's kind of hard to really tell in a non-contact camp."
Austin has a slightly longer resume in New England, having been forced into action late last year. He was okay and had some moments in May and June, even if the consistency was not always what they sought. The good news is that Austin showed an ability to bounce back after a bad play, a requirement for the position.
"Potential," observed Mayo. "He showed potential. And we all know that's only that, it's potential. So, we have to see him in training camp."
Like Austin, Wilson got run with the projected starters. A review of my notes revealed little, either good or bad. That's not a bad thing. Wilson has some tools in the bag, and it's him vs. Austin for a roster spot unless there are injuries.
As for the rookie Dial, he didn't find himself getting a ton of reps (sort of the Joe Milton of the defense). As a late-rounder, there's no guarantee he is on the roster, but with the rest of the names I listed, he at least has the edge of being a Wolf/Mayo selection. Based on what I saw - and his college tape - he could use a redshirt year.
The rest of the crew (Wade, Hearn, Victor, Ford-Dement) can't say that. If they keep six corners, I'd still put Dial in that spot, knowing that he needs to become more technically sound if he's to have a chance. I will say Hearn showed up more than once (in a good way) and is someone I'll be keeping my eye on as a dark horse. He was on the practice squad last season.