Perry's Prototypical Patriots: Which CBs are best fits in New England?
The New England Patriots are all set at cornerback ... or are they?The Patriots boast strong cornerback depth entering 2021, especially if Stephon Gilmore remains with the team. But there's some uncertainty after this season, as both Gilmore and J.C. Jackson are unrestricted free agents in 2022.That means New England may start planning ahead in the 2021 NFL Draft, which boasts several talented cornerbacks. Who among that group would fit well in Foxboro? Phil Perry's Prototypical Patriots series continues with a rundown of the cornerback prospects in this year's draft who fit the mold of what the team traditionally looks for at that position.
The Patriots may not need a cornerback for 2021. Stephon Gilmore remains under contract -- though that thing will likely have to be re-worked -- and JC Jackson just signed his restricted free agent tender. With Jonathan Jones manning the slot, that's a strong trio.
But the draft isn't all about immediate needs. It's about planning. It's about the future. And if the Patriots want to be set at one of the league's premier positions for the foreseeable future, it would behoove them to take a very strong look at what is a fairly deep cornerback draft class.
If they're looking, what are they looking for? They typically want players who can change directions with the best of 'em. Three-cone times well under 7.00 seconds are the standard, as are short-shuttle times in the 4.10-second range. Size isn't the biggest issue for the Patriots, but if you're checking in under 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, you better have the movement skills to make up for it. We're talking 40 times in the 4.4s or faster, vertical jumps approaching 37 inches and broad jumps over 10 feet.
Explosive. Quick. Good tacklers. The kind of players Bill Belichick would feel comfortable inserting into his man-to-man coverages and his special-teams units.
Let's get to the best fits...
Perry's Prototypical Patriots series: RBs
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 208 pounds
Arguably the best corner in this year's class, Surtain is already a professional -- which makes sense as he's the son of a corner who pestered Tom Brady in the early portion of his career. His technique is clean, and he has tape that shows he can handle himself against the top receivers in the SEC.
His on-the-field work didn't necessarily paint him as the best athlete in the class, but then he posted numbers at his pro day that would challenge anyone who feels he's not athletic enough to thrive at the next level (4.41-second 40, 39-inch vert, 131-inch broad).
Across positions, Surtain is one of the best fits for the Patriots in this class and if he's available at No. 15, he could be theirs.
Height, weight: 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
Talk about fits. Horn might be the best scheme fit for the Patriots secondary in this class.
If you're looking for man-to-man corners, as Belichick is, Horn your guy. He's physical at the line of scrimmage. He's aggressive at the catch point (and sometimes before, leading to penalty flags). He's cocky. He has a short memory. And he has every physical tool Belichick could ask for (33-inch arms, 4.4-second 40, 41.5-inch vertical, 133-inch broad).
Like Surtain, Horn did not participate in agility drills. That could be a concern, but those haven't always been required for the Patriots to feel comfortable drafting a player early.
The Patriots have long wanted a true No. 1 corner in their defense ever since trading for Aqib Talib in 2012. Horn projects as a true No. 1. Maybe he's Belichick's choice to eventually take over for Gilmore, a fellow Gamecock.
Height, weight: 6-feet, 192 pounds
Newsome would be an interesting fit because he has the size and explosiveness (4.38-second 40, 40-inch vertical) to be able to assimilate to any scheme. He may be best suited for a zone team, but he's got oodles of talent in coverage and he's aggressive as a tackler. You know Belichick will appreciate that.
Aside from his shuttle time (4.26 seconds), this First-Team All-Big 10 honoree has the physical traits and versatility that the Patriots could grab in the first or second round and turn into a long-time starter.
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 197 pounds
One of the more confounding evaluations in this year's draft class, Farley has talent that would allow him to go toe-to-toe with any other corner available. But he's recovering from back surgery (microdiscectomy in March), which may pose enough in the way of questions about his long-term health that it could make it tough for teams to take him early.
When he's on the field, though, he's a problem. He may be the fastest player in the draft, and he has the kind of coordinated athleticism that would allow him to thrive on the outside in any scheme. A quarterback-turned-receiver early in his career at Virginia Tech, he moved to corner before the 2018 season and improved to the point that he was named First-Team All-ACC (leading the conference in passes defended) in 2019.
If he slides, the Patriots have taken chances on other-worldly talents with back problems before.
Height, weight: 5-foot-10, 180 pounds
Yet another son of a former pro (Horn is the son of receiver Joe Horn), we couldn't leave Samuel off this list. He's slightly undersized, but he can fly (4.38-second 40, 4.09-second shuttle) so he checks a number of other boxes for New England. He's also a gritty tackler and he could be a slot option for a team like the Patriots that may require a little more size to press on the outside.
A captain for the Seminoles, he's the kind of instinctive and tough football player Belichick often covets this time of year.
Height, weight: 6-foot-1, 198 pounds
Adebo has flown under the radar a bit during the lead-up to the draft because he opted out of the 2020 season. But his physical skill set and ball production at Stanford make him one of the better fits for the Patriots in this class of corners.
According to Pro Football Focus, he racked up 24 pass breakups in 2018 and 2019 -- he was a First-Team All-Pac 12 honoree both seasons -- and back in 2018 he allowed just a 54.6 rating when targeted.
Helping him produce the way he did? A rare combination of length and change-of-direction ability. His three-cone drill (6.69 seconds) comes in under the elite times the Patriots often draft, and his 4.13-second short shuttle is almost as impressive for a corner with his build.
Adebo may be coveted early by teams with Seattle-style defenses, but with the Patriots he could slide in as a man-to-man corner who resides on the outside.
Height, weight: 6-foot-1, 194 pounds
Size. Speed. Consistency. SEC production. Stokes has a lot of what the Patriots are looking for in their corners.
His 4.34-second 40 put him in the 95th percentile among corners, which when combined with his size could help the Patriots overlook his lackluster agility times. His 4.36-second shuttle was somehow slower than his 40 -- not what you're looking for -- and his 6.96-second cone was below average.
Still, his tape shows a corner who'll fit in just fine at the next level. Per PFF, he had five games in 2020 where he allowed fewer than 10 yards and on the season he gave up just 0.51 yards per coverage snap.
Because his change-of-direction ability isn't elite, this two-year starter may be better off in a Cover 3 scheme, but Belichick won't shy away from grabbing a big and athletic Georgia product if the time is right.
Height, weight: 6-feet, 193 pounds
We're about to go on a run of long corners who look like fits in New England. The Patriots showed in 2019, when they took 6-4 corner Joejuan Williams in the second round, that if you're a bigger corner you don't necessarily need to meet some of the athletic-testing standards they apply to this position.
While Rochell doesn't have Williams' size, he's a bigger corner who doesn't need any help when it comes to the testing side of things.
A product of FCS-level Central Arkansas, Rochell is a specimen. He ran a 4.39-second 40 at his pro day to go along with whopping jumps (43-inch vert, 133-inch broad) and eye-opening agility times (4.08-second shuttle, 6.84-second cone).
Rochell struggled at the Senior Bowl so he looks like a developmental player at the moment, but his traits are among the rarest in the class.
Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 202 pounds
St-Juste is bigger than Rochell and though he might not be the all-around athlete Rochell is, he has one particularly mind-blowing trait. He changes direction with the best of them. Including guys who are five inches shorter.
His 6.63-second cone (96th percentile) and 4.00-second shuttle (92nd) are among the best times in this year's class. He's not a blazer, but is no slouch when it comes to straight-line speed (4.52-second 40), and his length may help him make up any lost ground down the field.
He was among the best corners in Mobile, Ala. this year, earning PFF's highest grade in one-on-one drills. Put it all together and he's a tremendous fit for the Patriots, particularly if they feel as though Williams is not going to pan out the way they'd hoped a couple years ago.
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 205 pounds
We've got two more big bodies on this year's list, and this one carries yet another last name that should sound familiar.
Ifeatu Melifonwu is the younger brother of former Patriots defensive back Obi Melifonwu, and like Obi, Ifeatu is the kind of height-weight-speed athlete deserving of a look by any team. He ran a 4.48-second 40 and has ridiculous bounce in his lower half (41.5-inch vertical, 134-inch broad). He even changes direction well -- though not on St-Juste's level -- for someone his size (7.01-second cone).
Melifonwu was the highest-graded defensive back when matched up with backs and tight ends at the Senior Bowl, so maybe he's viewed as a safety. Either way, he's a Patriots fit.
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 187 pounds
Last in our run of long, rangy, potential Williams replacements to play bigger receiving targets and tight ends, Taylor is another who had his share of positive plays at the Senior Bowl. He may end up being a Day 3 option with these others off the board as he's not quite the athlete (4.52-second 40, 34-inch vertical), but he does have the kind of three-cone drill (6.85 seconds) that may put him in play in Foxboro.
According to Dane Brugler of the Athletic, he allowed just 43.4 percent of targets sent his way to be completed in his career.
Height, weight: 5-foot-10, 185 pounds
Every decision made for Prototypical Patriots occurs on a bit of a sliding scale, right? For example, Taylor makes the list because even if he's not a great athlete, he's big and quick enough to look like a good Patriots option.
Well, Brown makes it here thanks to the scale sliding in a slightly different way. Like Taylor, he's not a great athlete. He tested as a good athlete (4.40-second 40, 38-inch vertical, 123-inch broad) -- but not a particularly big or quick one (4.27 shuttle, 7.11 cone). Those agility times will eliminate most from this list.
But consider what Brown brings to the table on special teams. He's ultra-competitive and saw over 700 snaps in the kicking game for the Sooners. Then consider he was named the American team's top defensive back at the Senior Bowl (voted on by National team receivers)... and you can see how the sliding scale may start to tip over its leaning so hard toward Brown being a Patriots fit.
If he's available on Day 3, he could end up one of New England's three fourth-round picks.
