{"id":65705,"date":"2019-05-22T18:57:59","date_gmt":"2019-05-22T22:57:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=65705"},"modified":"2021-03-20T10:40:30","modified_gmt":"2021-03-20T14:40:30","slug":"breaking-down-new-england-patriots-cornerbacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/05\/22\/breaking-down-new-england-patriots-cornerbacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking Down New England Patriots Cornerbacks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/patriots\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New England Patriots<\/a> have one of the best rosters in the league, and no position is better or deeper than cornerback. From an All-Pro starter to unmatched depth, New England&#8217;s cornerbacks are as good as anyone in the NFL. Unfortunately, New England will have to make some hard decisions in the coming months. With OTA\u2019s now underway, let\u2019s break down the Patriots cornerbacks and who could make their way onto the Week One roster.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/05\/17\/2019-new-england-patriots-linebacker-depth-chart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><strong>New England Patriots Linebacker Depth Chart<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Taking a Look at the New England Patriots Cornerbacks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>The Star(s): Stephon Gilmore, J.C. Jackson, Jason McCourty<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GilmSt00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephon Gilmore<\/a><\/strong> is the best of the bunch, but all three of these players should be among the better starters in the league. Gilmore had a solid inaugural season in New England but took his play to another level in 2018. Appearing in all 16 games, Gilmore finished the year with two interceptions, 20 passes defended, and a 56.3 passer rating when targeted. He capped off his All-Pro season with the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DLPatsThoughts\/status\/1131331888428331009\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">game-sealing interception<\/a> in Super Bowl LIII and ended the year as the top-ranked cornerback, per Pro Football Focus. Entering his age-29 season, Gilmore should remain one of the NFL\u2019s elite cornerbacks.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JackJ.00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">J.C. Jackson<\/a><\/strong> is the latest undrafted free agent destined to develop into a star. Jackson started 2018 at the bottom of the depth chart but gradually worked his way onto the field. The Maryland product had a nose for the ball, finishing the year with three interceptions in just five starts (13 games). Nobody would argue he was the best cornerback in the league, but Jackson finished 2018 with a league-best 42.0 passer rating when targeted. Jackson should only improve with more time in the league and could join Gilmore to form one of the best cornerback duos in the league.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson allowed the lowest passer rating when targeted among NFL CBs this season. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/53kcTEGj3j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/53kcTEGj3j<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; PFF (@PFF) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PFF\/status\/1092102168075743233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">February 3, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/McCoJa99.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jason McCourty<\/a><\/strong> could easily be the best third cornerback in football. Despite being on the wrong side of 30, McCourty proved that he still has quite a bit of football left in his tank. McCourty played in 80% of the defensive snaps, finishing the season as PFF\u2019s sixth-ranked cornerback. While the eye test doesn\u2019t agree with that elite ranking, McCourty was an above-average starter who made arguably the best play in Super Bowl LIII. Look for him to start situationally and be a major contributor on the defense.<\/p>\n<h3>The Slot: Jonathan Jones, Duke Dawson<\/h3>\n<p>This should be one of the most fascinating battles in all of training camp. Former undrafted free agent <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JoneJo03.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonathan Jones<\/a><\/strong> began his career on special teams but has slowly developed into a dependable slot cornerback. While he\u2019s not on the level of Jackson or Gilmore, he\u2019s a dependable starter who has improved on an annual basis. He\u2019d be the unquestioned top slot option on most rosters.<\/p>\n<p>However, Jones has a challenger in the enigmatic <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2018\/07\/30\/duke-dawson-patriots-xfactors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Duke Dawson<\/strong><\/a>. Dawson, a 2018 second-round pick out of Florida, essentially missed the entirety of his rookie season with a neck injury. The rookie started the season on the short-term injured reserve but re-joined the active roster midway through the season. However, Dawson couldn\u2019t get on the field thanks in large part to Jones\u2019 play.<\/p>\n<p>Given the impressive amount of talent on the depth chart, these two players could be fighting for one spot on the roster. Jones is entering the final year of his contract while the coaching staff clearly thinks highly of Dawson. Don\u2019t be surprised to see New England trade Jones if Dawson is able to put together a strong training camp and preseason.<\/p>\n<h3>The New: Joejuan Williams<\/h3>\n<p>Despite their impressive depth at cornerback, thePatriots selected cornerback <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/04\/20\/joejuan-williams-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Joejuan Williams<\/strong><\/a> with their second pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. It\u2019s easy to see why they did that, as Williams is a big, physical cornerback who can match up against the biggest receivers in the league. In many ways, he\u2019s <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BrowBr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandon Browner<\/a><\/strong> all over again.<\/p>\n<p>New England will use Williams any time they need to match up against a big, physical receiver. Back in 2014, the Patriots would often line <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/R\/ReviDa99.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Darrelle Revis<\/a><\/strong> up against a team&#8217;s second-best receiver while Browner and a safety took the top receiver. This strategy worked wonderfully against teams like the Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers, and New England has the personnel to do it again.<\/p>\n<p>Williams probably won\u2019t be able to cover quick, speedy receivers, but that won\u2019t be a problem. Thanks to New England\u2019s plethora of riches at cornerback, they\u2019ll be able to play matchups and take down any wide receiver group in their way.<\/p>\n<h3>Patriots Cornerbacks Fighting for Depth: Keion Crossen, Ken Webster, D\u2019Angelo Ross<\/h3>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/C\/CrosKe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keion Crossen<\/a><\/strong> performed well on special teams as a rookie but might be on the wrong end of the numbers game. New England already has five locks for the Opening Day roster and it\u2019s hard to imagine the Patriots carrying more than five or six cornerbacks. Crossen was one of New England\u2019s core special teamers and looked ok on defense, but that might not be enough.<\/p>\n<p>Seventh-round rookie <strong>Ken Webster<\/strong> is a phenomenal athlete who probably is competing for a special teams role. He has the physical gifts to develop into an NFL-caliber cornerback, but he still is raw as a prospect. Undrafted free agent <strong>D\u2019Angelo Ross<\/strong> stands little to no chance of cracking the roster but could land on the practice squad.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/05\/17\/2019-new-england-patriots-linebacker-depth-chart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><strong>New England Patriots Linebacker Depth Chart<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"GURN99xdSaZ3BKk6Vmv3Rg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1128150827\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'GURN99xdSaZ3BKk6Vmv3Rg',sig:'6Z42Ma0jyfNpVBfZjBFAY5plgfDgKHOBzZGNuIuzULY=',w:'594px',h:'366px',items:'1128150827',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breaking Down New England Patriots Cornerbacks &#8211; The defending Super Bowl champions have one of the best and deepest groups of cornerbacks in the NFL.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2376,"featured_media":65708,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,2,5],"tags":[3523,61,4054,1102,5120,4856,7311,1063],"class_list":["post-65705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","category-featured","category-patriots","tag-duke-dawson","tag-football","tag-j-c-jackson","tag-jason-mccourty","tag-joejuan-williams","tag-jonathan-jones","tag-new-england-patriots-roster","tag-stephon-gilmore"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2376"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65708"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}