Despite relying heavily on rookies and rarely fielding a player above 5’11”, the Patriots had one of the league’s most competitive cornerback groups last season. Jonathan Jones was mostly excellent in his first season on the boundary, Marcus and Jack Jones exceeded expectation as rotational players, and Myles Bryant was solid in zone coverage as the defense’s primary slot corner.
That said, the unit’s struggles against Cincinnati’s’ gargantuan receiving corp showed they could use some size and/or length outside. Jalen Mills was the team’s only starter above 5’11”, but he missed seven games last season and will be playing safety in 2023. Shaun Wade is New England only big body at corner, but he struggled in limited snaps and may be best suited for the slot.
Fortunately, the top of the draft is filled with cornerbacks well-equipped to solve this issue. Not only do most of this class’ best prospects come in at 6′ or taller, they all either specialize in press coverage, display exceptional ball skills, or check multiple boxes for what New England needs at the position. Here are some consensus top picks at cornerback, their profiles, and how they might fit in New England’s system.
CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ, OREGON (SOPHOMORE)
Height:6’ 1’’ Weight: 197 lbs
Scouting Reports
+ Prorotypical size, athleticism, and instincts for a #1 corner
+ High-effort tackler with special teams upside
– Lacks ideal strength at this point in his career
– Ball skills improved last season, but are still a work in progress
Would've loved to see him come down with this, but you can't play it much better than Christian Gonzalez does here. Uses the sideline to his advantage perfectly pic.twitter.com/bcg0SBDxuk
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) April 6, 2023
Patriots perspective: A First Team All-Pac 12 selection who led his team in both interceptions and passes defensed last season, Gonzalez has the size, athleticism, and intelligence to become a Pro Bowler before his second contract. He’s at his best playing press man coverage on the boundary, but Gonzalez has the instincts and ball skills to excel in zone coverage, as well as experience bumping into the slot. He’s also a physical, high-effort run defender, traits New England likes in their top corners. Gonzalez is unlikely to make it out of the top 10, but he’d be a scheme-changing presence capable of matching up and competing with any receiver type.
DEVON WITHERPOON, ILLINOIS (JUNIOR)
Height: 5’ 11 1/2’’ Weight: 181 lbs
Scouting Reports
+ Excellent instincts and closing speed to consistently make plays on the ball
+ Tone-setting effort, competitiveness, and physicality
– Can be overly aggressive
– Needs to put on mass to hang with bigger receivers
Look how quickly Devon Witherspoon (field) fires downhill before getting his hand on the ball. Led all of the top CBs with 1.4 PBU/game, per @SportsInfo_SIS. pic.twitter.com/hd274W6msO
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) April 4, 2023
Patriots perspective: Witherspoon doesn’t offer Gonzalez’s near-perfect measurable, but he’s another excellent cover corner with alignment versatility and the potential to change a defense. Witherspoon’s senior season speaks for itself, earning Consensus All-American, Big Ten DB of the Year, and First Team All-Big Ten honors. In addition to outstanding toughness and competitive fire, which really shines in his run defense, Witherspoon is a sticky and anticipatory corner who turns into a receiver when the ball is thrown. He’ll need to temper his aggressiveness to avoid penalties as a pro, and could tighten up his spacing in zone to condense throwing lanes. Still, Witherspoon is ready to be a day 1 contributor in any scheme.
JOEY PORTER JR., PENN STATE (JUNIOR)
Height: 6’ 2 1/2’’ Weight: 193 lbs
Scouting Reports
+ Press specialist with desired length, strength, and technique
+ Outstanding ball skills
– Subpar fluidity and inconsistent discipline
– Could struggle against quickness and may have to stay on the boundary
When Joey Porter Jr. stays patient aligning in press-man he's got some really nice transition speed to stay in the WRs pocket and use his length as his margin for error. pic.twitter.com/hswvPUXUE2
— Cole Jackson (@ColeJacksonFB) April 8, 2023
Patriots perspective: One of the most physical and effective press man defenders in this draft, Porter Jr. brings his father’s linebacker mentality to the cornerback spot. The Second Team All-American selection has a uniquely large frame and long arms to bully receivers throughout their routes. Porter Jr’s length makes him a difficult person to get away from or throw over, and he comes downhill with a sense of urgency. His style does comes with natural detriments, like overaggressiveness that could lead to an even higher penalty count in the pros than he had in college. He’s also inconsistent as a run defender. While Porter Jr may lack the change of direction and zone acumen to thrive in any scheme against any receiver type, he should be a competitive press corner early on who matches up best against bigger bodies on the boundary.
DEONTE BANKS, MARYLAND (R-JUNIOR)
Height: 6’ Weight: 197 lbs
Scouting Reports
+ The best, most physical press-man corner in the draft
+ Fluid athlete with prototypical size and length for the boundary
– Needs to play with more discipline when less-than-ideal circumstances
– Less comfortable in zone and off coverage
Maryland CB Deonte Banks getting physical against Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr, using his long arms to jam him and disrupt the timing of the route. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/rp3WlNHtr0
— WBG84 (@WBG84) February 27, 2023
Patriots perspective: Another press coverage specialist, Banks doesn’t seem to be getting the buzz he deserves this draft cycle. He’s patient in his jam attempts, smooth in transitions, and does a good job reading receivers to stay on top of routes. Banks also has the lower body explosiveness to be disruptive against throws underneath his coverage, and he’s an effective tackler with great range. His competitive play-style can work against him (five pass interference, three holding penalties last season), and there are technical issues he’ll need to work out in zone to become a scheme-versatile asset. But if Banks can avoid a high penalty count while taking to coaching in his zone assignments, he’ll be a plus starter outside early on.
KELEE RINGO, GEORGIA (JUNIOR)
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 207 lbs
Scouting Reports
+ All the physical traits to dominate on the boundary
+ Coverage versatility with standout instincts in zone
– Subpar change of direction was exposed at times
– Needs to improve patience and technique to maximize physical tools
Most of Cedric Tillman's wins vs Kelee Ringo came on underneath targets where he was able to sell vertical routes,
but Ringo was dominant downfield and did a nice job turning into the receiver on an INT pic.twitter.com/B6z34yBm7Y
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) April 4, 2023
Patriots perspective: A Second Team All-SEC selection who led his team is passes defenses each of the past two seasons, Ringo has the size, athleticism, and competitiveness teams love in #1 corners. In addition to sticky coverage ability, Ringo is relentless with the ball in his area, consistently becoming the receiver while in-phase or attempting to strip ball-carriers as a tackler. This tenacity translates to the less glamorous aspects of the position, showing great physicality and effort defending runs and screens. For a corner with his measurable, Ringo is still unrefined in press coverage and has a ways to go in terms of route recognition. The duality of Ringo’s play showed against Tennessee’s Cedric Tillman, who couldn’t beat him deep but feasted underneath. Ringo is likely more of a boundary zone corner at this stage in his career, but he has the tools to become a much more versatile defender.
