Prototype Patriots: CB nonetheless wanted after draft Christian Gonzalez appeared initially on NBC Sports activities Boston
Whereas the offensive finish of our Prototypical Patriots collection has been drastically altered when it comes to how we've tried to find out one of the best match for New England with Eliot Wolf serving as the brand new personnel chief on the town, we might not have the identical points on the defensive aspect of issues.
Why? Head coach Jerod Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington are Invoice Belichick alumni. They might make adjustments to the scheme that existed below their outdated boss, however in all probability they are going to be searching for the identical sorts of issues the Patriots have been searching for within the draft when one of the best coach within the historical past of the game was nonetheless employed at One Patriot Place.
Which means defenders of massive characters. Defensive measures with two gaps. Versatile, aggressive fuses. And those we spotlight right here: corners with next-level change-of-direction expertise and a wholesome urge for food for contact.
For years, the Patriots wished gamers who may change course with one of the best of them. Three-cone occasions properly below 7.00 seconds have been commonplace, as have been brief shift occasions within the 4.10 second vary.
Measurement hasn't been the most important subject for the Patriots on the place, however when you're checking in below 5-foot-10 and 185 kilos, you'll have higher motion expertise to make up for it. We're speaking 40 occasions in 4.40s or quicker, vertical jumps approaching 37 inches and broad jumps over 10 ft. (Assume 5-foot-8, 174-pound Marcus Jones, who didn't take a look at final yr earlier than the draft. Clearly, he can fly.)
Explosive. Fast. Good tacklers. The kind of participant who can thrive in New England's historically powerful system.
That’s, usually talking, what they favored. And even below new management on the defensive aspect of the ball, we'll make this listing assuming they proceed to prioritize the identical traits.
With out additional ado…
Terrion Arnold, Alabama (6-foot, 199 kilos)
Arnold isn't the quickest participant at his place with a modest 4.50 40 yard time. And whereas his shuttle time isn't as much as typical Patriots requirements right here (4.24 seconds), his three-cone time was an abysmal 6.69 seconds. Couple that with a 10-foot-9 broad bounce, and it's clear he has ok lower-body explosiveness and change-of-direction to land right here.
He additionally has the form of man-to-man expertise below Nick Saban that Mayo would recognize. The Patriots might not have an opportunity to draft him as he’ll doubtless be a first-round decide, however lining him up in opposition to Christian Gonzalez would give New England among the best younger cornerback pairings within the league.
Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo (6-foot, 195 kilos)
Mitchell may compete with Arnold for the primary nook of the yr. Only a cursory look at his bodily options would make it clear that he could possibly be worthy of such an funding. His 4.33-second 40 time and 38-inch vertical are elite. He didn't do any agility checks throughout the pre-draft course of, which isn't a terrific signal, as prospects would sometimes take part in them in the event that they thought they'd do properly in them.
Nevertheless! Check out this rep from Mitchell on the Senior Bowl, the place within the blink of a watch, he eases off the fuel after which again to prime velocity. That is one other degree of physique management, steadiness and explosiveness in motion. He undoubtedly belongs on that listing — even when he'll be lengthy gone earlier than the Patriots contemplate chasing a cornerback on draft weekend.
Cooper DeJean, Iowa (6-foot-1, 203 kilos)
DeJean is one other defensive again we don't have sufficient of when it comes to pre-draft testing (he's recovering from a damaged leg however plans to work out for groups on April 8) for this sort of listing. And but we put it right here anyway. He’s the perfect defensive again for the Patriots in some ways simply primarily based on his school expertise.
His dimension and clear athleticism on tape make it straightforward to examine him enjoying wherever from the sting to the slot to the field as a security. The place he lands as a professional is anybody's guess, however for Mayo, who has put his defensive backs in several roles to play with opposing quarterbacks' heads, DeJean is an effective matchup.
Javon Bullard, Georgia (5-foot-10, 198 kilos)
Is it insurance coverage? Is it a enjoying nook? He began at each spots the previous two years for Kirby Sensible's Bulldogs. However he ended up on this listing as a result of he seemed like he could be at his finest nearer to the road of scrimmage as a assured tackler and bodily man-to-man defender.
His large velocity is probably not as particular as Jonathan Jones or Marcus Jones, however his means to cease on a dime and go the opposite approach is particular. He posted an eye-opening 3.97-second shuttle time that would have the Patriots licking their chops come draft weekend.
TJ Tampa, Iowa State (6-foot-1, 189 kilos)
If the Patriots resolve to spend money on Tampa, they'd must be fairly snug with some fairly mind-blowing straight-line velocity. He ran a 4.58-second 40, however his agility was significantly better, hitting a 4.07-second shuttle and a 6.97-second triple. Each are rather more inside the Patriots commonplace vary. Keep in mind that Jack Jones — the Patriots' fourth-round decide who cherished his backpedaling means — ran only a 4.52-second 40 in 2022.
If Tampa will get his palms on a receiver in New England's scheme, which he ought to due to arms that measured over 32 inches, he may be capable of negate some perceived lengthy velocity points and be an efficient No. 2 on the surface.
An SEC defensive again with the flexibility to play inside and out of doors? An aggressive tackler? Capability to alter path off the chart? Lassiter — who ran a 6.62-second cone and a 4.12-second shuttle — checks all these containers. He ran the 40 in 4.5s at his professional day.
And it's a bit undersized to deal with common outside energy duties. However he's a gritty defender who could be a pest for No. 2 wideout choices reverse whoever occurs to get Gonzalez's consideration in New England. As a Day 2 choice, he could possibly be among the best within the class for Mayo.
Mike Sainristil, Michigan (5-foot-9, 182 kilos)
If you will get over Sainristil's diminutive body, you'll be amazed at his sheer competitiveness. As a staff that drafted the clearly undersized Marcus Jones within the third spherical a number of years in the past, the Patriots is likely to be prepared to pounce on Sainristil sooner than others on this yr's draft.
He's an area child from Everett, Massachusetts, with NFL-ready snaps and ball expertise. He confirmed off his transition expertise with a 4.01-second shuttlecock time to accompany jumps of 40-inches excessive and 10-foot-11 in breadth.
He was a fearless linebacker for the Wolverines and picked off six passes — returning two for touchdowns — as a university coach. With simply two years of enjoying cornerback after beginning his profession at Michigan as a receiver, Sainristil has loads of room to develop. Based mostly on the place he’s already, he could possibly be Day 2 worthy as a future beginning nickel.
Michigan DB Mike Sainristil is primarily a slot defender, however his six interceptions final season got here from the surface, the slot and as a hybrid security. An ideal prospect for the NFL's extra variable protection ideas. pic.twitter.com/CHniLWMhHf
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 2, 2024
Myles Harden, South Dakota (5-foot-11, 195 kilos)
This muscular coyote occurs to maneuver like a rabbit on a soccer subject. He doesn't have the longest strides to maintain up with the burners on the surface. But when Mayo desires change-of-direction retailers, Harden could be the man. He recorded a lightning quick 3.98 second shuttle time and 6.88 second triple cone.
He can find yourself enjoying security resulting from his willingness to throw his physique as a tackler. But when he can keep in protection on the subsequent degree, he has loads of traits the Patriots would doubtless covet.
Ryan Watts, Texas (6-foot-3, 208 kilos)
Together with his size and what he has on tape, there could also be groups that might reasonably have Watts at security than cornerback. However his body — he has absurdly lengthy 34.5-inch arms — and athletic profile are too attractive to not at the very least give him a strive at cornerback on the subsequent degree.
For him to submit a 6.82-second three-cone time and a 4.13-second shuttle at his dimension is one-brow degree of fascinating. He may find yourself being a hard-hitting all-around chess piece on the again finish with particular staff talents that will surely make him a Day 3 decide.
AJ Woods, Pittsburgh (5-foot-10, 187 kilos)
Woods is a kind of off-the-cuff finds that makes our Prototypical Patriots collection all of the extra attention-grabbing the deeper we get into draft weekend. After recording 4 picks and 29 cross breakups for the Panthers, he went to the East-West Shrine Sport and confirmed properly, then put up some ridiculous numbers at his professional day.
He posted a 4.00-second shuttle and a 6.70-second cone time, proving what can already be seen on tape: He has NFL-caliber velocity. On day 3? Airman-worthy.
Miles Battle, Utah (6-foot-3, 196 kilos)
The Ole Miss switch could also be an undrafted signee primarily based on traits, however he has the bodily items that ought to give him a crack at an NFL roster. Recorded 4 cross breakups, together with one decide final season for the Utes. A former receiver, he switched to defensive finish in 2020 and recorded 9 tackles in opposition to Alabama two years later.
There are expertise there to construct on, particularly if you take a look at his pre-draft testing information and see that he ran a 4.37-second 40 with a 4.03-second shuttle and a 6.84-second three-cone.
Kaleb Ford-Dement, Texas State (5-foot-11, 178 kilos)
It's your uncommon prospect for seven years of school. He redshirted at Kilgore School in 2017. After a cease at Outdated Dominion, he had gives to switch to Georgia, Mississippi State and UCLA, however ended up at Washington State.
He then settled at Texas State as a redshirt senior and had three picks, together with one within the First-Responder Bowl in opposition to Rice. He made this listing due to a cone time of 6.80 seconds and a shuttle time of 4.12.
Jayden Value, North Dakota State (6-foot, 189 kilos)
Professional-caliber athletes coming from a program that’s repeatedly within the combine for FCS nationwide titles will not be so usually ignored. The value shouldn't be both. He ran a 4.47 40, a 4.07 shuttle and a 6.93 cone time. Its vertical peak of 37.5 inches and width of 10 ft have been additionally spectacular.
Whereas he began all 15 video games at cornerback final season, it's his work as a punt returner that would get him an NFL look. The Bison captain averaged 14.2 yards per return final season, together with 66 yards and 82 yards for touchdowns.
