Defense: Devin McCourty

[PatsBoy12]

I have been reading very intently about the defense the last few days. All reports coming out of these early stages of training camp suggest that the defense is far ahead of the offense and is looking very impressive to both trained and untrained eyes. The secondary, in particular, has garnered much positive attention.

Devin McCourty, our stud rookie last season, has been really solid so far. From what I've read, he hasn't been spectacular, but he's been very good. He is one of the young players that we all want to see take another step toward becoming one of the league's very best. After watching all of the games from 2010 (up to week 11 vs. Colts), I have come away feeling even more impressed by the kid. He showed that he can definitely cover some of the premiere receivers in this league (think Detroit Lions). He also showed that he is very good in run support and, in my opinion, is one of the better tacklers at the corner position we've seen around these parts in a few years.

One of the things I will be watching very closely during the preseason and into the regular season is how they use him this year. He is an extremely versatile player and, as such, I don't believe BB will use him as solely a cover corner. I have always felt that he will be used in a variety of ways defensively, including blitzing the passer. The most recent report I've read seems to confirm that somewhat:

In a drill focused on off-man coverage, and defensive back blitzing, Devin McCourty stood out in both coverage and as a blitzer. Kyle Arrington also managed a couple of good blitzes, while Edelman showed good blocking.

These are the types of things that I want to see more of when it comes to McCourty. I'm not in a rush to send him to Canton just yet, but I really like this kid (and Chung). I am very excited to see him and the rest of the secondary. I think the whole Patriots community has really high hopes for this kid based on what he was able to do as a rookie.

The reports coming out of training camp should excite everyone in the Patriot Nation:

While the offense improved at times yesterday, the defense had a lot of would be "coverage sacks" in a LB/TE/RB/S drill. At one point, a team of Jerod Mayo, Rob Ninkovich, Gary Guyton, Brandon Meriweather, and Pat Chung played such good coverage that Mallett didn't even attempt to throw it.