2026 Draft: Cornerback

[Uptown]

 

[manxman2601]

 

[bakes781]

Looks like Virgil was about to burst by him but their feet tripped each other up.

 

[manxman2601]

I realise I'm stretching for a link here but I just want to note that finishing plays is one the commandments of the Patriots coaches.

 

[manxman2601]

A real heart v head prospect.

 

[manxman2601]

Posted for the second note

 

[manxman2601]

 

[stelfans]

Im a big fan. Not sure he will last.

 

[manxman2601]

Hall only has two career interceptions but he's good at breaking up passes. Grades better as a zone corner than a man coverage corner.

 

[Clonamery]

Im a big fan. Not sure he will last.

4th or 5th round?

 

[stelfans]

4th or 5th round?

Im hoping is there in the 5th beucause i would like to invest those 4th rounders on OL. We'll see.

 

[manxman2601]

 

[manxman2601]

Let's talk Keionte Scott.

Just religiously going by Dane Brugler's top 100, I'm leaning towards our options at 63 being Stukes, Scott, Rodriguez or Kyle Louis. Ted Hurst, Lee Hunter and Antonio Williams are also possibilities but are currently projected to go just before.

I can see how Stukes, Louis and Rodriguez fit onto this roster, but more importantly, into this defense. Scott is where I have an issue.

If we're drafting him at 63, you want him to be more than just Marcus Jones' backup so how do you feature him in this defense?

He's too small to be a SS.
Too short to be someone you man up TEs with.
Doesn't have FS experience.

If we hadn't just re-signed Marcus Jones to a big long-term contract, Scott would be my NCB of the future but knowing you're not likely to be taking Jones off the field, how do we feature Scott in this defense? His ability to attack behind the LoS makes him one of the few prospects in this class that could make significant impact plays. Think Honey Badger or Witherspoon. However, someone on our defense would need to come off the field to facilitate that. So who? Mapu? Hawkins?

I'm genuinely interested in someone helping me with a solution.

 

[Clonamery]

Let's talk Keionte Scott.

Just religiously going by Dane Brugler's top 100, I'm leaning towards our options at 63 being Stukes, Scott, Rodriguez or Kyle Louis. Ted Hurst, Lee Hunter and Antonio Williams are also possibilities but are currently projected to go just before.

I can see how Stukes, Louis and Rodriguez fit onto this roster, but more importantly, into this defense. Scott is where I have an issue.

If we're drafting him at 63, you want him to be more than just Marcus Jones' backup so how do you feature him in this defense?

He's too small to be a SS.
Too short to be someone you man up TEs with.
Doesn't have FS experience.

If we hadn't just re-signed Marcus Jones to a big long-term contract, Scott would be my NCB of the future but knowing you're not likely to be taking Jones off the field, how do we feature Scott in this defense? His ability to attack behind the LoS makes him one of the few prospects in this class that could make significant impact plays. Think Honey Badger or Witherspoon. However, someone on our defense would need to come off the field to facilitate that. So who? Mapu? Hawkins?

I'm genuinely interested in someone helping me with a solution.

To me, he is a luxury piece (a brilliant, shiny one) for all the reasons stated. I have a hard time fitting him in the 1st 3 picks and he's ranked 45ish. I'm out.

 

[manxman2601]

To me, he is a luxury piece (a brilliant, shiny one) for all the reasons stated. I have a hard time fitting him in the 1st 3 picks and he's ranked 45ish. I'm out.

I'm definitely Stukes over Scott. If we didn't have Marcus Jones, that might be reversed. I'd be prepared to take Scott at the end of the 3rd though.

 

[stelfans]

To me, he is a luxury piece (a brilliant, shiny one) for all the reasons stated. I have a hard time fitting him in the 1st 3 picks and he's ranked 45ish. I'm out.

Thats exactly where iam and what i would call it. Its a luxury piece you add to put you over the top.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

Carlton Davis played a full season for the first time in his career but still felt like he missed snaps every game with an injury. Davis will be on the team this year of course, but he has a $22.0M cap number in 2027 and they can save $16.5M of that by cutting or trading him. He'll be 31 that year.

If they're aggressive in free agency this year, the guys they sign will be structured with the usual low cap number in year 1 (2026) followed by a spike in 2027. We'll also have Gonzo's extension kicking in for 2027 hopefully and Maye will be up for one as well which should raise his 2027 cap number for the signing bonus charge if they get a deal done. The cap is in good shape and I don't think it will be a NEED to release/trade Davis vs. just letting him play out that last year of his 3-year deal, BUT it certainly wouldn't hurt if there was someone ready to step in for him so they could reallocate those funds.

And even in the short term, you need depth. He's always missing snaps and you don't want the backup to come in and get torched in a big moment. In the AFC Champ game in Denver for instance, that was such a close game that the backup blowing one coverage could have lost it. And even as good as Marcus Jones is, there are situations (red zone!!) where his size is just an insurmountable issue so if they had a 4th CB who could step in for some of those situations that'd be nice improvement on the margins.

I'd approach this position in the draft with an open mind. Certainly not the biggest immediate need or anything but if there's a CB that's decisively the BPA anytime we're on the board (even the 1st!), I'd have to seriously consider it.

 

[manxman2601]

Carlton Davis played a full season for the first time in his career but still felt like he missed snaps every game with an injury. Davis will be on the team this year of course, but he has a $22.0M cap number in 2027 and they can save $16.5M of that by cutting or trading him. He'll be 31 that year.

If they're aggressive in free agency this year, the guys they sign will be structured with the usual low cap number in year 1 (2026) followed by a spike in 2027. We'll also have Gonzo's extension kicking in for 2027 hopefully and Maye will be up for one as well which should raise his 2027 cap number for the signing bonus charge if they get a deal done. The cap is in good shape and I don't think it will be a NEED to release/trade Davis vs. just letting him play out that last year of his 3-year deal, BUT it certainly wouldn't hurt if there was someone ready to step in for him so they could reallocate those funds.

And even in the short term, you need depth. He's always missing snaps and you don't want the backup to come in and get torched in a big moment. In the AFC Champ game in Denver for instance, that was such a close game that the backup blowing one coverage could have lost it. And even as good as Marcus Jones is, there are situations (red zone!!) where his size is just an insurmountable issue so if they had a 4th CB who could step in for some of those situations that'd be nice improvement on the margins.

I'd approach this position in the draft with an open mind. Certainly not the biggest immediate need or anything but if there's a CB that's decisively the BPA anytime we're on the board (even the 1st!), I'd have to seriously consider it.

I had moved away from BPA a bit but edging back towards it. People talk about the Maye window being open now, but in truth it’s open for the next decade. Let’s just add good players.

 

[Hugepatsfan]

I had moved away from BPA a bit but edging back towards it. People talk about the Maye window being open now, but in truth it’s open for the next decade. Let’s just add good players.

It's definitely a balancing act but the draft is so uncertain to begin with that I don't have a lot of confidence that someone who isn't even the highest rated player on your board is going to step in and solve a problem for you. It's one thing if you're picking at the top of the draft, but the further you get down the board the less common it is for a guy to step in and play at a HIGH LEVEL right away. So I just think drafting for what you need immediate help with doesn't make sense when drafted players really shouldn't be counted on to play at a high level right away.

If you have a glaring need at a position and you think you can get snaps out of a rookie you have to weigh that, but just because a rookie plays doesn't mean he's actually solving the position. Jared Wilson for example... we NEEDED help on the interior OL last year and he was ready to play right away, but did he actually play well? Not saying he doesn't have a good long-term projection but even though he took snaps at a need area it was still a weakness. I wouldn't want to pass up on someone whose long term projection I like better just for the sake of chasing those immediate contributions when they aren't even at a quality level.

If both those things line up then that's awesome but a good player at a spot that isn't an immediate need is better than a bad or "meh" player at a need. With how much roster turnover there is outside of QB, there's probably not a position on the entire team that isn't going to be a need within 1-2 offseasons from now anyway which is the point where you'd really expect guys we draft this year to be hitting their stride anyway.

 

[manxman2601]

One to watch at the combine.