Ranking the cornerback position for Patriots

Over the course of the coming weeks, PatriotsMaven is going to take a closer look at each position's hierarchy. This will help give an idea of the players that have the best chance of making the active roster and which players may be on the outside looking in. Today, we take a look at cornerbacks.

Author:
Alex Valles
Publish date:
May 30, 2019 6:14 PM EDT

FOXBOROUGH, Mass.- When we take a closer look at pass defense it is easy to see just how dominant the New England Patriots' secondary is. New England ranked 7th in the entire league in 2018 in opponent passer rating (85.7).

After returning all of their defensive backs from last season and adding a player with great potential in Joejuan Williams through the draft, expect the secondary to be even better in 2019.

There are currently nine cornerbacks on the Patriots roster, which will lead to plenty of competition this summer. So without further ado, let's take a look at where each cornerback ranks in the Patriots defensive system.

9.) D'Angelo Ross (UDFA)

The Patriots signed undrafted cornerback D'Angelo Ross earlier this May, so it's understandable if you didn't have a clue he was on the 90-man roster. Ross played his final two seasons of college ball at the University of New Mexico after beginning his career at Fullerton Junior College in California. He stepped in and contributed for the New Mexico Lobos right away and even led the team in tackles his senior season with 57, which is an impressive feat for a cornerback.

What you're getting in Ross is an athletic freak who showed out at his pro day. Ross wowed scouts that were in attendance when he posted a 4.32 40-yard dash time and a 39-inch vertical. His 40-time would have been second among all cornerbacks at the combine and his vertical would have have been tied for the 10th best.

Verdict: Given the depth at the cornerback position, it will likely be very difficult for Ross to stick around unless he can prove to be a valuable member on special teams.

8.) Ken Webster (R)

Speaking of athletic freaks, Ken Webster finished with the highest vertical in the entire combine and it wasn't even close. Webster posted an insane 43.0-inch vertical and finished in the top three in broad jump amongst all cornerbacks (11-foot-2). These numbers are strong indicators for the success of cornerbacks because they project the player's ability to compete for jump balls with bigger receivers. Webster should not have any issues in that department.

Verdict: New England's final pick in the draft needs to improve on his press coverage and awareness in zone coverage if he wants to make a strong case to make the final 53-man roster. Like Ross, Webster faces an uphill battle in making a team that is very deep at the cornerback position.

7.) Keion Crossen

*Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports*

Keion Crossen is a lot like Ross and Webster. Like Webster, Crossen was a 7th round pick in 2018 and primarily contributed on special teams for the Super Bowl champions. Crossen posted a 4.32 40-yard dash in the pre-draft process and put his speed to good use as he started on the majority of the special teams' units.

Verdict: Crossen may be on the outside looking in when it comes to making the team's active roster. The former Western Carolina cornerback benefited from Duke Dawson being out the majority of last season. If Dawson comes back and makes it through camp healthy, then Crossen's roster spot could be in jeopardy.

6.) Duke Dawson

New England had high expectations for Dawson after the team took him in the second round (56th overall) in the 2018 NFL draft. Injuries put a damper on Dawson's rookie season and caused the team to keep him inactive for the entire 2018 season. Dawson projects as a slot corner with the ability to matchup on faster tight ends.

Verdict: Dawson needs to stay healthy or the team could move on from him altogether. If he is able to put together a solid training camp then you should expect Dawson to stick around.

Last season, the Patriots chose to carry six cornerbacks. Look for Dawson to be fighting against Crossen and the two other rookies for that final spot.

5.) Jonathan Jones

Photo by Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Jonathan Jones is coming off the best season of his young career in 2018. Jones posted three interceptions this past season which was good enough to tie him for second highest on the team. The former undrafted free agent looks to build upon his success heading into the 2019 season.

Verdict: After appearing in all 48 games of his career with the Patriots, Jones should be a lock to make the final 53-man roster. Expect to see a lot of Jones in the upcoming season.

4.) Joejuan Williams

*Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports*

When New England traded up to select cornerback Joejuan Williams out of Vanderbilt, many Patriots fans were confused. There appeared to be bigger needs at the time (i.e. tight end) so the cause for confusion was warranted. The great thing about Bill Belichick is he never does what you think he'll do and definitely never does what you want him to do.

Patriots fans; don't fret. Williams has the potential to be one of the better corners in the entire 2019 Draft. When Williams was drafted 45th overall, the Patriots brass was elated because they had a first-round grade on him the entire way. There were even reports that New England wanted to take him 32nd overall instead of N'Keal Harry. It turns out they got both of their guys.

Verdict: Standing at 6-foot-4, Williams has the potential to match up with any player on the field. Tight ends, outside receivers, running backs out of the backfield you name it. Williams also has the ability to play safety which means he adds depth at every position in the defensive backfield.

The former Vanderbilt cornerback needs to work on his mechanics at the point of attack, and because of this New England may try to slowly ease him into the defensive system. Don't expect to see a lot of Williams early, but if he is able to improve on that aspect of his game then Patriots fans should be extremely excited about Williams.

3.) J.C. Jackson

*Photo by Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports*

J.C. Jackson came out of nowhere in the 2018 season. Jackson signed with New England after going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Patriots just seem to have an affinity for undrafted cornerbacks, don't they? Against all odds, Jackson made last year's 53-man roster and ended up contributing in a major way. His three interceptions tied him for second highest on the team. What's even more impressive is when you consider the majority of his playing time came during the final stretch of the season. Jackson was one of the best in the game defending against targets 10+ yards downfield. In that scenario, he tied 5th in completion percentage (35.1%) and first in passer rating (34.9) amongst all cornerbacks in the NFL. Not too shabby for the undrafted rookie free agent out of Maryland.

Verdict: Expect Jackson to continue to play a major role in the Patriots secondary heading into the 2019 season.

2.) Jason McCourty

Jason McCourty might just be one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the entire NFL. If I asked you to rank the top-10 corners in the entire league would he make the list? What about top-20? Well, he should, because McCourty graded as the 6th best cornerback in the league in 2018 according to PFF.

Verdict: McCourty shut down big-time receivers the entire 2018 season and arguably made the biggest play in SBLIII:

Expect McCourty to play a pivotal role in the secondary this upcoming season.

1.) Stephon Gilmore

We had to save the best for last. And that's exactly what Stephon Gilmore is; the best. Gilmore ranked number one amongst all cornerbacks in the league according to Pro Football Focus. He was also named first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career in 2018 and helped lead the Patriots defense to a sixth Super Bowl championship. The above picture kind of encapsulates his game-sealing interception in SBLIII, but here's a video as well:

Verdict: New England is happy knowing that Gilmore isn't a free agent until 2022. The 28-year-old is coming off the best season of his entire career and still has some all-pro seasons ahead of him. Gilmore rounds out what should be an extremely exciting group to watch in the 2019 season.