The New England Patriots lost cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in free agency. Now it's hard to doubt Bill Belichick and the Pats organization as a whole. But it's got to be pretty tough to replace the No. 1 corner in all of a football and his Super Bowl-winning secondary mate. But replace them they must.
New England could and probably will look to the NFL draft for a young and talented cornerback. If Belichick doesn't trade down -- which is always a possibility -- Connecticut's Byron Jones is a possibility with the 32nd overall pick.
"Running back Melvin Gordon is an intriguing option for the Patriots here, as is nose tackle Jordan Phillips, who could step in to replace Vince Wilfork," ESPN NFL Draft Insider Todd McShay wrote in his Mock Draft 4.0. "But cornerback is the team's biggest need right now after losing Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in free agency, and Jones has elite tools for the position. He has very good size, range and athleticism (including a ridiculous broad jump of 12 feet, 3 inches and a nearly-as-impressive vertical of 44.5 inches), and while he needs to improve his patience and anticipation skills, he is a hard worker who should take well to coaching."
Belichick has missed on cornerbacks in past drafts. Guys like Ras-I Dowling, Terrence Wheatley and Brock Williams never lived up to the expectations. Could Jones change that trend? He showed above-average anticipation and speed during his time in the AAC. He also has experience playing both safety and corner a la Devin McCourty. But Jones also struggled with injuries in college and missed the final five games of 2014 because of shoulder surgery.
Overall though, Jones has the tenacity, character and talent Belichick covets and would fit in well with the Patriots culture.
