Defensive Back Remains the Strength of the Patriots

Joejuan Williams is switching positions in hopes of a play time increase in Year 2. (Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

New England's cornerbacks may have been the best in the NFL in 2019. They're all back this season, and one of them is transitioning into a hybrid safety role in order to get more playing time.

The reason for that move: Patrick Chung opted out of the 2020 season, leaving a noticeable – but not un-fillable – void at strong safety.

Here's how the back end looks.

Fab Five

Stephon Gilmore is coming off a Defensive Player of the Year campaign. By every metric, he either led the league or was very close to it. He eliminates most star wide receivers from offensive game plans, and he makes the rest of the DBs' jobs easier.

Jason McCourty is labeled as the second starter, although whether that is – or should be – true can be debated. Nonetheless, there are very few more dependable No. 2s in the league. He plays more zone coverage than the Patriots' other top corners, but his effectiveness is near the top.

There isn't a better third option in the NFL than J.C. Jackson – which is why there's a strong argument he should leapfrog J-Mac. The opposing completion percentage against him is actually slightly lower than Gilmore, and it's virtually impossible to catch a deep pass against him – and the risk of an interception is high.

Jonathan Jones is the best fit the team has in the slot, and he's a very good one. The only situation that doesn't suit him is when an opponent's top receiver lines up in the slot – in which case Gilmore often travels with him – but even then, Jones can be a star special teams contributor. He's definitely still a roster lock.

Devin McCourty has been one of the better free safeties in the league for close to a decade. He actually had a career-low number of tackles in 2019, but his five interceptions made up for it. More may be asked of him this season, with Chung out of the picture.

Strong Safety Contenders

The most familiarity within this system resides with Terrence Brooks. He only played 27 percent of New England's snaps last season, but he's also the only safety returning from 2019 other than D-Mac. He had 24 tackles, and the completion percentage he surrendered was lower than Chung's.

Adrian Phillips makes sense on paper – he had 94 tackles and was named an All-Pro in 2018, his most recent full season – but he hasn't stood out in training camp. Given his special teams ability, it's tough to imagine him not making the roster, but he hasn't seized the opportunity that was perceived as his to lose.

Joejuan Williams was drafted in the second round last year as a cornerback, but he's switched positions this offseason. He has the size to play in the box, and he's reportedly looked good there, so time will tell whether this is a long-term move or simply a way to get him onto the field a bit.

Kyle Dugger was selected in an even higher slot this year than Williams had been the year before. His lack of high-level competition – he played at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne – is the biggest red flag, but his tape jumps off the page in every setting he's placed into.

Everyone Else

Justin Bethel (cornerback) and, to a lesser extent, Cody Davis (safety) have significant special teams upside.

D'Angelo Ross (IR in 2019) and Myles Bryant are undrafted free agents who don't have any NFL experience, which puts them in a tough situation, given the depth of this unit. Both should be strong practice squad candidates, though.