The New England Patriots are still experimenting heavily with their secondary as they enter the padded portion of training camp. It’s common for New England to open competition at every position, but cornerback is a spot where the Patriots seem entirely uncertain.
During the team’s first padded practice on Monday, they deployed Jalen Mills, Joejuan Williams, Terrance Mitchell, Jack Jones and Malcolm Butler on the outside with the top defensive unit. In the slot, New England used Marcus Jones, Jonathan Jones and Myles Bryant. That slot spot will be a hotly contested position, which Jonathan Jones owned before suffering a season-ending ankle injury in 2021.
The first practice provided few clues on how these position battles will go. So let’s quickly whip around the position group to note where each player seems to stand as evaluation begins.
- Jalen Mills: He stands alone in that he seems secure in his gig as one of the top cornerbacks. It’s not a done deal. But New England has given him the most snaps with the top unit and he has played well in those opportunities.
- Terrance Mitchell: He had been practicing with the top unit going back to OTAs, but on Monday, the Patriots filtered in the other options as practice dragged along. Mitchell has been impressive in how quiet he’s been on the stat sheet. A good cornerback doesn’t show up — neither does his receiver. He has not been a shutdown cornerback, but he has been as consistent as any corner in the group.
- Malcolm Butler: He has been Mitchell’s foil. Butler has probably been as inconsistent as any corner in the group — but the veteran has provided a few big plays. Monday’s practice was the perfect example, with Butler getting burnt deep in 11-on-11s and in 1-on-1s in matchups against DeVante Parker. Butler then rebounded with two pass breakups (including one near interception) in coverage on Parker and Tyquan Thornton. Maybe Butler has lost a step. Then again, maybe he’s just knocking off rust. We’ll see.
- Jack Jones: He was up and down in OTAs, but spent a lot of time trailing Nelson Agholor, which is a solid assignment for a rookie cornerback. In camp, Jones has been up and down in that same way. It will be interesting to see whether, with time, Jones can grow consistent enough to compete for a spot in the starting unit.
- Marcus Jones: He was the first man to take a snap in the slot for the padded session of 11-on-11s. But you can take that “first-team” designation with a grain of salt, because he was on the field with Joejuan Williams, who may not make the team. Marcus Jones, a 2022 third-round pick, will need to be special to steal snaps away from Jonathan Jones.
- Shaun Wade: With Marcus Jones, Jonathan Jones and Myles Bryant dealing with injuries this offseason, Wade took most of the snaps in the slot in OTAs, minicamp and the early days of practice.
- Jonathan Jones: If he’s healthy, he’ll start in the slot. But considering he’s coming off season-ending surgery at 28-years-old, there is a chance he is coming back slower and less agile.
- Myles Bryant: For now, he is on the outside of the roster bubble looking in, just like Williams. New England wouldn’t have drafted the two Joneses if they believed in Bryant and Williams.
Before training camp, I predicted the Patriots would not pick starters at cornerback but would rotate heavily to begin the season. That possibility is still entirely in play.
