Greg Cosell makes strong argument for Patriots going CB in Round 1 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Decisions, decisions.
The 2023 NFL Draft is less than 48 hours away, and it’s still anyone’s guess what the New England Patriots do with the No. 14 overall pick. They could use a field-stretching wide receiver. They could benefit from adding a starting-caliber offensive tackle. They could even shake things up and target a quarterback like Will Levis.
But what’s their safest bet in Round 1? If you ask NFL analyst and NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell, Bill Belichick and Co. need to get themselves a lockdown cornerback.
Patriots Talk: Patriots need to be aggressive Thursday; Greg Cosell gives his top Patriots picks Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
“I look at the little guys (they have) at corner and I think to myself, it’s really hard in this league to play particularly man coverage, which we know Bill likes to play (in New England),” Cosell told our Tom E Curran on a new Patriots Talk Podcast.
“He played a little less of it last year, and that may have been a function of talent and the people that he has out there. But prior to that, he played a ton of man coverage. They used to lead the league in what we call Cover 1 — man-to-man with a single post safety — and last year they played meaningfully less of it.
“I look at the corner position, and at No. 14, there are going to be corners available. … I feel like they need a little more length at the corner position.”
Which long, rangy cornerback might be available when the Patriots are on the clock at 14? Cosell is a fan of Maryland’s Deonte Banks, who stands at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds and is excellent in press coverage.
1680726498
“If I had to make a list, he’d be my second-ranked corner,” Cosell said of Banks. “Now, a lot of people love Devon Witherspoon, and I really like him too.
“Here’s the way I think of it … in this league, the way passing games and offenses are going, you need to line up and play press man. And I think that Christian Gonzalez from Oregon — who I expect to be gone by the time the Patriots pick — and Deonte Banks, to me, are the two best press man corners.”
Our Phil Perry is also high on Banks, listing the former Maryland star as one of his “Prototypical Patriots” cornerbacks in this year’s class.
To hear from Cosell and Curran on what to make of Bijan Robinson, evaluating this year’s loaded tight end class and more, subscribe to the Patriots Talk Podcast or watch on YouTube below.