Editor's Note: With training camp kicking off next week, Patriots Insider Phil Perry is taking a look at key position battles to watch on the practice fields outside Gillette Stadium. First up: Cornerback.
The Patriots have a clear and obvious path to competitive football in 2024, and it starts with their defense.
The 2023 iteration of the team lost six games in which their opponents scored 21 points or fewer. That included three consecutive losses to the Colts, Giants and Chargers where New England never gave up more than 10 points.
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While the two most important Belichicks -- Bill and Steve, the latter serving as the Patriots' play-caller since 2019 -- have been removed from the equation on the defensive side of the ball in Foxboro, new head coach Jerod Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington remain to run a scheme that will be rooted in recognizable philosophies.
Arguably their best player, Christian Barmore, is back with a new contract. Two of their most dynamic playmakers, safeties Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers, return as well.
And those impressive 2023 numbers -- they ranked ninth in DVOA -- were generated in spite of the fact that two of the team's most talented defenders at the two most important defensive positions in the sport were injured for the vast majority of the season.
Matthew Judon suffered a torn bicep that robbed the veteran pass-rusher of 13 games. Rookie corner Christian Gonzalez was also knocked out in Week 4 with a shoulder injury after an impressive first month of his pro career.
Because Gonzalez did enough to establish himself as a clear-cut starter in limited playing time last season, one of the biggest question marks in training camp on the defensive side of the ball -- outside of Judon's contractual future -- will be which Patriots corner will play opposite Gonzalez in New England's scheme.
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The favorite
While Jonathan Jones' best spot on the field is the "star" role -- in Patriots speak, that's the slot corner -- he could very well end up playing on the outside once again. Jones played 92 percent of his corner snaps out wide last season, per Pro Football Focus. In 2022, he was an outside guy as well, playing 94 percent of his plays out there.
The Patriots know what they have in Jones as an outside corner. Teams try to attack his 5-foot-10 frame along the sideline at times, but he's smart and still has plenty of speed to be able to challenge burners down the field now going into his ninth season. He allowed a passer rating of 86.0 last season when targeted.
Should Jones end up playing opposite Gonzalez, that would then open the door for Marcus Jones to play in the slot at that "star" position.
The 'remember me?' option
Speaking of Marcus Jones, it's important to point out that the Patriots view the third-year corner as having positional versatility in the secondary. He's even more vertically-challenged than Jonathan Jones at 5-foot-8, but Mayo and Covington could opt to play the 2022 third-rounder outside.
We've seen it before. Marcus Jones played 282 of his 389 total defensive snaps outside as a rookie. Before getting injured last season, he played about three quarters of his plays out wide, per PFF.
It was back in 2022 that Jones stood out late in the season for his play on the outside -- both good and bad. He helped stymie Davante Adams in Las Vegas but then about a week later against Cincinnati at times had a difficult time with Tee Higgins' height.
Perhaps they'd be comfortable with Marcus Jones outside only in certain matchups, but one could envision a scenario in which there are two Joneses on the field with Gonzalez in 2024.
The dark horse
Alex Austin saw just over 30 snaps in the slot or in the box last season as he took on a more significant role beginning in Week 15. He played outside on 183 plays and did enough to warrant himself greater consideration for a real role this offseason. He allowed a passer rating of 79.2 last season, intercepting one pass and breaking up two more on 22 targets.
“When we finished up last year he was one of those guys like -- look, this is an NFL player," Mayo said earlier this offseason of Austin. "It’s good to see him coming back in shape and making plays.”
At 6-foot-1, Austin has more of a prototypical build to play on the outside than either Jones, and he impressed at times with tight coverage during shorts-and-T-shirts passing drills in the spring. But with just a handful of games under his belt as an undrafted rookie out of Oregon State last year, he's less of a sure thing and will have to continue to open eyes in camp to get himself into the conversation as a potential starter.
There are others who could burst onto the scene with good camps, including second-year corner Isaiah Bolden, veterans Shaun Wade and Marco Wilson, newcomers Mikey Victor, Kaleb Ford-Dement and Azizi Hearn and rookie Marcellas Dial.
But if this defense is going to maintain its standing as arguably one of the 10 best in football -- potentially allowing the Patriots to have a competitive season in the process -- then maybe going with a trusted option opposite Gonzalez is the best path for them. That could mean rolling with Jonathan Jones primarily on the outside for a third straight season.
That might then open the door for Marcus Jones to handle slot duties. Last year's primary slot defender was Myles Bryant, who signed with the Texans in the offseason.