Perry: 2023 is a dream draft class for cornerback-needy Patriots

Corners and receivers. Receivers and corners. Tackles, occasionally.

There's a reason we've harped on some of the same positions over and over (and over) again in the buildup to the 2023 draft. Those are the spots the Patriots have keyed in on. Those are the spots where the most pressing needs reside.

Corner, though, is where the Patriots may have the best chance to fill one of those needs with a blue-chip talent. It's perhaps the deepest position in this year's draft class, according to scouts. And given that it happens to be one of the most expensive to fill in free agency, it would make all the sense in the world for the Patriots to invest in a cover man. And early.

Perry's crowd-sourced 2023 mock draft: Patriots fans make their picks

Why does it remain a need in New England? Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones are certainly capable. But all are undersized in some way shape or form. Jalen Mills represents the biggest option at the position right now, but he could see some time at safety with Devin McCourty retired, and he spent the tail end of last season injured. The team reportedly was ready to part ways with him this offseason, but his versatility provides them value.

All those options considered, they could still use a high-end talent with some size to help them match up with big-bodied No. 1 receivers who seem to be featured on just about every NFL roster these days. 

So if the Patriots are looking at corners in the draft, what are they looking for?

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Usually they want players who can change directions with the best of 'em. Three-cone times well under 7.00 seconds are the standard, as are short-shuttle times in the 4.10-second range. 

Size isn't the biggest issue for the Patriots, but if you're checking in under 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, you better have the movement skills to make up for it. We're talking 40 times in the 4.4s or faster, vertical jumps approaching 37 inches and broad jumps over 10 feet. Think Marcus Jones (5-foot-8, 174 pounds), who didn't test prior to the draft last year. He very obviously can fly.

Explosive. Quick. Good tacklers. The kinds of players Bill Belichick would feel comfortable inserting into his changing coverage schemes and his special-teams units. That's, generally speaking, what they like.

Let's dig into the options...

Devon Witherspoon, Illinois (5-foot-11, 181 pounds)

He's not the biggest. But he plays like he is. He's not the fastest. But his instincts are such that he has an argument as the quickest to break on the football in this class. He may be the one player the Patriots would consider trading up for.

Combine his tenacious playing style with what looks like elite click-and-close ability -- then add in that he was coached by former Patriots assistant Bret Bielema -- and you have the player who may be the best fit for Belichick's team in this class.

He's not as physically-gifted as some other man-to-man defenders who'll go in the first round. But he's plenty athletic, clocking a low 4.4-second 40-yard dash, and no corner allowed fewer yards in man coverage last season, per Pro Football Focus.

Christian Gonzalez, Oregon (6-foot-1, 197 pounds)

Gonzalez doesn't always play to his size. He's doesn't possess the feistiness that Witherspoon does. But he might be the best pound-for-pound athlete in the draft. Across positions.

He's incredibly smooth and fluid in his movements, showing zero difficulty in turning and running with vertical targets. And he's long enough to let some of those targets never get into their routes on time off the line of scrimmage.

He could be better at the catch point, but he had four picks and seven breakups last year. He still has room to grow even though he's already damn good. Scary.

Deonte Banks, Maryland (6-feet, 197 pounds)

Banks has an argument to be atop this list this year. Looking for explosiveness? He ran a 4.35-second 40 and jumped 42 inches in the vertical. Freakish numbers. He didn't record a shuttle time or a three-cone during the pre-draft process, but he exhibited an ability on tape to drive on plays in front of him with real quickness. And he's a more than willing tackler.

He's been a special-teams contributor for the Terps and has a blocked extra point on his record. So long as his injury history doesn't scare teams off, he should be a lock first-rounder.

Joey Porter Jr., Penn State (6-foot-2, 193 pounds)

We'll include Porter here even though he seems to be lacking when it comes to the quickness component necessary for Patriots prototypes at this position. He's so incredibly long (34-inch arms, 98th percentile) that stopping, changing direction and starting again just isn't his game.

But for a team that wants to play man-to-man coverage in critical situations, Porter is a strong option. His aggressiveness and long levers will help him snuff out routes before they begin when pressing at the line. 

Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State (6-feet, 166 pounds)

Just a fascinating set of physical traits here. At 166 pounds, he'd be the lightest player ever drafted by Belichick. But he has real size at the position with a 79-inch wingspan (92nd percentile) to be able to re-route receivers. He's also an aggressive tackler despite a frame that might be better off avoiding contact when at all possible.

He's plenty fast (4.35-second 40) and explosive (37.5-inch vertical) and has the instincts to be able to make game-changing plays on the football. He set the FBS record during his career with a whopping six pick-sixes.

For a team that played a little more zone last year, potentially leading to more turnovers thanks to defensive backs having eyes on opposing quarterbacks, Forbes looks like a fit.

Julius Brents, Kansas State (6-foot-3, 198 pounds)

More length here, only Brents has a combination of size (34-inch arms) and ridiculous quickness. Based on the times recorded by Patriots corners in the past, Brents has a shot to be their choice at this position in this year's draft.

He posted jaw-dropping change-of-direction times in Indy when he clocked a 6.63-second three-cone drill and a 4.05-second short shuttle. He's explosive, too, jumping 11-feet-6 in the broad (99th percentile) and 41.5 inches (96th) in the vertical. Not a perfect player by any means -- he had six penalties in 2022 and he's not the most physical tackler here -- but a rare, rare athlete. 

Darius Rush, South Carolina (6-foot-2, 198 pounds)

Another rare athlete here with great size. Not many humans with his frame run a 4.36-second 40. His 33.5-inch arms give him the ability to press at the line and screw with opposing receivers. As a former wideout for the Gamecocks, he also has ball skills that'll play at the next level.

He flashed high-end ability at the Senior Bowl and could be one of two South Carolina corners taken in the first three -- maybe first two? -- rounds on draft weekend.

Cam Smith, South Carolina (6-foot-1, 180 pounds)

Smith is the kind of corner who seems to be personally offended when a receiver attempts to make a play in front of him. He's aggressive getting downhill and he's an angry tackler -- sometimes an out-of-control tackler -- after having that area of his game criticized a few years ago.

He told Next Pats during Super Bowl week that he'd run in the low 4.4s for his 40-yard dash at the combine. He did (4.43) and added a ridiculously-impressive 11-foot-2 broad jump to go with it. Fast. Explosive. Willing tackler. He should be on our radar as a Patriots pick. And early. 

Cory Trice, Purdue (6-foot-3, 206 pounds)

Yet another big-bodied corner to throw into the mix here. Trice is exactly what the Patriots are looking for. Size. Quickness. Tackling. Coming off a season-ending injury in 2021, Trice may not have been able to put the best version of himself on tape last year. But it was still extremely impressive. He had 12 pass breakups to go along with a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six.

Ahead of the draft, he ran a 4.47-second 40 -- very good for his size -- and a 4.06-second short-shuttle as well as a 6.70-second three-cone. Those change-of-direction times are hard to fathom for a player with his length. But his short-area movement skills are evident on tape, where he's a very sure tackler (four missed tackles on 126 attempts, per Pro Football Focus). 

Cameron Mitchell, Northwestern (5-foot-11, 191 pounds)

It's a good year to want a tackler at this position in the draft. Witherspoon. Banks. Smith. Trice. They're everywhere. Add Mitchell to the list.

No fear in run support. Active on special teams. A 4.06-second shuttle and 6.89-second three-cone time. Looks like he could play inside and out. And while he doesn't have the length of some other corners on this list, he's a Patriots type. No question. 

DJ Turner, Michigan (5-foot-11, 178 pounds)

Would the Patriots dip into the under 180-pound corner market again? They did when they grabbed Jack Jones in the fourth round last year. But he's proven he can play at the NFL level. Turner will, too.

He's a next-level athlete no matter the level, posting a 4.26-second 40, a 38.5-inch vert and a 10-foot-11 broad. There's all kinds of twitch in that smaller frame. Not to mention toughness. He's a tenacious player in coverage and a no-hesitation hitter.

Can he play outside? Will he hold up to the physicality of the pro game? The answers here appear to be yes and yes, and wherever he ends up he looks like he'll make a quick impact.

Jakorian Bennett, Maryland (5-foot-11, 188 pounds)

While he may not be quite as talented as his teammate Banks, Bennett is another unafraid Terps defensive back. He'll smack a running back when presented the opportunity, and if given a chance to make a play on a jump ball he's just as likely to smack that thing down as well. According to NFL.com, he has 27 passes defensed over the last two years. His 4.30-second 40 time could get him drafted on Day 2. 

Garrett Williams, Syracuse (5-foot-10, 192 pounds)

Williams tore his ACL in October, limiting him to seven games last season, but he still may not have to wait all that long to hear his name called on draft weekend. While he didn't test prior to the draft, making it hard for our purposes here, he does show outstanding quickness on tape -- a near prerequisite for landing on this list.

He was a captain for the Orange, and like a number of the others on this list, he's a tackler. He may be a little undersized for a Patriots corner room already crowded with undersized options. He may recovering from his knee injury for some times. But he also checks enough boxes to end up on this list this year. 

Terell Smith, Minnesota (6-feet, 204 pounds)

Arguably the best corner on the West squad -- run by the Patriots coaching staff -- for the Shrine Bowl, Smith has had himself a big-time pre-draft process. Not only did he show out during a week of practices in Las Vegas, but he clocked a 4.41-second 40 time and a 1.50-second 10-yard split that is indicative of some real explosiveness. He also has the kind of light feet to match opposing wideouts in man coverage that the Patriots would appreciate.

Oh. And he tackles. Both to limit yards after catch and to help out in the running game. If he had a couple more picks on his resume, he may be talked about as a Day 2 option. Heck, he may still end up a Day 2 option. Maybe for the Patriots.

They got to know him well over the course of a week at the Shrine Bowl. They should have an idea as to whether or not he'll be able to play the brand of football they demand in Foxboro.

Riley Moss, Iowa (6-foot-1, 193 pounds)

Talk about understanding how things may work in New England. Moss played for Belichick pal Kirk Ferentz and established himself as one of the best players on a stout Hawkeyes defense. With good size and above-average athleticism (39-inch vertical, 10-foot-7 broad), Moss has the kind of traits the Patriots could use in their corner room.

There's a belief among some draft experts that he'd be best suited to play in a zone-heavy scheme -- which usually Belichick's style -- but his quickness is such that he should be able to handle himself in a man-heavy system, too. He just needs more reps in that kind of defense.

If the Patriots feel he can learn those techniques, they could have a big and scheme-versatile fit on their hands.