For the last few years, the New England Patriots defense fielded some legitimate No. 1 cornerbacks. Between 2017 and 2020, it was Stephon Gilmore taking on an opponent’s best wide receiver on a regular basis. In 2021, J.C. Jackson successfully took over that role.
With Gilmore traded last October and Jackson leaving in free agency five months later, however, some massive holes in the Patriots secondary opened up — holes that have not clearly been filled just yet.
Based on the first few practices of training camp, Jalen Mills and Jonathan Jones project as the top options on the outside; Mills was New England’s CB2 a year ago with Jones having spent most of his career in the slot.