It took until the sixth round, but the Patriots finally added some defensive help in the 2024 NFL Draft.
New England selected South Carolina cornerback Marcellas Dial with the 180th overall pick, marking the first defensive player the Patriots selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. They drafted five offensive players in the first four rounds, opting to focus on that side of the ball after a brutal showing in 2023.
Here are four things to know about Dial.
He was a junior college player.
Dial’s path to the NFL wasn’t the most conventional route.