Stephon Gilmore might not perform up to his lofty standards this year but he likely will remain an elite player.
ESPN’s ranked the New England Patriots cornerback No. 26 on its list of the top 100 NFL players for the 2021 season. Gilmore missed training camp and preseason as he continues to recover from the quad injury, which ended his 2020 season prematurely. Bill Belichick insists Gilmore’s return is a “day by day” proposition, and ESPN reckons he’ll reassume his place among the top shutdown cornerbacks once he retakes the field.
“The 2019 Defensive Player of the Year has the size, speed and physicality to match up against a variety of pass-catchers, which former NFL cornerback Brandon Flowers recently opined makes him the league’s best corner,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote.