The New England Patriots are on the board in the 2016 NFL Draft after making four picks Friday on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. And unsurprisingly included one big surprise in the group.
The Patriots, who did not have a pick in the first round because of Deflategate, selected Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones with the No. 60 overall pick. Jones is an undersized corner who might be a better fit playing in the slot rather than outside against bigger receivers.
It's not a surprise the Patriots picked him for a few reasons. New England has a big need at cornerback, and Jones has the versatility that Bill Belichick prizes. Jones is an excellent returner, and he might even have the ability to help out at receiver. Jones was recruited as a top-level wideout, which shows up in his ball skills at cornerback. He is known for his competitiveness.
Jones was taken with the pick acquired in New England's trade with Arizona that sent Chandler Jones to the Cardinals. What the Patriots did with the rest of their night was a bigger eye-opener. New England traded down with one of their second round picks and wound up taking three more players: N.C. State guard/tackle Joe Thuney with No. 78 overall pick, N.C. State quarterback Jacoby Brissett with the No. 91 overall pick, and Nebraska defensive tackle Vincent Valentine with the No. 96 pick.
Brissett will get the headlines. The big quarterback went ahead of more highly touted players like Connor Cook, but Brissett has NFL size and tools. New England entered the draft wanting to add a third quarterback to the roster, and now they have someone who could ultimately compete with Jimmy Garoppolo. For now, Brissett would be the team's Week 1 backup. We'd expect the Patriots to sign another veteran before then.
