New England Patriots
Pro Bowl CB Christian Gonzalez headlines one of the team’s strongest units.
Christian Gonzalez could sign an extension with the Patriots this offseason. AP Photo/Steve Luciano
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Patriots 2026 position preview: Quarterbacks edition
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Christian Gonzalez on ongoing contract stalemate: ‘I want to be rewarded as a Patriot’
Welcome to Boston.com’s Patriots position preview series. As we count down the days heading into training camp, we’ll take a look at where the Patriots stand at each position using key stats and observations from spring workouts. You can find our preview on the Patriots’ quarterbacks here.
The series rolls on with a look at the cornerbacks and defensive backs.
Together, they formed a strong secondary unit last season that kept opposing receivers in check.
This is a veteran group with a mix of youth and experience, along with plenty of athleticism.
Let’s take a look at what to expect for this upcoming season.
Players: Christian Gonzalez, Kevin Byard III, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, Craig Woodson, Mike Brown, Dell Pettus, Brenden Schooler, Kindle Viador, Kenneth Harris, Brandon Crossely Karon Prunty, Marcellas Dial, John Saunders Jr., Peter Manuma, Channing Canada, Kobee Minor
Key stats:
- Byard, a three-time first-team All-Pro selection, led the league in interceptions last season as a member of the Chicago Bears.
- According Next Gen Stats, Gonzalez allowed just seven catches for 58 yards and zero touchdowns during the entire playoffs.
- Woodson became the first Patriots rookie to record an interception and recover a fumble in a playoff game vs. Houston.
- The Patriots allowed 193.5 passing yards per game, finishing ninth in the league
- New England was in the bottom-half of the league in takeaways (19)
Strengths: The Patriots have a dynamic secondary, headlined by Gonzalez who was dominant throughout the postseason. He held NFL Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba to three catches and 36 yards in the Super Bowl, one of a few bright spots in the loss to Seattle.
New England’s pass-rush was far from elite, registering 35 sacks during the regular-season, which was the fifth-lowest amount among NFL teams. But, the Patriots’ secondary was able to hold opponents to fewer than 200 passing yards per game anyway.
Marcus Jones was dynamic in his role at nickelback. Carlton Davis earned the 18th-highest grade in the league among cornerbacks from Pro Football Focus, which was not far off from Gonzalez (13th). That’s a great grade for a CB2.
Craig Woodson showed that he was more than capabale of playing right away as a rookie. And then, New England added Byard, a three-time All-Pro who already has years of experience playing for Mike Vrabel.
Weaknesses: This secondary did not force many takeaways. Bringing in the NFL interceptions leader may change that, but the reality is they averaged 1.12 per game during the regular-season.
There is plenty of room for improvement on New England’s +3 turnover differential.
The Patriots committed 99 penalties as a team last season, which was 27th in the league. That’s pretty good. However, Davis had at least a dozen of those penalties on his own. That’s too many for a starting cornerback in this league.
Bigger receivers and tight ends can pose a challenge for this group. None of the starters are taller than 6-foot-1, and opponents have looked to exploit occasional mismatches. The way Atlanta used 6-foot-4 Drake London to target Jones comes to mind.
Observations from OTAs/minicamp:
- The biggest storyline with this group is Gonzalez’s contract situation. He’s heading into year four of his rookie deal with a cap hit of $4.8 million. That’s not Pro Bowl cornerback money.
- Gonzalez missed the voluntary OTA sessions but was there for the entirety of mandatory minicamp. He seemed to participate in everything except for 11-on-11 drills.
- Drake Maye hasn’t thrown many interceptions this spring, but rookie Karon Prunty has one of them.
- Woodson came in ready to go last year, but there was still a lot to learn during his rookie season. Last season he had chemistry and familiarity with former Cal teammate Jaylinn Hawkins, but this season he gets to soak up knowledge from the multi-time All-Pro Byard, and it will be interesting to see how it affects his game.
2027 outlook: This should be another strong year for the Patriots’ secondary.
New England needs to get Gonzalez’s contract situation ironed out, but if his performance is anything like it was in 2025, the Patriots can bank on him being a shut down corner.
The Patriots are strong at the top of the depth chart for both safeties in cornerbacks. Just how good the depth is behind the starters remains to be seen.
Dial is coming off of a torn ACL, Minor didn’t play much as a rookie, Woods and Alex Austin got the bulk of the reserve cornerback snaps last season. Woodson and Hawkins rarely came off the field at the safety spots.
The Patriots’ secondary was one of the team’s strongest units last year, and there’s no reason this year should be much different.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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