New England Patriots Possible Target in the 2015 NFL Draft – Marcus Peters, CB Washington
 Marcus Peters is among the top 2-3 skills wise at the cornerback position and would immediately upgrade the New England secondary. (USA Today, Image) |
As the 2015 NFL Draft draws closer we’ll profile some of the players that may be on the Patriots radar. Some of these players have already been linked to New England as possible targets others, we feel would be a great fit.
Check out our earlier 2015 NFL Draft profiles on PatsFans.com:
DE/OLB Nate Orchard from Utah
WR Tyrell Williams from Western Oregon
DT Jordan Phillips from Oklahoma
DT Carl Davis from Iowa
RB David Johnson from Northern Iowa
CB Steven Nelson from Oregon State
OLB Zack Hodges from Harvard
CB Ronald Darby from FSU
WR Devin Funchess from Michigan
OG A.J. Cann from South Carolina
RB Mike Davis from South Carolina
ILB Benadrick McKinney from Mississippi State
OLB Hau’oli Kikaha from Washington
T Jeremiah Poutasi from Utah
OLB Kyle Emanuel from North Dakota State
RB Jay Ajayi from Boise State
WR Jamison Crowder from Duke
CB Kevin Johnson from Wake Forest
DT Eddie Goldman from Florida State
LB Shaq Thompson from Washington
OG Tre Jackson from Florida State
The Patriots have some big holes to fill on the defense that won Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks. Vince Wilfork will no longer be in the middle of the defense, the first time since 2003 that New England won’t have him in there.
But it is in the secondary, most especially the cornerback position that they’ll need help. Both starting corners, Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner have left via free agency. Revis’ ability to cover on an island transformed the way the defense played and he had a major factor in their success in 2014. Browner had the size and physicality that the team has lacked in recent years.
It worked perfectly; Browner or Kyle Arrington would cover the opponent’s #1 threat with over the top safety help. Revis would shadow the #2 receiver alone. The Patriots have solid depth but lack anyone with neither the technical skills of Revis nor the size/physicality of Browner. Currently the team has Malcolm Butler, Kyle Arrington, Logan Ryan, Alfonzo Dennard and Justin Green on the roster. During free agency, the team added Bradley Fletcher, Robert McClain and Chimdi Chekwa.
They have hopes that a fresh start will ignite Fletcher and Butler can improve upon a stellar ending of 2014 into continued progression. They’ll also look to the draft for improved depth and production.
Marcus Peters from Washington is one of the top corners available in the NFL draft. He’s a big (6’0, 196), corner back with size, speed, ball skills and quick feet who can excel at the next level. He’s physical and aggressive and played against some excellent competition in the PAC 12.
Peters is an intimidator and a big hitter who isn’t afraid to fly up in support of the running game. He also has excellent play recognition, being able to shadow a receiver down the field and knowing when to turn his body around to knock a ball away or pick it off.
He has some red-flags however; he was dismissed from the team due to continued clashes with coaches and didn’t take well to coaching when with the Huskies. But during the pre-draft process, Peters was invited back and took part in the Huskies’ Pro Day. That speaks well to how much they believe in his talents and his ability to grow as a person.
He allowed only a 38 percent completion rate in his last two seasons, while racking up 24 passes defensed and eight interceptions.
Pros:
- His ball skills and coverage are the best in the draft
- Prototypical size and outstanding athletic skills
- A physical player who is also very good in run support
Cons:
- Was dismissed from the team for constant bickering with coaches
- Technique can be sloppy at times, gets his hands on WRs a tad much
- Will he take to coaching at the next level?
Where can the Patriots can get him?: Peters is a first-round talent and would probably be a Top 10 guy if not for his red flags for being dismissed from the team. Even still, it will be a surprise if he doesn’t make it out of the first round.
It has never been about talent for Peters, if he’s around at #32, the Patriots have to think long and hard for reasons not to draft him. If anyone can reach him Bill Belichick can and the Patriots have taken guys with some off-field issues in the past.
Rob Rang from NFLDraftScout.com has compared him to Aqib Talib, and he has the size, physicality, agility and coverage skills to come in and start at left corner on Day 1. With the loss of both Revis and Browner, the Patriots can use a guy with his kind of skills.
Again the only caveat will be, will he take to coaching by Belichick and the Patriots if he’s around at #32. He has some maturity issues and was considered something of a whiner at Washington. That wouldn’t play well here with Belichick. But skills wise, he’d be an outstanding pick and corner for years to come.
Here is a highlight film of Peters at Washington courtesy of NFL Draft Geek:
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