One of the key themes of the New England Patriots this offseason is the retention of core players, but despite some success, losing slot cornerback Myles Bryant will still be keenly felt. Fortunately, rookie Marcellas Dial Jr. “has a chance” to replace the player who the Pats “relied heavily” on in 2023.
According to MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels, Dial can win a key training camp battle:
“The Patriots will have a battle in training camp for their next slot cornerback. Marcus Jones will head into camp as the favorite, but Dial has a chance to win this job. He had 28 passes defended and three interceptions over the last two seasons at South Carolina.”
If he does get the nod to be the next Bryant, 2024 NFL draft sixth-round pick Dial can expect to handle a sizeable workload.
As Daniels noted, “Last season, the Patriots relied heavily on Myles Bryant. The slot cornerback played the fourth most defensive snaps in New England (74.8% of the team’s plays). This offseason, Bryant signed with the Houston Texans.”
Dial making the grade would not only represent excellent value for a late-round pick. It would also help accelerate the necessary overhaul of a cornerback position group that’s perhaps the only question mark on an otherwise loaded defense.
The chances of Dial getting onto the field with the starting defense are strong because of his scheme fit. Shortly after being drafted, Dial described himself as “a sticky corner in coverage,” per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.
Asked about his game, Dial said he has good ball skills and contests passes well.
“I’m a sticky corner in coverage.”
Dial was also described by Evan Lazar of Patriots.com as a “developmental man coverage corner.” Man coverage was the staple of the Patriots’ secondary for years under head coach Bill Belichick, and that’s not likely to change now Jerod Mayo is in charge.
Mayo and new defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington will appreciate Dial’s size at 6-foot and 190 pounds. Dial’s ability to put his frame to use and make hits in space was highlighted by Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS.
Being able to play press and force against the run are key attributes for handling the rigors of the slot. Dial possesses core skills for the key role, but the Patriots have other options.
Patriots Searching for the Right Combination in the Secondary
The Patriots aren’t short of options at cornerback but they need the right combination on the back end.
It’s why Bryant will be missed after he became somebody Belichick could trust to diagnose plays and win matchups from the slot, something Lazar highlighted against the New York Jets in Week 3.
Bill Belichick said DB Myles Bryant took away several throws in zone coverage. This appeared to be one where the Jets wanted a downfield screen to Garrett Wilson. Bryant was all over it.
Bryant has gotten some warranted criticism in the past. But he has improved.
Bryant also got his hands on the football. He parlayed his 851 snaps into an interception and seven pass breakups, but Bryant wasn’t brought back like safety Kyle Dugger and edge-rusher Josh Uche.
Perhaps the right post-Bryant combo will involve Dial, or maybe Marcus Jones makes a successful return from a season-ending torn labrum and starts inside.
Outside slots should belong to veteran Jonathan Jones and second-year pro Christian Gonzalez. The latter is a star in the making, provided he’s fully recovered from his own shoulder injury.
Other corners in the mix include Isaiah Bolden, Marco Wilson, Alex Austin and Shaun Wade. Bolden is looking to rebound from his own lost campaign after he suffered a scary concussion in preseason last year, but he’s caught the eye this offseason.
There’s no shortage of options, but the Patriots are dealing more in what ifs and potential than sure things. Awarding Dial an ample share of what were Bryant’s snaps would be another leap of faith.
