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Best cornerback fits in 2022 NFL Draft class

Perry: Prototypical Patriots cornerbacks in 2022 NFL Draft class originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Patriots have added a pair of veteran corners with plenty of starting experience this offseason, but it’d be a stretch to say they’re “set” at that particular position.

Sure, if Malcolm Butler plays the way he did in 2020 then the Patriots will have a quality cover man on the outside. But he was away from football in 2021, and it’s unclear exactly how he’ll look after that time off this coming season.

Terrence Mitchell, meanwhile, has racked up starts with the Texans and Browns in recent seasons, but the Patriots continued to pursue more corner depth after signing him early in free agency. He’s much more a depth option than a go-to guy.

Now with the draft just over a week away, it’s time for us to dig into the players who could help the Patriots continue to bolster what has become one of the most valuable positions in the game.

What are they typically looking for?

Usually they want players who can change directions with the best of ’em. Three-cone times well under 7.00 seconds are the standard, as are short-shuttle times in the 4.10-second range. Size isn’t the biggest issue for the Patriots, but if you’re checking in under 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, you better have the movement skills to make up for it. We’re talking 40 times in the 4.4s or faster, vertical jumps approaching 37 inches and broad jumps over 10 feet.

Perry’s crowd-sourced NFL Mock Draft: Pats fans choose CB, WR early

Explosive. Quick. Good tacklers. The kind of players Bill Belichick would feel comfortable inserting into his changing coverage schemes and his special-teams units.

Let’s get to the list …

Sauce Gardner, Cincinnati, 6-foot-3, 190 pounds

Long and lean and annoying as hell in coverage, Gardner is what just about every team in the NFL — Patriots included — is looking for at corner these days.

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He played oodles of man coverage for the Bearcats under defensive coordinator Mike…

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