New England Patriots 2021 NFL Draft: Asante Samuel Jr. worth a look

Heading into the future, the New England Patriots will need to have a strong defense. Life without Tom Brady has quickly shown that defense will win games for the team. Looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft, the Pats should try and strengthen this unit.

Now New England has a strong secondary, but it could use some help. The future isn’t exactly bright for the unit.

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Stephon Gilmore might have possibly played his last game for the Patriots. It seems as though he will want a raise and New England can’t offer him one.

Also, the McCourty twins will retire rather soon. The duo probably has a season or two left in the tank. This would create a big hole for the Patriots to fill.

So while a lot of the focus will be on the QB position, New England should also look to bolster the secondary. A possible answer might have a familiar name to Pats fans.

New England Patriots 2021 NFL Draft: Asante Samuel Jr. worth a look

If fans want to feel old, former Patriots corner Asante Samuel has a kid who is old enough to be eligible for the NFL Draft. It seems as though New England might have a place for the Florida State corner.

Besides being an amazing story, drafting Asante Samuel Jr. would help out the secondary. He has proven to be great in man coverage. 2020 was a great season as he managed to snag three interceptions.

The corner also seems to have the confidence to succeed in the NFL. He has already declared himself the best corner in the draft.

The only concerns would be his size since he is only 5’10” and his struggles in zone coverage. Bill Belichick and the Patriots coaching staff could likely coach Samuel Jr. up so that shouldn’t be too much of a worry.

Samuel Jr. could be a player that starts right away. It wouldn’t be too much to ask him to play along with J.C. Jackson or also be third on the depth chart behind Jonathan Jones.

Ideally, Samuel Jr. could be selected in the second round. This still allows New England to select their QB in the first round if they choose to do so.

So Samuel Jr. is definitley worth a look from the Patriots. He appears to be a corner that can make an impact right away. Maybe he will even get to rock the same number as his father?