New England Patriots 2019: 3 most important players not named Tom Brady
2. Stephon Gilmore
The best cornerback in the game no one talks about except New England Patriots fans, and a few disgruntled Buffalo Bills fans, is Stephon Gilmore.
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As important as Shaq Mason is along the offensive line, Gilmore is more important in the Patriots’ secondary as he allows Bill Belichick to once again be creative in the defensive scheme due to his ability to lockdown opposing team’s top receivers.
It seems weird to have Stephon Gilmore as one of the team’s most important players just two seasons after he struggled in just communicating on defense, but he has found his way and etched himself as a reliable factor. We won’t call him “Gilmore Island” because that would be corny, but he has become a more important contributor than Darrelle Revis was during his one-year run in Foxborough.
Now anchoring a deep secondary, Gilmore has morphed into the quiet leader who leads with his play on the field rather than his mouth. Perhaps, that is why he is really never mentioned in the conversation nationally when it comes to the NFL’s top corners. He just does his job and does it well, which allows Belichick and the rest of the secondary to be creative against passing attacks.