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New England Patriots: Ranking team’s top 5 defenders pre-training camp

By Tarringo Basile-vaughan

ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 03: Patrick Chung #23 of the New England Patriots celebrates after the Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 03: Patrick Chung #23 of the New England Patriots celebrates after the Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 during Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 3, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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New England Patriots Stephon Gilmore (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
New England Patriots Stephon Gilmore (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

1. Stephon Gilmore

There is no doubt about this one.

New England Patriots No. 1 cornerback Stephon Gilmore continues to add to the legacy of No. 24 with elite play at the cornerback position that definitely ranks him as the top defender going into the 2019 NFL season.

Like Ty Law and Darrelle Revis during his one season in New England, Gilmore is capable of shutting down an entire side of the field giving Bill Belichick the flexibility and creativity he loves to play with in his defensive schemes.

After a superb 2018 season in which he was one of just two players named as an All-Pro, Stephon Gilmore should be even more valuable in 2019.  Not only is the defense around him better, he has another year of experience under his belt in the Patriots system.

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While that comfort displayed itself in 2018 going against some elite wide receivers, it should shine even more in his third season as a member of the New England Patriots.  Now that the rest of the league have taken notice, we will see if he continues to stand out as a top shutdown corner.

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