The Patriots have an All-Pro, shutdown cornerback in Christian Gonzalez, who in 2024 proved to be one of the best lockdown corners in the NFL and is poised to do it again this season.
With Gonzalez being able to close off one section of the field, head coach Mike Vrabel thought it was important to add another lockdown cornerback who can do the same thing as Gonzalez, parallel to him on the other side of the field.
In doing so, the Patriots added veteran cornerback Carlton Davis III as a free agent after he spent last season with the Detroit Lions, playing an essential part in their defense that helped lead them to a 15-2 record.
Now, New England has two starting corners that are over six feet tall with shutdown capabilities to really add pressure to the opposing quarterback and their top two receivers.
Gonzalez is entering his third year in the NFL and is already considered to be one of the best corners in the league. During a recent press conference, he said that he’s thrilled to have Davis as a teammate this season and is looking forward to learning from a veteran “who’s seen it all” in the NFL.
"It’s going to be awesome, just learning and playing with CD. He’s played in the Super Bowl, he’s seen it at the highest level. He’s done it. It’s not just great for me, but for the whole room to have his voice in there and pick up tips from him, anything he can learn from us, we can learn from him, just chopping it up, piggybacking ideas, how we play certain things. It’s going to be awesome."Christian Gonzalez
Davis is as physical and intense as they come for the cornerback position. He presses receivers right at the line of scrimmage and brings the aggressive play style that Vrabel wants on the defense.
In 2024, Davis ranked as an above average corner despite a slight decline in his production according to Pro Football Focus:
• Pass Coverage: 72.1 (38th of 222 CBs)
• Run Defense: 77.7 (26th of 222 CBs)
• Overall: 74.5 (29th of 222 CBs)
The most noticeable characteristic of Davis is that he’s naturally long. He stands 6-foot-1, 206 lbs and has a 78 ⅜” wingspan, which helps him in press coverage and when he’s matched up with a bigger-bodied receiver or tight end.
Davis talked about how he’s learned to use his long arms to his advantage over the course of his career.
“I use it to my advantage. …the key to that is being deceptive in your reach. … I’m a little deceptive with my special awareness and knowing when and where I can’t touch them.”
Davis, a widely respected veteran in the league, is looking forward to playing alongside Gonzalez and says that he knows that Gonzalez can hold his own against any receiver and has shown it in his first couple of years.
"Especially being able to go play with Gonzo, a guy who I know can hold his own and has shown it in previous years. When you can play that type of football, especially for a defense, it allows somebody to rush the pass a little more efficiently and then it also puts pressure on the quarterback because you’re playing tight coverage and now he’s not just picking you off in zone and when you need to play man-to-man, you can play it."Carlton Davis on Gonzalez
The addition of Davis completely transforms the outlook of New England’s secondary in a new and improved defense. It’ll allow the defensive backs to take care of the field while linebackers are focusing more on attacking the quarterback.
The thing with Davis is that he’s never played a full season in his career, with the most being only 14 games in back-to-back seasons from 2019-2020. In seven years, he’s missed 27 games total.
New England’s cornerbacks, along with Davis and Gonzalez, are Marcus Jones, Alex Austin, Isaiah Bolden, Craig Woodson (rookie), Kobee Minor (rookie), Marcellas Dial Jr., Brandon Crossley, and Miles Battle.