The New England Patriots have been really good for a really long time. This is something of an understatement, but there has been one issue throughout a large portion of their success: a lacking secondary. Regardless of what the Patriots do in free agency or the draft, they always seem to have a need for a good cornerback.
This offseason is no different, with more uncertainty at the position than ever. Aqib Talib was injured in 2012 and has plenty of off-the-field issues. He may not be back in 2013, and the Patriots desperately need an infusion of young talent at the position going forward.
Dan Kadar of SB Nation released his latest mock draft on Monday, and he has the Patriots addressing the need by taking cornerback Desmond Trufant out of Washington with the No. 29 pick in the first round:
Another cornerback for Bill Belichick to roll the dice on. Trufant pushed himself into the first round with his NFL Combine showing. He's a speedy cornerback that can play on an island and tackle. If the Patriots can't make something out of a player like Trufant, it would be a shock.
Trufant is definitely one of the top talents at the position. The cornerback position isn't considered top heavy in this year's draft, but there's thought to be solid value nearer the end of the first round and in second day picks, which should suit the Patriots just fine at this point.
The mock does list a couple other picks for the Patriots, like DeAndre Hopkins and Johnathan Banks, both of which make sense. That is on the chance that the Patriots address their cornerback need in free agency, which is a possibility as it is set to begin in just about 24 hours.
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