New England Patriots: Cameron Sutton Should Be Target 2017 NFL Draft
The New England Patriots should make cornerback Cameron Sutton a priority in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The New England Patriots have been extremely aggressive this offseason. The trades that they made for Brandin Cooks, Kony Ealy and Dwayne Allen will undoubtedly help them in 2017 and beyond. However, they gave up a lot of 2017 NFL Draft capital to acquire those players.
As things stand now, the Patriots will not pick in the first two rounds of the 2017 NFL draft. Their first pick will in the early third round when they go on the clock at No. 72 overall. The Patriots could certainly still add an early round pick with a move involving quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo or cornerback Malcolm Butler, but those are far from guaranteed.
If the Patriots do not go on the clock until the third round, they will need to be looking for elite value with all of their picks. New England is obviously loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, but not hitting in the draft is certainly dangerous to the long-term health of the franchise. With that in mind, I think cornerback Cameron Sutton needs to be on their radar.
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Sutton was an extremely talented defensive back at Tennessee who struggled with injuries as a senior. Sutton missed about half of his senior season with a fractured ankle. He was able to get back on the field for seven games, but was a shell of himself. The injury clearly limited Sutton on the field and his performance undoubtedly hurt his draft stock.
His play his senior season is not a good representation of the kind of player Sutton is. He is a strong man-to-man cornerback who shows fantastic natural instincts for the position. Sutton is fast and athletic for the position and shows strong short-area quickness.
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Sutton is a talented player who has a lot of upside at the next level. If other NFL teams are worried about his play and let him slip to the third round, the New England Patriots must make him their top priority. Sutton is an undervalued talent who would fit perfectly in their defensive system.
At 5-11, 188 pounds, Sutton does not possess elite size for the cornerback position. Size is obviously important on the outside, but the Patriots are not afraid to roll with a smaller cornerback as long as he is willing to compete. Sutton is an aggressive cornerback who will compete hard against players who are bigger than him.
He also shows strong position versatility. Sutton primarily played on the outside in college, but his size may make him a better fit for slot cornerback at the next level. At the Senior Bowl, Sutton spent time working at slot cornerback and looked extremely comfortable. He also played some safety, showing NFL teams that he has great versatility.
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Nobody loves versatility more than the New England Patriots. Sutton is a playmaker at the cornerback position who can play outside, inside and perhaps even safety. Whether they end up bringing Malcolm Butler back or not, Cameron Sutton should be a specific target for the Patriots.