Patriots by Position: Things are looking solid at cornerback

With the 2018 season in the books, The Providence Journal will take a look at each position group on the Patriots, analyzing how the team performed last year and where it might be heading in the future. Today we look at cornerbacks.

CORNERBACK

Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, J.C. Jackson, Eric Rowe, Jonathan Jones, Keion Crossen, Duke Dawson

Contract situation: The Patriots are in a solid spot at the cornerback [...]

With the 2018 season in the books, The Providence Journal will take a look at each position group on the Patriots, analyzing how the team performed last year and where it might be heading in the future. Today we look at cornerbacks.

CORNERBACK

Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, J.C. Jackson, Eric Rowe, Jonathan Jones, Keion Crossen, Duke Dawson

Contract situation: The Patriots are in a solid spot at the cornerback position. They return one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and have some youth behind him.

Gilmore is signed through 2021 and enters 2019 in the third year of his contract. At the moment, Gilmore is the second-highest paid player on the Patriots. His $14,512,500 cap hit trails only Tom Brady on the roster. Gilmore’s cap hit rises to $15.8 million in 2020.

After Gilmore, the Patriots don’t have much money tied into the position.

Jackson, Crossen and Dawson all enter 2019 in the second year of their rookie contracts. Jackson will count for $573,333 on the cap this season. He was an undrafted free agent and his contract goes through 2020. Dawson is signed through 2021 and his cap hit will be $1,078,380 in 2019. Crossen, also signed through 2021, has a cap hit of $588,598.

McCourty and Rowe enter March as unrestricted free agents. Jones will be a restricted free agent.

2018 review: The year started off with Malcolm Butler leaving via free agency. After that, things settled down nicely.

Gilmore became perhaps the best cornerback in the NFL. He finished second in the league with 20 passes defended to go with two interceptions. He was named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2018.

Gilmore allowed completions on just 42 percent of the pass thrown his way. In Super Bowl LIII, he had a case for MVP as he finished with an interception, three passes defended and a forced fumble. His interception sealed the championship for the Patriots.

Rowe started the season as the No. 2 cornerback, but that lasted only four games as the 26-year-old ended up on the injured reserve with a groin injury. That led to more playing time for McCourty and Jackson.

McCourty started 12 games and finished with 70 tackles, 10 passes defended and an interception. It looked like Jackson passed him on the depth chart late in the season, but McCourty started all three games in the playoffs. His breakup on Brandin Cooks in Super Bowl LIII saved a touchdown.

Jackson turned out to be a hidden gem. An undrafted rookie, he started five of 13 games and intercepted three passes.

Jones turned into a valuable slot corner for the Patriots. He finished the season with a career-high three interceptions. In the playoffs, he was outstanding. Jones shut down Tyreek Hill in the AFC Championship Game. In Super Bowl LIII, he even played some safety.

Crossen made the Patriots 53-man roster as a seventh-round pick. He instantly became a core special-teamer, but played some defense — 39 snaps as well as 14 snaps in the playoffs. He even helped Jones cover Hill in the AFC Championship Game.

Dawson didn’t suit up for a single game and spent a portion of the season on the injured reserve. He became the first second-rounder to not appear in a game while on the roster under Bill Belichick.

The future: The Patriots have some pieces in the fold.

Gilmore isn’t going anywhere. He’ll be the Patriots No. 1 cornerback next season and beyond. Jackson, who was undrafted because of legal problems, looks like a No. 2 cornerback. Next season is a big one for his development.

Crossen and Dawson come into this season with some questions. Can Crossen show he’s more than a special-teams player? Can Dawson actually get on the field? Both players profile as slot cornerbacks. Since Jones is a restricted free agent, the Patriots should be able to retain him.

That leaves the Patriots without a backup outside cornerback.

McCourty served as a great role model last year for the younger cornerbacks. If the price is right, re-signing him makes a lot of sense. The Patriots like Rowe, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. If the Pats don’t retain either player, they’ll probably need to bring in a versatile veteran cornerback from free agency.