Getty Duke Dawson (29) spent much of his rookies season injured and has been traded away before his second professional season.
The New England Patriots deepest position ahead of the 2019 season is defensive back. With a ton of talent from top to bottom, there were bound to be some tough decisions and impactful roster cuts this weekend.
And on Friday, the first domino fell in the form of former second-round pick Duke Dawson. New England sent Dawson to the Denver Broncos in a trade, according to Ian Rapoport. The trade also reportedly includes a swap of late-round picks with a sixth-rounder headed to the Patriots and a seventh-rounder going to Denver, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Trade terms per @AdamSchefter: Patriots receive Broncos’ 2020 sixth-round pick in exchange for CB Duke Dawson and a 2020 seventh-round pick.
Dawson is the latest Patriots’ defensive back drafted in the first or second round to flop in New England since Bill Belichick took over as coach in 2000. Between 2011 and 2018, all five Patriots defensive backs drafted in the first two rounds are no longer with the team.
With Duke Dawson getting traded to the Denver Broncos, here’s a list of the first and second round defensive backs selected by Bill Belichick.
It’s…not great.
This move frees up a roster spot in the secondary for New England which seemed headed towards controversy at the position.
What Went Wrong For Dawson
During the opening week of his rookie season, Dawson was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, forcing him to miss the first half of the season.
He was activated off IR in November but never appeared in a game, listed as a gameday inactive for the entire season. He earned a Super Bowl with New England but was never able to burst through a loaded depth chart at corner back.
Dawson even attempted to move to safety during the preseason and showed some promise. But playing well into New England’s final preseason game on Thursday, Dawson failed to impress enough to earn a roster spot.
It has been an inauspicious start to his NFL career after a successful college stint at Florida. He was selected to the SEC All-First team as a senior and finished third in the conference with three passes defended.
Updated Patriots Depth Chart
The Patriots defensive back depth chart was never really set to include Dawson, even last season when it seemed his addition would be meaningful midseason.
Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, and Jonathan Jones are the top three corners with J.C. Jackson a close fourth. Joejuan Williams, another second-rounder, looked good in the same safety role in which New England was hoping Dawson would be successful.
Williams is a more sizeable and quicker corner than Dawson and showed his value as a coverage corner against Tennessee’s top receiver Corey Davis earlier in the preseason. His physicality also topped Dawson in their positional competition during preseason.
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As for the final corner spot, Keion Crossen looks to have won that job with a fantastic effort against the Giants in the preseason finale. He led the team in tackles, had five pass breakups, and even picked off New York quarterback Alex Tanney.
Crossen’s value is expanded by his special teams’ prowess. And with linebacker Brandon King, a top special teams contributor, set to miss the season, Crossen could slot in as a second gunner and an additional physical presence on punt and kick coverage.
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