Logan Ryan finished last season with five interceptions as a rookie. And they weren’t flukey, like in 2011 when Kyle Arrington was seemingly in the right place at the right time and managed seven interceptions. Ryan demonstrated the ball skills for which he was touted coming out of college. He broke on the ball and fought for position. He showed his great value in the Patriots cornerback. And all things held equal in this moment in time, Mike Reiss would probably peg the youngster as a starter.
More from New England Patriots
- NFL rumors: Dalvin Cook suitor maintaining very ‘real’ interest
- Patriots backup plan for DeAndre Hopkins is a shot in the dark
- NFL rumors: Patriots screwed themselves with DeAndre Hopkins pursuit
- Bill O’Brien arrival did not end the road for one disliked Patriots coach
- 3 biggest mistakes from the NFL offseason
Via ESPN Boston:
"Praised for his smarts by veteran cornerback Darrelle Revis, Ryan took mostly second-team reps in spring camps behind Revis and free-agent signing Brandon Browner. His ball skills produced a team-leading five interceptions last season and he’d probably be the starter opposite Revis if the season started today and Browner was serving his four-game suspension."
That’s not bad company for a second-year player. Considering that fellow second-year defensive back Duron Harmon may also be a front-runner to start at safety, the Patriots recent spottiness drafting defensive backs may be over.
The only issue is that the starting position comes with an asterisk. Alfonzo Dennard would be the likely starter if it weren’t for off-field issues. The assumption is that when Brandon Browner returns, he will be the No. 2 cornerback — at least the Patriots are paying him that way. However, things will get interesting week 5 at Patriots practices. There will be a training camp-esk competition for the starting position across from Darrelle Revis.