NFL Draft: Revisiting and Grading the New England Patriots 2015 NFL Draft Picks
By Hal Bent
7th Round (247th Overall, Via GB) – Darryl Roberts (CB, Marshall)
Grade: B-
One Liner: Could be a surprise starter in 2016.
All of New England was up in arms after the Patriots let their top four cornerbacks from their Super Bowl championship 2014 roster go. Future Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis signed in New York with the Jets, Brandon Browner went to New Orleans (and was released this offseason and has yet to sign anywhere), Kyle Arrington went to Baltimore (and had to take a paycut to stick around in 2016), and Alfonzo Dennard (who was in Arizona in camp but was unsigned all of 2015). Most draft experts had the Patriots picking a cornerback in the first or second round.
The Patriots finally addressed the cornerback position in the seventh round and picked Marshall defensive back Darryl Roberts. Roberts is undersized at five-foot-eleven and only 187 pounds. However, he is off-the-charts athletically and was productive against less than top-level receivers playing for Marshall. Roberts simply oozes athleticism and potential as a raw prospect. Roberts was impressive in training camp and started the first preseason game but broke his wrist and missed the entire season. He is still an intriguing prospect and expected to compete for a role in the secondary in 2016.
Next: 7th Round (253rd Overall, Compensatory) – Xzavier Dickson