New England Patriots: Devin McCourty ranked as Top-5 Safety

Pro Football Focus recently ranked the best safeties in the NFL. Did Devin McCourty of the New England Patriots make the list?

Since being drafted and making the switch from cornerback to safety for the New England Patriots, Devin McCourty has been a staple of the defense. The Patriots have gone through plenty of changes of the past few years on the defensive side of the ball, but they clearly value what McCourty brings to the team.

As shown by the contract that they recently gave him, McCourty is a vital part of the defense, as he can play safety and also guard wide receivers 1-on-1. Being able to do both effectively is very rare for a safety, and his experience starting as a cornerback certainly helped him with that.

McCourty’s consistency has been one of the best things about his game. According to Pro Football Focus, since 2012, McCourty has never received a grade for the season below and 80. This is extremely impressive and shows how good McCourty has been during that span.

In three of those six seasons, McCourty has also received grades over and 90, which puts him in elite company. Coming into the 2018 season, Pro Football Focus ranked the top safeties in the league. For McCourty, he came in ranked fourth on their list.

Joining McCourty in the Top-5 is Harrison Smith of the Minnesota Vikings, Landon Collins of the New York Giants, Earl Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks, and Kevin Byard of the Tennessee Titans.

Coming into 2018, McCourty will once again be a very important part of the Patriots’ defense. With some question marks as of now at cornerback, McCourty playing at a high level over the top will once again be very important. As one of the top safeties in the league, having McCourty on the defense has been a great luxury for the Patriots.