The New England Patriots selected South Carolina cornerback Marcellas Dial with the 180th overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft.
Dial adds to what has been a balanced draft for the organization, as they had several needs to fill. Cornerback depth was certainly one of those needs.
For example, New England’s slot corner Jonathan Jones is 30 years old. The organization needed depth at the position, and Dial certainly fits the bill. He recorded 36 tackles and 10 pass break-ups for South Carolina in 2023. He spent the first years of his collegiate career at Georgia Military College and then made the switch to South Carolina in the 2022 season.
He is projected more as a perimeter corner, as he measures in at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds. His speed and his ability to stay in the play are two of his biggest assets. He runs a 4.46, 40-yard dash, and that is certainly effective as it relates to his closing speed. This makes him even more effective as an outside corner.
As it stands right now, New England has strong secondary pieces in Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones. That could give Dial time to develop over the next couple of seasons.
Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar noted on Saturday that Dial has played some safety and slot corner. The positional versatility will be important to this defense, especially when speed is a major element of his game.
All things considered, Dial is a solid pick for a secondary that will give him time to develop. Defense is the name of the game in the NFL nowadays, and depth at corner is always important. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the Patriots defense and what role he will play in the coming season.