Tag: Marcellas Dial

Patriots announce signings of three rookie draft picks

The Patriots make their first three rookie draft pick signings

The New England Patriots announced the signing of three players in their 2024 rookie draft class.

Quarterback Joe Milton III, defensive back Marcellas Dial and tight end Jaheim Bell made it official by signing their new rookie contracts on Friday.

Milton is joining a crowded quarterbacks room in New England that also includes rookie Drake Maye and veterans Jacoby Brissett and Bailey Zappe. The same will be true for Dial in the defensive backfield, especially with Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones healthy.

However, there are expectations that Dial can also contribute on special teams as well, which should get him in the mix sooner rather than later.

And then there’s Bell, who could be a surprise as a seventh-round pick. There’s a logjam at tight end with Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper leading the way, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise if Bell works his way into the mix at some point.

The Patriots released pictures of the rookies taking the field for the first time at rookie minicamp on Friday. It’s a big class in New England with eight players being taken off the board, and all of them have the potential to be difference-makers in their own unique ways.

Instant analysis of Patriots selecting Marcellas Dial with No. 180 pick

Rookie CB Marcellas Dial brings versatility and speed to the Patriots defense

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.

Patriots select CB Marcellas Dial with No. 180 pick in 2024 NFL draft

The Patriots make their first defensive pick on Day 3 of the NFL draft

It took all the way until the sixth round for the New England Patriots to finally take their first defensive player off the board at No. 180 overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

That player was South Carolina cornerback Marcellas Dial.

Along with various holes on offense, the Patriots clearly needed help in the defensive backfield as well. Jonathan Jones is getting long in the tooth. J.C. Jackson is gone, and both Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones are coming off season-ending injuries.

Dial could be seen as more of a developmental corner, who excels mostly in man coverage. Getting onto the field won’t be easy considering the tremendous talent already on the Patriots’ defense.

The unit ranked top-10 in the league last season, and Dial will have to work his way into the mix. For the Patriots, it’s all about building the right depth for emergency situations like they had last season with the injuries to Gonzalez and Marcus Jones.

With the right development, Dial could become a quality depth piece on the roster.

Know your foe, South Carolina: Which Gamecocks can give Notre Dame issues

Who do you think has a big game on the other side Irish fans?

There is a certain bowl allure about about facing teams you don’t normally do. There is an added bonus of facing the team that saw one of your schools most iconic coaches, [autotag]Lou Holtz[/autotag], last roam the sidelines for as well.

This [autotag]TaxSlayer Gator Bowl[/autotag] has all of that and more, as both teams enter their final contest of the 2022 season at 8-4. The Irish lead the all-time series, 3-1, but the last time these two went at each other was in 1984, the only win of the series for [autotag]South Carolina[/autotag].

Much has changed since these two teams previously met, all these players weren’t even born when it happened. The Gamecocks are coming off two very impressive wins, [autotag]Tennessee[/autotag] and [autotag]Clemson[/autotag], and boast a very formidable team. Here are five of them, excluding star quarterback [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag], that could give [autotag]Notre Dame[/autotag] problems Friday afternoon.

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