Patriot Scouts Will Have Their Eyes on Cornerback Jordan Poyer at the Combine

The Patriots are in the market for a new cornerback, as we all know, and Jordan Poyer from Oregon just might be the answer to the Patriot fans prayers. Poyer is roughly 6 feet tall and 182 pounds and knows how to lay the wood. In an article by Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com he gains insight from professional scout, Steve Muench, about Poyer and Muench says “There's a lot to like about hard-hitting DB Jordan Poyer, but that doesn't include man-to-man coverage skills.”

Poyer is on the Patriots radar because as the time progresses it’s looking more and more like the Patriots will not be signing Aqib Talib and if McCourty stays at safety there will be a huge need at the corner position. The Patriots are a defense that relies primarily on zone coverage schemes because they lack the personnel that can play man-to-man effectively. According to Steve Muench of Scouts Incorporated, Poyer excels in zone coverage, but lacks great ability in man-to-man. So he won’t be breaking the mold of Patriot corners in recent years, but what he will bring is that same intensity Talib brought to the defense. Muench also states that Poyer’s greatest strength is dropping back and reading the quarterback’s eyes and making a play on the ball; a play maker at corner is definitely breaking the mold from the past few years.

Cornerback Jordan Poyer

In 2012 Poyer was voted team captain at Oregon and I would argue that leadership is one of the biggest areas of concern for the Patriots defense. Aside from big Vince Wilfork, they lack someone getting them in the right spots; communication in the secondary was the single reason they were ranked in the bottom percentile in defending pass plays over 20 yards in 2012. Poyer was also an asset to his team on special teams being an effective kick returner, punt returner and gunner. Giving up baseball to pursue football full-time, Poyer is going to be more than just a little focused to showcase his talents at the NFL combine; hopefully impressing Patriot scouts and Bill Belichick.

Josh Brown
@TitleTownTalkSB