Patriots take shutdown corner in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft

There are multiple offensive positions the New England Patriots could address in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. However, in ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, he has coach Bill Belichick and company going back to the defensive side of the ball.

With the No. 14 overall pick, he has the team selecting cornerback Joey Porter Jr. out of Penn State.

Yes, the Patriots still have Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones and Jack Jones on the roster, but they did lose Jalen Mills, which puts them in a bind from a depth perspective. But Porter is much, much more than just a depth guy.

Kiper wrote:

Porter is a 6-foot-2 press cornerback whose 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the combine was stellar for his…