The Patriots didn’t exactly make an obvious pick when they used a fifth-rounder on Wake Forest cornerback Karon Prunty in last April’s NFL Draft. Plenty of draft watchers were puzzled. Some outlets didn’t even grade Prunty as a draftable player, and the fact that he’s 24 only added to the skepticism.
New England, though, clearly saw something different.
After a spring spent in the building, Prunty has already started to justify why the Patriots turned in the card at No. 171 overall. The team’s coaches and personnel people have been open about liking his profile, and the early returns from rookie minicamp, OTAs and mandatory minicamp have only strengthened that view.
Prunty enters a crowded cornerback group, which is part of what makes his path interesting. Christian Gonzalez is already one of the best at the position, Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones give the Patriots a strong top end, and Charles Woods is back from last season. New addition Kindle Vildor is also in the mix.
So if Prunty is going to carve out a role this summer, it’s going to come from the kind of coverage that travels well in camp: tight man coverage and reliable technique.
"Man-to-man is hard to teach,” cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton, who recruited Prunty out of high school when he was part of Virginia Tech's staff, said in May. "When you see guys who have the natural ability to play man-to-man, he can do that, which goes back to the raw tools that he has. He puts time into studying his craft, and that’s encouraging.
"Corner is probably the least communicative spot in the defense I’ve been a part of. But when a guy understands where everyone is supposed to be and can speak on that, they’re probably going to be able to learn whatever it is we’re teaching them."
That comfort level didn’t come out of nowhere. Prunty visited New England during the pre-draft process and met with several members of the organization, giving the Patriots a better feel for both the player and the person. That background helped lead to the decision to take him.
Ryan Cowden, the Patriots’ vice president of player personnel, said after the draft that the college tape revealed a player the staff believed it could develop.
"As we watched his tape over and over and dived into the skillset, we all kind of came to the consensus that there are some developmental traits here," Cowden said. "There was a collaborative opinion between us and the coaching staff about a vision for the player. We speak about vision all the time, and here's one where we had an aligned vision."
On the field this spring, Prunty gave them more reasons to be encouraged. He looked smooth changing direction during rookie minicamp, then came up with an interception of Drake Maye during an OTA team period and took it back for what would have been a pick six. His workload kept growing in mandatory minicamp.
For now, the expectation is that Prunty won’t be asked to carry a major defensive load right away. He’s set to begin his career contributing on special teams and as a rotational defensive back, with work in nickel and dime packages.
Still, the Patriots seem convinced there’s more here than just a depth piece. Prunty’s upside is the reason they were willing to bet on him, and the early signs suggest that bet has already made a strong first impression.
"This is a place I wanted to be drafted to," Prunty said after being drafted. "As far as me after my visit and everything, I feel like the visit went good.
I felt like if they had the opportunity to get me, I felt like they would've. I feel like when I was there, I feel like I impressed them a lot just with my football knowledge, and my IQ, and just seeing if I can retain information and everything like that."
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