Patriots trade down to take CB Devin McCourty

Patriots trade down to take CB Devin McCourty :

 

FOXBORO - Perhaps the Patriots  were sick of Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis tormenting them during 2009. Last night, they may have drafted their own version.
With the 27th selection of the NFL draft, coach Bill Belichick selected Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty, a physical player who could go a long way in easing their woes against pass-happy teams last season.
After trading down twice from their original selection at No. 22 while picking up a third-round pick, Belichick settled on McCourty, a player who didn’t expect to be selected that quickly. He is a special teams star, as well.
The 5-foot-11, 193-pounder is roughly the same size as Revis. Both toiled away from publicity in the Big East, with Revis at Pittsburgh and McCourty at Rutgers.
“When you turn on the TV in this area, Revis is always on,” McCourty said last night. “He was one of the top cornerbacks in our conference, and when you have a guy that good in your conference, you just watch him on film. And obviously, he’s on a lot now and especially in the playoffs. I looked at him for what I can add to my game.”
Added Belichick: “That’s a positive trait, a player who works on his game.”
McCourty made 80 tackles - 7 for a loss - with just one interception in 2009. He also blocked seven kicks on special teams.
“Coach (Greg) Schiano always said you can be even on offense and defense, but special teams can be the tiebreaker,” McCourty said. “I take that very seriously.”
As for Belichick, he said McCourty was “the player with the best value for us.” He would’ve taken McCourty at 22 if he’d stayed there.
“I think the end of the first round worked out about as well as we could’ve hoped,” Belichick said. “He’s a very tough, good four-down football player. It’s hard for me to picture a player who can do more that.”
In many ways, the pick was surprising. McCourty said he was in the bathroom when the phone rang, leading his twin brother Jason (a Tennessee Titan) to bang on the door and say, “Answer the phone!”
The Pats have cornerback Leigh Bodden, Darius Butler and Shawn Springs on the roster. And defensive end Jared Odrick and outside linebacker Sergio Kindle were available. Instead, Belichick sought pass-coverage help, especially with the rest of the AFC East loading up on offensive weapons.
Butler appeared excited, saying in a tweet, “That’s a good pick! Can’t have enough CBs, especially Big East ones.” Instantly, ESPN analyst Jon Gruden lauded the selection: “McCourty will give them a lot of versatility.”
Trading out of the 22nd pick (Denver) and then the 24th pick (Dallas), the Pats landed at 27 with so many defensive targets still available. They also acquired the 90th overall pick, a third-rounder they had lost in the Derrick Burgess trade.
Not sure if he was going to be picked last night, McCourty erred on the side of caution.
“It was really up in the air,” McCourty said. “I didn’t want to have my hopes too high, but it was an incredible feeling. My mom and I cried a little bit. We’re just so happy now.”
McCourty hadn’t gotten a strong feeling if the Pats would select him. But he did have a one-on-one meeting with Belichick when the coach spoke at a clinic at Rutgers. The two went over some film, and Belichick handed out some pointers.

When they spoke last night, Belichick said, “Are you ready to become a Patriot?” McCourty responded, “Coach, I’m ready.”