Only nine defensive backs currently on NFL rosters stand 6-foot-3 or taller. The New England Patriots have two of them.
Safety Obi Melinfonwu and cornerback Joejuan Williams are the least experienced members of New England’s secondary by NFL games played, but at 6-4, 224 pounds and 6-3, 212, respectively, they offer skill sets few other players at their position can match.
Speaking Tuesday on conference calls with reporters, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and safeties/secondary coach Steve Belichick said the team sees great potential in its two jumbo-sized DBs.
The operative word there, of course, is “potential.” Melifonwu, a second-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2017 whose elite athleticism lit up the NFL Scouting Combine, has yet to translate that into on-field success at the NFL level. He’s appeared in just 10 total games over two seasons, including just three of a possible 10 for the Patriots in 2018 after signing with them last November.
Melifonwu’s inclusion on this year’s initial 53-man roster came as somewhat of a surprise after he missed New England’s final two preseason games, but Bill Belichick suggested he has a plan for the 25-year-old UConn product.
“Obi has a lot of skill,” Belichick said. “… He has the physical ability to be a versatile player, but last year, that didn’t manifest itself because he came in during the middle of the season and just didn’t have as good a base or background as what he really needed to realize that versatility. So I think this year, he’s a lot further along there and has a lot more value to our team and our defense because of the number of things he can do.
“He’s a smart kid, but also he’s a guy who has a variety of talents that give him value to our defense and special teams in different areas.”
Steve Belichick said Melifonwu “definitely” looks more comfortable in the Patriots’ defense after spending a full offseason in New England.
“The two of us got to spend a lot of time together to work on all the different intricacies of this defense,” the younger Belichick said. “Obi works hard and improves every day.”
As a 2019 second-round selection, Williams never was in danger of falling below the cutline, but it remains to be seen exactly how the Patriots will utilize the rookie’s rare talents this season. Vanderbilt almost exclusively used him as a boundary cornerback during his three collegiate seasons, and he excelled in that role for New England this summer, allowing two catches on eight targets for 18 yards with two pass breakups over his first three preseason games, according to Pro Football Focus.
Then, in last week’s preseason finale against the New York Giants, the Patriots opted to start Williams at safety, a position he hadn’t played since high school. He wound up playing every one of the team’s 90 defensive snaps, rotating between free safety and strong safety and handling a variety of coverage responsibilities, including matching up man-to-man against tight ends.
Giants quarterbacks were 1-for-3 for 3 yards when targeting Williams in coverage, and he delivered a booming open-field hit on the lone completion.
“It was just another opportunity to see what he can do on the field,” Steve Belichick explained. “We’ve done that with a lot of players in the past. I’m sure we’ll do it with a lot of players moving forward. But it was just trying to get him into the game, work on some different roles and let him show what he could do.”
With Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, J.C. Jackson and slot corner Jonathan Jones holding down the top four spots on New England’s cornerback depth chart, Williams could get his start in a matchup-based role covering tight ends in sub packages. Ditto for Melifonwu, who’s unlikely to leapfrog Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung or Duron Harmon in the safety hierarchy. Both should see plenty of playing time on special teams, too.
“Joejuan has a really unique skill set,” Steve Belichick said. “He’s obviously a new player to our team, and we’re still trying to figure out the best role, best way to use him. He’s a unique player and has a lot of potential to be a good player. We’re just trying to figure out the best thing to do with him.”
