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New England Patriots Should Strongly Consider Drafting Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

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By @ConnorFultonRS

Ifo Ekpre-Olomu Oregon

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Few positions in the NFL are as directly linked to a team’s success as the cornerback. In a passing league, it is crucial that a team boasts a strong stable of pass defenders. It’s a good rule of thumb to draft a cornerback every spring to ensure that the depth chart evolves. This May, the New England Patriots should take a flyer on Oregon product Ifo Ekpre-Olomu because he offers enormous upside for a player expected to be available in the middle rounds.

Right now, the Patriots’ cornerback group consists of Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Kyle Arrington, Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan with Alfonzo Dennard buried in the realm of the healthy scratch. That depth chart is championship-worthy, as evidenced by the Pats’ super season of 2014, but laurels cannot be rested on for this all-important position, especially considering the unsure future of Revis.

Regardless of the outcome of the Revis situation, the Patriots need to draft a corner in 2015. However, the need isn’t pressing enough for Bill Belichick to take one in the first two rounds. That’s exactly where Ekpre-Olomu steps into the picture.

Before tragically injuring his knee in a mid-December practice, Ekpre-Olomu was a sure-fire first-rounder. His explosive, aggressive style of play made him one of the country’s top run-defending corners despite his slightly undersized frame. In pass coverage, Ekpre-Olomu displayed natural, almost Revis-like ability to stick with receivers.

Ekpre-Olomu also made his fair share of plays, as evidenced by his 35 passes defended, nine interceptions and eight forced fumbles in 39 starts from sophomore to senior year.

But because of the brutal timing of his ACL injury, Ekpre-Olomu will likely fall out of the first round, and probably the second round too. If Ekpre-Olomu is available in the third round, the Patriots must pounce.

The Pats have a pair of picks in both the third and fourth rounds, so they can afford to take a chance on the injured but very promising Ekpre-Olomu because the need for a starting corner is not immediate. The Patriots would be able to stash away Ekpre-Olomu until he is fully healed, essentially stealing a corner who would otherwise be a definite first-rounder.

Ekpre-Olomu stands to be a very good nickel cornerback in the NFL. He could be groomed as Arrington’s replacement in the coming years, but if he proves himself on the outside, it’s not hard to see him eventually leaping over Browner on the depth chart.

At the very least, Ekpre-Olomu would round out an already stout cornerback group at a relatively low cost considering his pre-injury standing among his peers.

Connor Fulton is a Patriots writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ConnorFultonRS, or find him on Google.

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