Patriots Select Athletic Marshall CB Darryl Roberts in Seventh Round
The New England Patriots may be short on top-notch cornerbacks, but with their latest draft pick, they’re not short on athleticism in the secondary.
With their first seventh-round pick (247th overall), the Patriots selected Marshall cornerback Darryl Roberts.
Roberts is a lanky, gangly defensive back at 6-foot and 182 pounds. He may need to add some muscle to his frame to hold up at the NFL level, but one thing he won’t have to add is athleticism. He clocked a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at Marshall’s pro day, with a 1.48-second 10-yard split. He also recorded a 39-inch vertical jump, an 11-foot-1 broad jump, a 4.08-second short shuttle and a 6.66-second three-cone drill.
Each of those numbers would have been good for a top-10 finish among cornerbacks at the 2015 Scouting Combine if Roberts had been invited, but Roberts instead becomes the second combine snub to be drafted by the Patriots this year (Georgia Tech guard Shaq Mason was the first).
Roberts was voted first-team All-Conference USA in his senior season. He made plays all over the field in college, notching 17 passes defensed in his final year at Marshall. The Patriots will also love his special teams ability; he also notched a blocked PAT, a blocked punt, and a blocked field goal over the course of his career.
Meet the Patriots’ 2015 draft class.
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