The New England Patriots’ lackluster cornerback room just got even worse.
Joejuan Williams has suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. A former second-round pick, Williams had size that head coach Bill Belichick was able to employ creatively on the outside. Although he wasn’t projected to start, losing quality depth is always especially. Losing defensive backs in a pass-heavy league is frightening, even if the coaching staff is capable of masking his absence.
New England’s secondary isn’t very good, but they remain well-suited to deal with this blow. Williams was not set to be a major contributor to this defense, and the Patriots defense was not built to succeed on the backs of its corners. It’s not ideal, but New England can definitely survive this. If you remain on the fence (or favorable) on the Patriots’ win total, don’t let this injury sway you too far.