By admin 
FOXBORO — At the top of the New England Patriots cornerback depth chart sits Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones and Charles Woods. Behind them, at least to open up training camp, was a mystery.
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Consider that case solved right now.
Veteran Kindle Vildor, who arrived in New England on a one-year deal in free agency, has slowly taken control of that fifth cornerback spot, ahead of players like Karon Prunty, Kobee Minor and Marcellas Dial. He’s getting more and more comfortable in the New England defense, and his interception in Thursday’s preseason opener just drove that point home.
Most of the summer has been a bit of a competition when it comes to who might end up being the Patriots’ nickel cornerback. It’s starting to feel like Vildor has stamped his claim into that spot.
I feel like I started a little bit slow, just tryna get the defense under my hands and stuff like that,” Vildor told reporters on Saturday. “But now I’m getting more comfortable and comfortable on each and every single day that I’m able to show it in practice and these games.”
Kindle Vildor Is Making Waves
With Gonzalez and Davis both dealing with injuries in parts of camp, it’s given the 28-year-old Vildor a larger opportunity at cornerback. Working as a starter at times with this defense, he was with the top unit when the Indianapolis Colts came to town for the preseason opener.
On the first drive, Vildor picked off an Anthony Richardson pass intended for wide receiver Coleman Owen. It was the first big play in a long line of Patriots takeaways in the 13-13 tie.
“It felt good to go out there to play some real football in the stadium in front of the fans,” Vildor said. “Shoot, football is back.”
Historically, Vildor has been a man coverage cornerback throughout his career. With stops in Chicago, Tennessee, Philadelphia, Detroit and Tampa Bay, he’s well-adjusted to the NFL level. But according to head coach Mike Vrabel, he’s a physical player that’s working towards being more well-rounded in all coverages.
This summer, he’s started to get better at zone. Vildor is stacking days with PBUs, and looks more fluid in coverage against the Patriots’ top receivers.
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“It’s been a smooth transition,” Vildor said. “I definitely feel like I’m a man corner, (I) press, get my hands on and stuff like that. But it’s good to be diverse, you know what I mean? Switch it up, play zone. Just give quarterbacks a different look.”
What This Means For Other Patriots CBs:
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots keep just five cornerbacks on their initial 53-man roster, maybe six if they feel like fifth round rookie Karon Prunty can continue to play the run like he has been in camp. But right now, there feels like a drop off between Vildor and the rest of the position group.
Rookies Prunty and UDFA Channing Canada both offer nice skillsets on special teams, and Marcellas Dial has looked sharp since tearing his ACL last summer. But there’s a lot of players fighting for what will amount to maybe just one or two spots.
It’s going to be a big week against the Philadelphia Eagles in joint practice, especially if Gonzalez remains sidelined and Davis not looking 100% just yet.
But based on how Vildor is handling his duties in a larger role, he might just be the final cornerback on the roster this season.
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Today’s best reads
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- Heated Moment Between A.J. Brown, Christian Gonzalez Is Just What Patriots Need
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots’ Backup CB Answer Is Getting Clearer By The Day.
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This story was originally published August 18, 2026 at 4:34 AM.