Kurt Warner on Stephon Gilmore: 'He reminds me of Deion Sanders'

Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore has flourished since signing with New England in 2017, and his skill has led to him receiving some high praise from one former NFL quarterback, among other stars.

Hall of Famer and former St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner said Gilmore reminds him of one star who played for the Dallas Cowboys, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss:

"He reminds me of Deion Sanders the way he studies his craft and is a student of the game. That's what Deion was so good at — the technique, the little things, and the ability to understand the game. Obviously, Deion was ridiculously talented. But he understood the game in such a way, especially playing man coverages, strengths and weaknesses, reading body language and doing all that stuff. That reminds me a lot of Stephon, the way he plays the game.

"Maybe not the top-end athleticism that Deion had. Maybe not the speed that Deion had. But the same kind of craft he plays with, so he would probably be the guy. Deion was a guy who would get up in your face a lot."

It's hard to compare Sanders to any other player currently in the league — he's an eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion — but Gilmore may be the closest you can get in comparison.

Gilmore, a Super Bowl champion and three-time Pro Bowler, had his best year in 2019 with six interceptions, one fumble recovery and 44 solo tackles. If he can replicate what he did last season in 2020, then he'll likely receive even more praise from some of the league's biggest stars — past and present.

The 29-year-old is taking his offseason training seriously, too, by working out with two-time Pro Bowler Dre Bly. It certainly sounds like he wants to continue improving in 2020, but there will be a lot of pressure on the New England defense this coming season with second-year quarterback Jarrett Stidham at the helm of the offense following Tom Brady's departure. Gilmore may need to be even better than he was in 2019, and while it may seem impossible, it may not be after all.