Patriots Deemed Top Destination for 49ers Star

The New England Patriots have a bevy of needs this NFL offseason, and while most of the focus is on their glaring holes at wide receivers and along the offensive line, they have some pretty significant issues elsewhere, too.

One major area of concern for the Patriots is at cornerback. Yes, New England has one of the league's best corners in Christian Gonzalez, but beyond him, the Pats have very little at the position.

The Patriots have about $128 million in cap room, so they can certainly afford to splurge on a cornerback in free agency, and there will definitely be some good ones available.

One of the best corners hitting the market is Charvarius Ward, and Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team has named New England one of the top fits for the San Francisco 49ers star.

"Adding Ward to New England's secondary would be a huge upgrade on the opposite side of Gonzalez and give the Patriots some versatility with how to line up their corners," Brooke wrote. "Jonathan Jones has a solid career in New England. Still, the 31-year-old corner showed major signs of age-related regression this past season, allowing seven touchdowns and coming up with zero interceptions when targeted."

Ward didn't exactly have his best season in 2024, finishing with 54 tackles and seven passes defended. However, he is two years removed from racking up 72 tackles, five picks and 23 passes defended en route to a Pro Bowl appearance and a Second-Team All-Pro selection.

The 28-year-old went undrafted, but eventually landed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 and spent the first four years of his career there, establishing himself as a reliable piece in the Chiefs' secondary. He then signed with the 49ers in 2022.

It remains to be seen if Ward can ever regain his 2023 form, but he would still represent a massive upgrade over anything else the Patriots have at cornerback outside of Gonzalez.