Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots made some serious investments in their cornerback group in 2025. But while the contracts given to starters Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones are the most noteworthy, the team also attempted to build the depth behind them.
One piece added to accomplish that goal was Brandon Crossley, who was signed as an undrafted free agent following last year’s draft. Now entering his second season in the league, however, he appears to be in a tough spot.
Name: Brandon Crossley
Position: Cornerback
Jersey number: 39 (b)
Opening day age: 25 (1/17/2001)
Measurements: 5’10 3/8”, 186 lbs, 8 1/2” hand size, 29 1/2” arm length, 71 3/8” wingspan, 4.44s 40-yard dash, 7.08s 3-cone drill, 4.35s short shuttle, 30 1/2” vertical jump, 9’10” broad jump, 11 bench press reps, 3.82 Relative Athletic Score
NFL: New England Patriots (2025-) | College: Colorado State (2019), SMU (2020-24)
A four-star prospect coming out of Little Elm, TX, High School, Crossley received quite a bit of interest as a college recruit. Schools like TCU, Texas Tech and SMU all courted him, but he eventually chose Colorado State out of almost a dozen scholarship offers. However, he ended up spending only one season in Fort Collins, playing 12 games with one start.
After his 2019 season as a Ram, he decided to enter the transfer portal and this time chose SMU as his destination. Over the next five years, Crossley appeared in 54 games for the Mustangs with 30 starts. Along the way, he was a regular around the football and finished with seven turnovers, 11.5 tackles for loss and 26 pass breakups. He also scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery in 2024.
An All-ACC honorable mention in his final season, Crossley did not hear his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft. He signed with the Patriots as a free agent shortly thereafter and spent his rookie campaign on and off their practice squad without seeing any game action.
Strengths: Crossley is a good linear athlete, who covers plenty of ground and can stick to receivers’ hips on vertical routes. He combines his speed with some good ball skills; he has disruptive hands at the catch point and locates the ball well in the air. In general, he is a competitive defensive back who repeatedly punches above his weight and has made plenty of impact plays throughout his career. He also is a willing run defender and generally versatile player, capable of moving all over the secondary or kicking game.
Weaknesses: Straight-line speed aside, Crossley’s overall athleticism is nothing to write home about. He lacks lower-body flexibility to stay with his players through more complicated patterns in man coverage and to react quickly in zone. He also is on the smaller side from a height, length and weight perspective, leading to some issues against bigger receivers or in the tackling department.
Stats: N/A
Season recap: Crossley did not hear his name called...
