Pats Pulpit
Previewing the Patriots cornerback heading into his second season in New England.
The New England Patriots were quite active trying to add depth to their roster in 2024, a process that led to them bringing in several outside players during the season. One of those was cornerback Miles Battle.
Name: Miles Battle
Position: Cornerback
Jersey number: 35
Opening day age: 25 (1/4/2000)
Measurements: 6’3 1/4”, 197 lbs, 78 1/2” wingspan, 32 1/8” arm length, 8 3/8” hand size, 4.37s 40-yard dash, 6.84s 3-cone drill, 4.03s short shuttle, 37” vertical jump, 10’7” broad jump, 12 bench press reps, 9.49 Relative Athletic Score
NFL: Kansas City Chiefs (2024), New England Patriots (2024-) | College: Ole Miss (2018-22), Utah (2023)
Battle received over two dozen scholarship offers as a four-star wide receiver recruit out of Cypress Creek High School in Houston, and originally committed to the University of Oregon. He changed his mind during his senior season and later joined Ole Miss, but his career with the Rebels started slowly and he caught only four passes for 38 yards over his first two seasons.
Amid his struggles earning regular playing time on offense, Battle switched to cornerback during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The move resulted in increased playing time both during his final two years at Ole Miss and his 2023 season at Utah. In total, he started six out of 59 college games and registered 97 tackles as well as three interceptions between his stints at the two schools.
Battle entered the NFL in 2024 but did not hear his name called in the draft. He started his pro career in Kansas City before joining the Patriots during the regular season, playing in one game down the stretch.
Strengths: Battle offers an intriguing skillset at the cornerback position. He moves well for a 6-foot-3, 197 player and gets up to his 4.37-second speed quickly, which allows him to stick to receivers’ hips through vertical routes. His wide receiver background also shows up on tape: he has good ball skills and knows how to be disruptive at the catch point, using his build and ability to reach outside his frame to his advantage. Despite a lack of experience, Battle is a solid tackler.
Weaknesses: Entering the NFL with fewer than 1,300 defensive snaps on his résumé, Battle is understandably raw in a variety of aspects. His processing and route understanding need development, resulting in him playing significantly slower and more hesitant than his natural skillset would suggest. He is further along as a man than a zone defender — his feel for zone is a major work in progress — but he is still lacking technical refinement in either area. While solid as a tackler, his run defense as a whole is not yet up to par.
Stats: 1 game (0 starts) | 18 defensive snaps (1.6%), 2 special teams snaps (0.5%) | 2 tackles, 0 missed tackles | 5 targets, 1...
