Patriots Pick Marcellas Dial Jr. at No. 180 in the 2024 NFL Draft

The New England Patriots focused on the offensive side of the ball with their first five picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. In Round 6 they opted to address the defensive side of the ball. New England selected South Carolina cornerback Marcellas Dial with the No. 180 overall selection in the draft.

Marcellas Dial played his best football for the Gamecocks in 2023. His trajectory heads in the right direction as he enters the NFL. He earned a 79.2 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2023. His grade improved greatly from 62.9 in 2022.

Dial played in 38 career games for South Carolina over three seasons, with 29 starts. He transferred there from Georgia Military College. Last season Dial led the team with 10 pass breakups, though he failed to register an interception. He won the team’s Overcoming Adversity Award.

At the NFL Scouting Combine Dial measured 6-foot-0 and weighed 190 pounds. He ran a 4.46 40-yard dash.

Marcellas Dial joins a cornerback group with the New England Patriots featuring 2023 first-round pick Christian Gonzalez. Veterans Jonathan Jones, Shaun Wade, Marco Wilson, Marcus Jones, Alex Austin, and Isaiah Bolden round out the depth chart.