It's Pro Bowl or bust for this 2026 fifth-round pick.
The New England Patriots welcomed their draft class to Foxborough this weekend and gave the players their first experience as members of the team.
After three days of the on-field rookie minicamp, the practices conclude on Sunday.
Patriots fifth-round pick Karon Prunty made his presence felt this past weekend. Prunty spoke to the media for the first time officially as a Patriot.
The rookie cornerback told the Boston media about who he looks up to at his position and what his goals are as he gears up to make a name for himself in a Patriot uniform.
"Just want to prove I'm willing to do whatever for the team," he said. "Whether it's playing special teams, running as a gunner, being a Pro Bowler at that, or getting on the field as a corner and just getting my feet wet, things like that."
It was the Pro Bowl comment that generated a lot of buzz for the cornerback out of Wake Forest.
Prunty is well aware that, as a rookie, his time to shine at starting cornerback may not happen immediately and that special teams may be where he makes an impact in 2026.
Still, Prunty enters a cornerback room with the likes of Carlton Davis, Marcus Jones, and, how can we forget about Christian Gonzalez? Prunty definitely didn't forget about Gonzalez either; in fact, he name-dropped him as one of the active corners he looks up to.
"A few people I watch: Christian Gonzalez; Jalen Ramsey when he was at corner; Jaycee Horn; Patrick Surtain... big, tall corners like me."
Sure, maybe Prunty's agent made it a point to tell his client to name-drop Gonzalez as one of the cornerbacks he looks up to, but how could you not admire what Gonzalez has done in just three seasons in Foxborough?
The rookies will take part in on-field training next week with veterans during Week 2 of Phase 2 of their offseason training program on Monday. The team's full coaching staff will be in attendance, and the players will be at a walk-through pace.
The next phase of this program will begin at the end of the month on May 27th.
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