Previewing the Patriots cornerback heading into his third season in New England.
With Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis as a potentially potent 1-2 punch, and with Marcus Jones holding down the fort in the slot, the New England Patriots are well-set atop their cornerback depth chart. The depth spots behind those three, however, are open for competition.
Among those fighting for a role within the group is third-year man Isaiah Bolden.
Hard facts
Name: Isaiah Bolden
Position: Cornerback
Jersey number: 29 (b)
Opening day age: 25 (12/16/1999)
Measurements: 6’2 1/8”, 205 lbs, 76” wingspan, 32 3/4” arm length, 8 3/4” hand size, 4.35s 40-yard dash, 4.63s short shuttle, 38” vertical jump, 10’9” broad jump, 9.44 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: New England Patriots (2023-) | College: Florida State (2018-19), Jackson State (2020-22)
A four-star cornerback recruit out of Wesley Chapel, FL, Bolden received scholarship offers from some of the most prestigious colleges in the country while still in high school. Despite teams such as Michigan, Georgia and Clemson trying to bring him in, and him briefly committing to Oregon, he eventually decided to stay local: in December 2017, Bolden committed to Florida State.
Bolden appeared in 14 games with one start as a Seminole, registering nine tackles and an interception while also serving as a kickoff returner. During the summer of 2020, he moved from cornerback to wide receiver but after entering the transfer portal and joining Jackson State changed back to his original position.
As a Tiger, Bolden added 26 games as well as 55 tackles and a fumble recovery to his résumé. He also continued to be a prolific return man and at one point led the nation with an average of 36.9 yards per kickoff return (2021).
Nonetheless, he had to wait until the 245th pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft to hear his name called by the Patriots. Since then, Bolden has played 14 games for the club — all of them in 2024 — and seen time as a cornerback and special teamer.
Scouting report
Strengths: Bolden is an impressive height-weight-speed athlete, who combines a 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame with a 4.35-second 40 time. He gets up to speed fairly quickly as well, which allows him to match vertical patterns in man coverage and be a factor in pursuit as well as on special teams. In general, Bolden offers a versatile skillset that allows him to play various roles both on defense and in the kicking game. His game also includes a proper level of physicality.
Weaknesses: Bolden is a raw player, whose instincts, route recognition and awareness are all still in a developing stage. As a consequence, his processing in coverage is sometimes not happening as quickly as it needs to. He also is more of a linear athlete than somebody suited to play man match across a game: his hips and feet lack fluidity, leading to moderate quickness in his movements. Bolden also has limited ball production going back to his college career.
2024 review
Stats: 14 games (0 starts) | 141 defensive snaps (12.6%), 113 special teams snaps (25.9%) | 9 tackles, 2 missed tackles (18.2%), 1 TFL | 13 targets, 9 catches (69.2%), 68 yards | 1 special teams tackle, 0 missed tackles, 1 fumble recovery
Season recap: After missing virtually his entire rookie season due to a concussion, Bolden had some ups and downs during his sophomore training camp and preseason as a Patriot. While his special teams contributions seemingly put him on a path to making the roster, New England’s coaching staff had different plans and released him at the cutdown deadline.
Bolden did not go anywhere, though, and stayed with the Patriots as a member of their initial practice squad. He spent the first three weeks of the season there before being promoted to the 53-man roster in late September.
Once on the active roster, Bolden was given irregular playing time on the defensive side of the ball. His first significant action came in a Week 10 win over the Chicago Bears, when he played 12 snaps.
Isaiah Bolden played his first significant defensive snaps near the end of H1 and looked good in man coverage
His 12 total snaps came as the slot CB in a dime package with Jon Jones at S and Marcus Jones outside
Dell Pettus and Marco Wilson replaced the Jones’ in garbage time pic.twitter.com/tHDGo4RaoB
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) November 13, 2024
On the year, Bolden was on the field for 141 snaps down the stretch. A majority of those (90) came after No. 1 cornerback Christian Gonzalez suffered a concussion early in Week 17 versus the Los Angeles Chargers; Bolden was the next man up in that game and with Gonzalez inactive for the season finale also saw extended action the next week.
Still, his defensive contributions were rather marginal. The same cannot be said about his kicking game role: a regular on three units, Bolden played roughly one third of snaps after getting moved to the active roster, and finished with a tackle as well as a fumble recovery in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins.
2025 preview
Position: Multiple cornerback | Ability: Depth player/Role player | Contract: Signed through 2025
What will be his role? Bolden has the height and length to compete with bigger players, both outside and in the slot. Based on his usage during the offseason, the Patriots are planning to use him accordingly. In addition, he offers special teams upside that includes plenty of kickoff return experience.
What is his growth potential? Having missed all of his rookie campaign, Bolden is effectively preparing for what is only his second season in the NFL. Accordingly, he still has significant room for growth across the board. Based on his physical skill, he has the potential to become a contributor on defense and in the return game, but he has yet to prove himself worthy of an extended role particularly as a cornerback.
Does he have positional versatility? Even though there are questions about his fit in the slot given his limitations, Bolden is a generally versatile player on both defense and special teams: as mentioned above, was used outside and inside this offseason and also will factor into the mix at up to five kicking game units. His versatility is more theoretical than anything else two seasons into his career, but his traits suggest that he can play a multiple role for New England.
What is his salary cap situation? Bolden signed a two-year contract when he was promoted to the 53-man roster last September. Entering its second and final season, his cap hit stands at $960,000 — a number consisting entirely of his base salary. With that number not high enough to qualify for Top 51 status and no guarantees in his pact, Bolden currently has no impact on the Patriots’ salary cap.
How safe is his roster spot? Bolden failed to make the Patriots’ roster out of training camp in 2024, and the same outcome could happen this year as well. Based on his usage during open offseason workouts, however, it seems that he will have a realistic shot at earning a backup role as a rotational cornerback and core special teamer.
Summary: Partially through no fault of his own, Bolden has had a rather anonymous first two years in the NFL. But even though he might be flying under the radar as a consequence, there is a chance that he will prove himself a valuable rotational option and depth piece in 2025.
What do you think about Isaiah Bolden heading into the 2025 season? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.