FOXBORO, Mass. – Devin McCourty left big shoes to fill in the New England Patriots defense and one player isn't shying away from the challenge. 

Jalen Mills had experience in college playing as a safety, and is excited about the possibility to return to his old position. 

“For sure,” Mills said when asked about the chance. “It gives me the ability to not only show my versatility but be around the ball a little more and make more plays.”

Three days after McCourty announced his retirement, Mills took to Twitter, reminding people of his former position. 

"Y’all know I really play safety right?," Mills wrote. 

Mills has been taking reps at deep safety alongside Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, Adrian Phillips during OTAs, with rookie Marte Mapu also being included as a possible replacement for McCourty.

While he was at first surprised by the request, Mills explained that he will do anything that is asked of him. 

“It’s really on them and kind of the guys in the secondary, we come out in the huddle, and I might be out there with (Jabrill Peppers) and (Kyle Dugger) and they’re like, ‘Go to nickel this drive,’ or they might be like, ‘Hey, go get on a tight end this job.’ They might be like, ‘Hey, go to the middle on this job,’” Mills said.

Mills in entering his third season with the Patriots after spending five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. While he began as a cornerback with the Eagles, he was moved to safety in 2020, but upon joining New England in 2021, he was moved back to cornerback. Last season, Mills finished with 31 total tackles and two interceptions. 

“Jalen’s a smart kid,” Bill Belichick said. “He’s got a lot of playing experience in different spots. He’s done a good job for us.”

However, this offseason has been interesting for the cornerback, with the Patriots having released him on March 17. However he was resigned five days later on a restructured contract, with Mills set to become a free agent following this season. 

“That’s in the past now,” Mills said. “Yeah, man, that’s in the past. I’m here, I’m happy. I wanted to be a Patriot, and like I said, I’m here.”

While the job of replacing McCourty is no easy task, Mills seems up for the challenge. 

Featured Image via Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports