Patriots Rookie CB Karon Prunty Has Personal Goal In Mind This Season
Karon Prunty was the youngest of six kids growing up, so he had to race to be the first to the bathroom. That speed and quickness as a youngster has led to what he does now -- a New England Patriots cornerback getting his feet wet at rookie minicamp this weekend.
The fifth round selection, who some people didn't even expect to be taken that high, knows that he's coming into a new situation at the NFL level. Where he was picked isn't up to him, but how he performs on the field is in his control.
"It's been pretty fun, (I've) just been embracing the moment and everything like that, just taking it all in," Prunty told reporters after practice. " I'm not the one making decisions and everything like that. I can only control what I can control. And, you know, I'm just blessed to be a New England Patriot, and I'm just thankful that they drafted me."
As part of the rookie minicamp, Prunty was one of 38 players listed as participants. Several cornerbacks were present during the nearly-two hour session, so it was important for Prunty to stand out. And stand out he did. One of the top players on defense during the practice, the perimeter corner looked fluid in his coverage.
"Just Getting Better On Special Teams"
Part of his plan coming into the weekend is just getting better every day, step-by-step.
"Just working on playing with a great technique and overall, just really learning the playbook and everything like that," Prunty said. "Just getting better on special teams as a gunner and jammer. Everything went good, not perfect, but definitely got better today for sure."
Playing special teams was a calling card for Prunty during his college career. Immediately after getting drafted last month, Prunty hopped on a video call with reporters and mentioned how he wanted to help a team out on special teams. While some players may have reservations about playing on the punt unit, Prunty takes the challenge head-on.
Prunty Has Lofty Goals For 2026
The former all-conference player at Wake Forest hopes to add another award to his name as a rookie.
"Just wanting to prove I want to do whatever for the team," Prunty said. "Whether it's playing special teams, running as a gunner -- being a Pro Bowler at that -- or get on the field as a corner and just get my feet wet, things like that."
For now, he's a sponge at practice, soaking up every bit of information possible.
"I've just been trying to study every day, whatever install we got yesterday or today, just try to go back to the room (and) study that, and then just apply that to the field," he said. "Just reviewing my notes and things like that. Just trying to get better at the cause every day, not making the same mistakes twice. So, you know, just trying to get better in that aspect."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Patriots Rookie CB Karon Prunty Has Personal Goal In Mind This Season.
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 4:00 AM.