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Jordan Poyer

(Photo by AP)

INDIANAPOLIS – Many people believe that the New England Patriots need an enforcer at safety. If they strike out, perhaps they could settle for having an instigator at cornerback.

If that’s the case, Jordan Poyer could be a candidate. Poyer, a product of Oregon State, models himself after St. Louis Rams instigator Cortland Finnegan.

“I just enjoy watching him play,” Poyer said. “He may seem like an a-hole on the field, but he gets it done.”

And Poyer doesn’t limit his mimicry to Finnegan’s scrappy style of play. He may or may not also like to talk a little trash and get under his opponent’s skin – the “a-hole” part of Finnegan’s game that Poyer previously referenced.

“You just got to watch me play, you just got to watch me play,” he said. “I’m a totally different person on the field, that’s for sure.”

With Aqib Talib potentially leaving through free agency and Alfonzo Dennard facing possible legal ramifications, the Patriots could be in the market for cornerbacks during April’s draft and met with Poyer at the Senior Bowl.

The 6-foot Poyer possesses solid coverage skills, can play press man and calls his instincts his greatest strength, something that is verified by scouts who have seen him play. That combination of skills allowed him to intercept seven passes last season.

So what kind of player could the Patriots expect if they decide to take Poyer.

“I go against him every day,” teammate Markus Wheaton said. “He’s a hog.”