This was not the start Duke Dawson had in mind when he was taken in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.

A promising prospect out of the University of Florida, the former first-team All-SEC cornerback was brought in to boost a position that was initially perceived as a weakness. Stephon Gilmore was just okay at the time, Malcolm Butler was headed to Tennessee, Jason McCourty was 30 years old and Jonathan Jones was entering a contract year. There was also that diamond in the rough that had yet to be discovered in undrafted rookie J.C. Jackson.

The Patriots organization was rife with the smell of opportunity for a young, talented defensive back to step right into the fold and make his mark. Then Dawson was dealt the cruel blow of a hamstring injury in early September and an injured reserve designation before appearing in any games.

So much for opportunity being convenient.

Fast forward to 2019 and the landscape is dramatically different in the Patriots’ defensive backfield. Gilmore is now a first-team All-Pro corner, Jackson is shining, McCourty has gas left and Jones was signed to a one-year extension in the offseason. Oh, right, the Patriots also went out and drafted Vanderbilt shutdown corner Joejuan Williams in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The smell of opportunity is now ebbing significantly.

Dawson was activated from IR on November 13 last season and remained a healthy scratch the rest of the way. He was last on the depth chart behind Gilmore, McCourty, Jackson, Jones, Eric Rowe and even special-teamer Keion Crossen. While that doesn’t cement his fate as a surprise bubble player for the Patriots, it will shine a spotlight on nearly everything he does in OTAs, training camp and the preseason.

Jones has been a dependable player for the Patriots when called upon, and his lingering presence on the roster is proof the team isn’t 100 percent sold on Dawson, who would project primarily to the slot. McCourty still provides a premium service in that role, and it will likely come down to Jones and Dawson fighting for reserve reps.

It’s an even tougher spot to be in for Dawson considering he missed his entire rookie year. He was able to work through some of the practices during the season, but the lack of game experience could lengthen his transitional period. In other words, the upcoming NFL season should be treated like his rookie year.

That’ll make an already uphill climb even steeper when competing against a reliable player with as much experience in the system as Jones, who was in on 49 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018.

There’s also the possibility that Jones’ presence serves only to help bridge the gap for Dawson’s development. McCourty turns 32 in August, and the Patriots can’t stray from injecting youth on the backend of their defense. Dawson is a versatile player with experience playing both inside and outside at corner, assuming his opportunities aren’t further limited by coach Bill Belichick’s sudden infatuation with tall and long defensive backs.

Even if he doesn’t end up with a starting job, it’s likely the Patriots would keep him around another year in hopes of seeing a return on their investment. There’s also the Plan B option that has been staring the team in the face all along: Cutting the cord on Dawson and giving Jones the extension he rightfully deserves.