Retired second-draft pick returning to Patriots for new role

Joejuan Williams is coming home.

The former New England Patriots second-round draft pick announced that he is returning to the team that drafted him as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship. It's a program aimed at helping minority coaches and former players gain coaching experience and improve the likelihood of them earning full-time jobs in the space.

Williams, a former defensive back out of Vanderbilt, was the sixth cornerback taken off the 2019 NFL Draft board. The Patriots were looking to improve their depth at the cornerback position, while also aiming to get younger in the defensive backfield.

Williams had great size and ball skills that gave the team hope for the future behind standouts like Stephon Gilmore and Jason McCourty.

After his contract was up in New England, Williams had two stints with the Minnesota Vikings, along with short stays with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. He will now have an opportunity to learn from Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and an all-star coaching staff in an effort to pave his new post-NFL playing path.

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Williams hinted at the coaching path when announcing his retirement on social media back in May.

"Thank you to every Coach that worked with me, every teammate I shared the field with, And the support from my family, friends and fans," Williams wrote on social media. "Now the same dream I once chased and accomplished...It's time to impact the game by helping others accomplish theirs."

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Retired second-draft pick returning to Patriots for new role