The first padded practice of this training camp was an unexpectedly eventful one, as cornerback Christian Gonzalez left the field early after suffering an apparent lower body injury. With Carlton Davis already out, the Patriots’ cornerback depth took an early hit.

When the Patriots sent out their top defense for the opening rep of team drills Tuesday morning, both of their projected starting cornerbacks were MIA. Key offseason pickup Carlton Davis has been dealing with an undisclosed injury since the start of training camp.

With Gonzalez and Carlton Davis out, the Patriots moved up players such as Alex Austin, Marcus Jones, Marcellus Dial, and D.J. James in the cornerback rotation. Austin, who started camp as the top outside backup, has been with the starters with Davis and Gonzalez absent.