While coaches will tell you the status of every member of their current roster dictates their approach in the NFL draft, no player will have a greater impact on how the Patriots operate this week than defensive back Devin McCourty.

McCourty won’t be in the war room, but the uncertainty as to how he’ll be used in 2012 will play a sizable role in how the Patriots approach this week’s NFL draft. If they decide to make McCourty a full-time corner again, New England will likely extend itself in an attempt to nab one of the three safeties who are rated at the top of the board in hopes of building depth at a spot where they were thin last year. And if they want to keep him at safety, that will likely mean they’ll turn their attention to other areas of need, like pass rusher or interior offensive lineman.

It’s hard to imagine this debate taking place a year ago when McCourty was coming off an All-Pro season as a rookie. But after a rough start to the 2011 season as a corner, McCourty was moved to safety part-time late in the year, and the Rutgers’ product saw a lot of time there in sub packages in the regular-season finale and playoffs. He didn’t reinvent the position, but he certainly appeared fluid and natural when he was back there, particularly in coverage. (He had a pick while playing safety in the regular-season finale against Buffalo.)

So what does that mean for the New England secondary in 2012? McCourty’s versatility gives the Patriots another option when it comes to mixing and matching their defensive backs. Bill Belichick has always preached flexibility, and that’s certainly the case in the secondary -- McCourty and Sterling Moore have played both safety and corner, and Matt Slater and Julian Edelman have also worked as defensive backs.

While the versatility was important (especially after losing Patrick Chung for eight weeks) and combinations were enough to get New England to the Super Bowl, it was not an ideal situation. As a result, it’s likely that the Patriots will use the draft to try and build depth, particularly at the safety spot, a position where  they have struggled to maintain depth over the last few seasons because of health and personnel reasons (including the decision to cut loose James Sanders and Brandon Meriweather shortly before the start of the 2011 season).

New England certainly appears to be in a good situation to address the safety spot in this week’s draft. And if the Patriots do target Alabama’s Mark Barron (and reportedly would now likely have to trade up to do so) or for that matter, Notre Dame’s Harrison Smith or even Boise State’s George Iloka, that sort of impact addition would likely mean McCourty would shift back to corner on a full-time basis. Those three are rated head-and-shoulders above the rest of the class of available safeties: it’s believed that all three would be able to step in and contribute immediately at the NFL level, particularly Barron.

(It’s also important to remember that all three of the collegiate safety prospects are built more like a traditional safety than McCourty, with physical frames more suited to long-term success at the position. The part-time corner is 5-foot-10 and 193 pounds, while Barron is 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, Smith is 6-foot-2 and 212 pounds and Iloka is 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds.)

Should the Patriots decide to add another player who brings versatility as either a corner or a safety, Montana’s Trumaine Johnson could be a player worthy of consideration with one of their first-round picks. Johnson is big and physical (6-foot-1 7/8, 204 pounds -- the biggest of the draftable corners in this year’s class), hits hard and has good ball skills. The biggest issue is his level of competition, as he only played one game against an FBS school in his college career.

The flexibility of having a defensive back with experience at both positions at the NFL level is always a good thing, but if the Patriots come away from the 2012 draft with at least one of those three (as well as an undrafted free agent or two at the same position), it’s reasonable to think that the New England braintrust would settle on the idea of moving McCourty back to corner full time next season. That would leave the safety position to Patrick Chung, Steve Gregory, James Ihedigbo (presuming he re-signs with the Patriots), Josh Barrett, Sergio Brown, Slater and whomever New England adds in the draft.

But if New England puts its priorities elsewhere come draft weekend -- particularly with the arrival of Will Allen and Marquice Cole and the return of Ras-I Dowling -- it’s reasonable to think that there’s more safety in McCourty’s future in 2012. (Those three are part of a cornerback group that would presumably include Moore, Kyle Arrington and Malcolm Williams.)

Ultimately, the adaptability McCourty displayed in moving back and forth will only serve to benefit the New England secondary going forward, especially if it suffers a run of injuries like 2011. But when Belichick makes the call on Thursday and Friday, he’ll first take into account how he wants to deploy McCourty in 2012.