Patriots Draft CountdownPatriots Draft Countdown: At the Combine with ESPN's Field Yates
Welcome into another edition of Patriots Draft Countdown, presented by bud Light, Easy to Drink, Easy to Enjoy, bud Light, the official beer sponsor of the New England Patriots, and we're here with a.
Big day, Evan.
We saw quarterbacks, we saw wide receivers, we saw the running backs, and all three are big positions in needs for the Patriots. What stood out to you most, Let's start at the top of the big three, the top quarterbacks.
Yeah, it was good to hear from all three of those guys.
Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Drake May all talking here this afternoon or this morning. I don't even know what time it end is anymore. But I thought it was interesting how they're just all different personalities. And I've said before they play differently too. They're different playing styles, different personalities. So this is truly, I believe, turning into a flavor situation where some teams are probably gonna have one guy as the number one quarterback, some teams are gonna have another guy as the number one quarterback. I still think the consensus should be Caleb Williams is the best in the draft, but I think that the more you hear around here is that there isn't quite that one hundred percent consensus, and there's a lot of different types of quarterbacks in this draft, and that's exactly how they presented themselves at the podium.
It's funny how it works because I feel like, you know, I get into this draft process after the season ends, and it just seems like, oh, it's already established.
Caleb Williams first drink, May second. That's how it's going to go.
Maybe maybe Marvin Harrison sneaks in there, somebody trades up, but that's how it is. And now here we are, and it seems like Jaden Daniels has been really making a push that these guys haven't even played football, but all of a sudden, it's like jockeying for position, and you know Caleb Williams, Oh, he's not going to get his provided his medicals here and you know he might fall now. And so like all these kind of different things are happening, and I just like sit here wondering, like how much of it is actually true? You know, these just teams putting out, you know, late night, having a few drinks out at Saint Almos, putting out that information. You know, trying to get the draft board the way you like it and trying to get your guy to fall to you.
Well, that's the ultimate thing about this is that there's thirty two different teams. There's thirty two different gms or de facto gms in our case, and then there's thirty two scouting staffs. Right, So just because one guy has it and another guy has it another way, everybody.
Says, well, there's not a consensus. Now, It's like, well, did you pull all the executives in the NFL? Or did you pull two people?
Right? So I think that that's a big part of it is that everybody can have their own spin on things. Everybody can have their own perspective. That's what makes the draft fun for me, is that you can we can watch the same tape and come away with drastically different opinions about these guys.
And that's that's the cool part about this whole process.
So I was really just impressed by you know, Jadon Daniels, Drake may both. I mean, I'm with you. I just I listen to both of them. I'm like, yep, I like these guys.
I know that they each have, you know, some issues that they're going to have to work through, which you know, let's face it, ninety nine percent of the guys here have something that they have to work through, whether it's size, whether it's speed, you know, all those things, staying healthy, getting healthy, all those different things. But I'm at that point now where it's like, yeah, I can deal with either one of these guys worts.
They're both really appealing to me as far as their athletic ability, and there's a lot to work with there, and it makes you hope.
You know, when we talk about the tackle position, where do you want to throw a rookie quarterback back there? And I know a big thing would Jaden Daniels amount of hits he's been taking. He's trying not to take more hits. But at least you know, it's these guys aren't going to be statues back there. They both can move a little bit. They both have some athleticism, so it at least makes you believe that they can maybe manage that get away from some of those hits, even if the offensive line isn't great In twenty twenty four, Yeah, I think.
The biggest thing with both these guys is that they extend plays a little bit differently. Jaden Daniels is more of a scrambler. He's going to take off, he's going to run the ball. Now, Drake May does scramble a little bit, but I think he has a little bit more of that second reaction throwing ability where when the play breaks down, it's becomes playground football. He can go off script and create I wouldn't say that that's as prevalent on Jaden Daniels's tape, but as you talk to people, I think the one thing about Jaden Daniels is is that it's hard to find a lot of flaws with his film from last year. I mean, he put up fifty touchdowns, he won the Heisman Trophy. There's not a whole lot to sit there and say, I don't really you know, as not for me, So there's not a whole lot of that. But I think the one thing that you do definitely hear is that he's he's got a slender frame, and when he was up there at the podium, I couldn't help but think that as well, that this kind of looks like more like a wide receiver than a quarterback. And you mentioned the hits that he's gonna take or has taken in the past. And that's the main thing is if you are going to be a guy that's gonna have to run it one hundred plus times to be your most dynamic self, how are you going to manage your body and manage those body blows because durability is going to be the number one concern. He's I don't believe he's doing on field drills here this week. I think he's saving it for the pro day. But he will weigh in and that'll be tomorrow, and that's gonna be huge. Remember last year was Bryce Young right that everybody was waiting to see how tall he was and things like that. This year it's gonna be can Jayden Daniels break two hundred pounds? So maybe he goes to prime forty seven saying almost tonight, eats like a huge steak and comes back in a water.
Weight or whatever.
Just pack on the LB's and get yourself over two five Daniels, You'll be fine.
So I do want to talk a little bit about the you know, the secondary quarterbacks, I mean the big three and you know all the scuttle button.
You've seen various.
Reports and you know generally they kind of seem to point towards Patriots are surprised are interested in a quarterback. I mean, of course they are, and maybe they're like us, they just want to see who falls. But you know, from Michael Pennox, who just you know, said he didn't meet with the Patriots, I thought that was a little bit interesting.
Maybe you know, I'm su they're getting him.
Think you said they met with him down at the Senior Bowl, so you know they've gotten in sense of him.
But one guy I want to bring up, and this is kind of off the cuff, so I apologize, as I know, the kid from Florida State, Jordan Organ Travis.
Yeah, I was just kind of impressed with him at the podium, and I know he's small and he's coming off an injury, and it sounds like, you know, he's he's going to be okay. But give me some thoughts on him, because he's a guy that I just listening to him, and this happens a lot to me at the combine where it's like, all right, I haven't you know, watched a lot of this guy yet, but there's just something I had. I got a vibe from him of like, you know, he just seems like he kind of has something there. I don't know, it could be totally wrong, but he's just there's a handful of guys. He's one of them that I circled here today that I'm saying I want to go back. I want to look at him a little bit maybe as a developmental guy. I know he had an standing season before the injury, so you talk to me about him.
Well, he definitely has that leadership intangible quality, even after he got injured this past season, coming out and talking about how Florida State got shafted frankly and in the College Football Playoff and not making the College Football Playoff, you could see that leadership. You can see that competitiveness and that fire that he certainly has. You mentioned his size. That's going to be a huge knock for him. It's not just you know, Jayden Danie's six ' three, so he's just slender. Travis is shorter and smaller. So you do hear on the high end. You know, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray. Maybe he's a really good runner. He's a dynamic player with the ball in his hands, and he's not a terrible passer. But I wouldn't say that he's as refined that he's going to sit there in the pocket and just pick you apart. He was more of a guy that was running around in college and making plays and just kind of making things happen, or throwing jump balls to Keon Coleman, which is never a bad thing. So I think that that's sort of where it's at with him. The injury is obviously going to be major. He has said in the past, though, that he has a chance of playing next year potentially even though he broke his leg, and I believe November of this past college football season, so maybe that's possible. I don't know, But as someone that is a late round flyer, I look at him and I look at my Guybazuka Joe Joe Milton from Tennessee as if they're thinking double dip, if they're thinking, you know, something along those lines. I probably wouldn't say if they're thinking no quarterback early because that would not make much sense. But maybe a double dip situation if you wanted to get a guy that has a little bit more of a higher ceiling than your typical late round quarterback. I think both those guys had some physical tools to work with.
Yeah, I'm glad you brought him up because Jill Milton is like, I just I mean, he's like kind of not quite Cam Newton, but it's like, you know, it's like it's like Lil Cam Newton, like if Cam Newton had a slightly smaller little brother, like that is.
What he like, but just has the measurements.
Yeah, I think he's discounting Anthony Richardson, Like I don't like comparing people to Cam Newton because I think Cam Newton was great. I know that's maybe he's a freak, maybe that's an I don't know, but didn't be the League Heisman Trophy winner. So I look at it Anthony Richardson and Joe Milton, and I say, you know, probably not quite as athletic, not quite as alien like as as an athlete, but has similar qualities. Big arm, huge arm, like a guy can throw it like eighty yards in the air, athletic mobile, big, big frame, you know, all those types of things. And now that they're looking at quarterbacks at three, I don't necessarily feel this way as strongly. But let's say that that's a smoke screen and that doesn't actually come to fruition, and we're talking about JJ McCartney, bow Nicks, Michael Pennix. If you want to double dip, then later in the draft and just throw a dart at a guy that has a huge ceiling in Joe Milton, but probably has a very good chance of maybe not even being in the league in a couple of years as well.
That's the way I would go.
If you're gonna go with like a bo Nicks, who's more of that Alex Smith like conservative type of quarterback, here's a guy that you could kind of pair with him. That's someone that will be aggressive and push the ball down the field.
Now, tomorrow we're going to.
Get to see these guys work out on field, and you know, I know, Ofvan, you'll be glued to that and we'll do some write ups about their performance, their measurements, all that that kind of stuff. Just generally with the quarterback class, what are you kind of looking for tomorrow, And especially with a guy like JJ McCarthy, Right, he talked a lot about people saying he's going to be a combine riser, and listen to him today. You know, obviously is his well established what he did is in his career at Michigan. But what are you looking for tomorrow, any particular testing or numbers that you think can really help one or two of these guys.
Well, I would say just in terms of the throwing on the field. With JJ McCarthy, he needs to prove to me that he has more clubs in his bag because he didn't really get to flex that at Michigan. So can you throw different types of throws, different types of routes. He's got a big enough arm. I'm not necessarily concerned with arm talent with him, but it's more about the touch and the accuracy and the short and intermediate. He is somebody that I thought on film really struggled with taking a little bit off the football and then really affected his ball placement and his accuracy in the first two levels of the defense. So he's throwing it one hundred miles an hour when he doesn't have to, and now guys are just saying, guys, it's going off guys hands because they're five yards away from him and they're trying to catch a bazooka.
It's like, let's slow down, right. So I think that's a big thing.
I think we talk about arm talent a lot, and arm talent, to me, is not arm strength. Arm strength and arm talent are two different things. Arm talent is the ability to hit it with a little bit of touch, to hit it with the driver when you need to to change arm angles, and be able to generate velocity when you have to to not throw with a solid base because there's muddy pockets and things like that. I think that JJ McCarthy has decent enough arm strength. I'm not sure he has arm talent, so we'll see what he looks like in the field.
So good stuff on the QBS. We actually had a chance also to talk to Field Yates of ESPN get his opinion on the quarterback class. And obviously Field is you know, he's got a grand preview over there at ESPN. So take a listen to what Field had to say about this quarterback class. All right, we're excited now to be joined by Field Yates from ESPN and Field, thanks for coming out here to the combine. I'm sure you're going crazy right now, so appreciate the time that you're taking.
Great to be here. I'm fired off talk Patriots talk the draft. I'm bump.
I'm actually missing the Patriots draft event. This year for the first time in probably seven or eight years.
Well, guess they called out to replace you. A couple of idiots on the other side of.
My lesson learned was don't move on the what well, I guess the event I think is late March, but early April I'm moving. So it's just kind of a perfect storm of circumstances that.
Made it a little bit more difficult this year.
In the past seven or eight that I've been doing it, I hate to miss it because it is one of my favorite events of the year.
Well, I will have to fill your big shoes. Oh, come on, give me some pointers.
I'm trying to think.
It's just off crowds, fans.
They have high especial high hopes right now. Yeah, but this is different. You know, I would like to tell you what this draft event will be like.
But this is the first time they picked in the top ten since the head coach was coming out of the draft. So what two thousand and eight is sixteen years ago. That's a very unfamiliar territory here, obviously, So in prior years it's been sort of projecting like who might be available. It's you know, twenty ninety two fourteen, now pick three, and like it makes things quite straightforward. We have to just play out three scenarios and we're good, right, Yeah, well.
That's what we've been doing. I mean, we're already like all right, is it this? And we traded down, we be training out. But just you know, we had the.
Quarterbacks, the wide receivers and the running backs today and you know, kind of the scuttle butt around town is that the Patriots are kind of locking in a quarterback. Probably not that surprising, sure, but just generally, what are your thoughts there on the top three guys that are coming out this year?
Yeah, I think that the fact that the Patriots pick third is immensely, incredibly invaluable. And that may sound like a difficult thing to reconcile, given the fact that getting to pick the third pick is a it's a not fun path to enjoy during a four and thirteen season.
But because of the fact that there are three quarterbacks who you could.
Speak to anybody here Indianapolis, they would all agree very much merit that top three pick consideration. That means that the Patriots have this incredible amount of flexibility. And I believe this and I'm sure others have differing views of these three quarterbacks, but I don't think there is a consolation prize amongst these three. I think if you dropped Caleb Williams in a different draft, he might be in the conversation for the number one pick every single year, And same with Jiden Daniels and same with Drake May. One of them is almost as surely going to go number one overall and one may very well go third overall. That does not mean that that player is, you know, a couple deviations below the top quarterback.
It is nip and tuck for all three of these players.
Yeah, that's sort of where I've been at for a while.
But listening to the two of them today at the podium, Drake May and Jayden Daniels, we kind of feel the same way me and Mike that whoever they end up with, they end up with. But I'm just curious, you know, there seems to be a lot of buzz about Jayden Daniels being the QB two in this draft, and I think after the college football season ended, it was probably Drake May.
And now it's flip flopped. What have you been hearing on that?
Well, I'd say what I've been seeing is a very very very close race, I really think, and I'm not trying to just like pander to a crowd that is interested in all three quarterbacks. I if you will put put me on the stand and make the case for any of them as the best quarterback in the class, be easy, not be difficult for me to do that at all.
But if it's a relative like a conversation between Drake.
May and Jaden Daniels and how you might separate them, I mean we're talking about the like, you know, smallest of margins between the two players. Drake obviously has just I call him. He arrived from quarterback factory, right, he's six foot four.
I don't know.
Did he gets his other quarterback factory for sure? Yeah?
What's what's did he get his official measure?
Yeah, that'll be tomorrow morning. So I got to pay attention to these things a little bit closer, apparently, But you.
Changed it up on now they do a day of It wasn't always like that.
So it's according to the website in North Carolina, six foot four, two hundred and twenty nine pounds. And if you saw him this morning, I mean you see he's he's the six to fourth part I can confirm with my eyes. So two twenty nine, maybe he's two twenty six, maybe he's two thirty five.
Who knows. But he's certainly a well built has sort of the idyllic frame for a quarterback.
He's got an absolute hose of in arm, terrific between the hashes, passer, very mobile as well. Two years ago, actually let North Carolina in rushing. This past season, had nine rushing touchdowns. So a very good athlete. But with Jaden, I mean we're talking about, you know, one of the best athletes, certainly the most explosive quarterback in this year's class. Back to back seasons with up over a thousand rushing yards. Crazy enough for Jaden Daniels. He actually led all FBS players and yards per attempt. I use minimum of one hundred carries. I'm sure you could filter it down even lower and he would still be the best. But you know, you've got a couple of guys who had like one or two carries for one hundred and twenty yards on two reverses or something. So Jaden's an incredibly explosive runner. I thought that maybe the area that Jaden kind of separated himself from any of the quarterbacks in this year's class. Is clutch production gotta have its situations. I know it's LSU, and people think to themselves, he's just playing with a bunch of fellow five stars, including you know, two potential first round pick wide receivers. That's true. There are plenty of good players at LSU. They might have had the worst LSU defense in school history. And I'm not saying that as a matter of hyperbole. I'm saying that as a matter of fact. They ended up firing basically the entire defensive staff, I mean players left and right from the past at LSU or making it very known how much they were disappointed in this past years defense.
They needed Jaden Daniels.
To score or find a way to lead them to you know, scores of forty or thirty five points per game. So his I thought, just like meeting the moments, was very impressive this past year. But if you told me, like make the case for Drake may at number one overall, I can you do an hour on that as well, because I'm a huge fan of his game.
Just if they go pay if they go quarterback first round, and this is more of like a football philosophy question, because you know here about like we got to build from the trenches, and everybody wants to flashy object with wide receiver. But we look at the tackle and the wide receiver classes both very deep.
But it seems like the.
Tackles are gonna go quick. They will when you get down to that early second round. How do you feel about tackle versus wide receiver? Patriots need to rebuild their offense, but just philosophically how important I mean they need two tackles really, I mean at this point we'll get a second sure, but philosophically, how do you feel about that decision?
Right it's the second round?
Yeah, I think it's gonna be like it's it's the beauty for the Patriots.
And I'm not saying this again to pander to a Patriots audience, but you can no, I'm not, obviously, it sincerely is the two deepest positions arguably in this year's draft, our offensive tackling wide receiver wide receiver is definitely the deepest. I think there's a feeling, and I feel this way myself that like the offensive tackle depth eventually drops off, whereas there's gonna be guys, you know.
Middle even late day three that are pretty good wide.
Receivers are gonna have a chance to make a roster and make an impact early on in their career. So if you're the Patriot, you kind of play this out for three rounds, so to speak. If three thirty four and sixty seven sixty eight, yeah, sixty eight, right, yep, you could very very easily check off each of those three boxes. And you would do so not because you're forcing the issue with the need, but because it fits with the value. Right, there's gonna be top of the second round offensive tackles that I think can play. There's gonna be top of the third round wide receivers that I know can play. So the Patriots could go quarterback at three, and I know that I reject the argument that you shouldn't be taking a quarterback because the rest of the roster is not ready. Part of it is quarterbacks make everybody better when they're the real deal. The other part is that it's the draft is not over after pick three. There's a lot of money in free agency that you guys have already referenced to potentially fill some of those holes. And the last part this is an opportunity costs who knows what twenty twenty four looks like, But you don't plan on being picking. You don't plan on picking once again a third overall next year. And if you're picking, even if you make a semi leap to twelve. Look at how the Vikings and the Broncos and the Raiders are examining their quarterback oppings at the moment. They're saying to themselves, are we gonna have to pay the full boat to get up to six ' eight nine to trade up and grab one of these quarterbacks? Because if we wait around until twelve or thirteen, they're not going to be available. So if I'm the Patriots, to me, it's a very straightforward equation. Whichever these three quarterbacks is sitting there waiting for us a pick three, we have to do everything in our power to build the offense around his skill set because each of these three are very different, and also we need to surround that player with as many resources as we possibly can.
Yeah, I want to take you to free agency for a second though, because you know we've been talking a lot about obviously those three spots. You know, quarterback, receiver tackle drod may have made it easy for us. He just told us that those are the most biggest.
Needs on the team.
Yeah, but free agency to me is I don't see is particularly strong at those three spots. So what do you see the Patriots doing in free agency and how do you see them kind of spending all this cap space?
Well, I think you always start with the guys that are your own, right, And I know that Elliot Wolf talked about both Michael Waynu and also Kyle Duggar is two of the guys that they really want to keep around.
And it would be good for you know, the obvious reasons. They're both good players.
It would be good for draft retention, which is an important tenant of good sustained success or getting back on the track for sustained success. And the best money is usually the money that you know where it's going towards. And you know both of those players have a pretty obvious skill set. You also know that if there are like areas of concern, you know them right. Whereas if you're paying a guy that you haven't had some exposure to in the past, I don't know that you have nearly the same amount of comfort with the potential warts that that player might have. So I always start with, you know, the guys you know that are are in and there's certainly other you know, notable Hunter Henry amongst them, and just guys that have made Zee Elliott who have made meaningful contributions.
But those two feel like the top of the list for me. And then you know, I think that you're right, it's a it's not.
Going to blow anybody away in terms of offensive tackle or wide receiver class, espentially, especially once we finish up with this franchise tag window, which will probably end up leading to either a couple of guys being tagged at that position or like just getting a long term deal done. So my feeling will be that, well, they have a lot of money to spend. You're always surprised by how fast resources dry up and free agency between the drafts and take care of your own and some of those extensions and having you know, sort of a kiddy available to once once we get to the season. So I would think selectively aggressive would be my mindset if I'm the Patriots and free agency, Yeah, it seems.
Like defensive side of the ball, So it feels like, you know, there's needs an edge. I mean with judeah On, you don't really have any depth behind him. He's getting a little bit older. It seems like Brian Burns guys like that, they have some guys out there, Josh Allen even they could maybe reinforce that defense and then you can focus really on the offense in the draft.
Yeah, interesting kind of edge class, interesting defensive tackle class.
You know, there's some players on that side of the wall.
And now, of course many or some will be tagged, so that free agent class always thins out a little bit.
But you know, we're what ten ten days away, yeah, ten days away from free agency, and it's going to be a wild, wild few days.
Yeah.
So the salary cap not to get two into the math here, but it was a little bit higher than what was projective, about ten million extra, I think for every team. And it seems to me like that has made teams maybe less reluctant to use the franchise tag this time around because they might have a little bit of extra cash. And for a team like the Patriots, almost worked against them because guys like you know, Michael Pittman junior, for example, might have been available in a regular free agency is now in some way shape or form, as Chris Ballard said the other day, is going to be in Indianapolis. So did you see that as kind of a way that this thing went, you know, with the tag this year?
I would say that generally speaking, it was hard to find many losers from the capspike. It was mostly winners because I suppose the way that you framed it is both accurate and wise as it pertains to the Patriots, Like maybe there are a few guys that aren't going to be available because the tag is now a little more affordable for their team. But I will say this, it's like ten or twelve or thirteen million bucks more to spend that, Like that's going to go towards somebody eventually, and you know, the hope is that sooner rather than later. You're already planning for what the next wave of in house free agents are going to cost.
Extension candidates. Right, So beyond some of the guys that.
We've talked about, like maybe part of the puzzles of Christian Barmore extension, right, we've been on the table that we obviously as emerged as one of their best defensive players, one of the best players period, right, And it's not you know, there's no rule that says you have to extend a player, but doing the dance.
The potential free agency just makes things more complicated.
It certainly opens the door for those guys to go test the market, if they'd so choose.
But yeah, so for the Patriots like it in as we do. You don't have to use all the cap space. But yeah, they are. I am no Miguel Benson at all.
Right.
I love Miguel. He's the best. But I think his number, I think I saw I don't know. I have to check more reache, like eighty seven million.
Yeah, it's a lot.
Yeah, it's nice. It's uh.
I feel like what I think. That's like what my wife's mindset is when she goes to the mall. I'm equipped with all the resources, not actually, but.
You know, just putting those Amazon dot Com orders in every day pack at the door all the time.
Again, Yes, what we'll field. We'll let you get to your responsibilities here for ESPN, but.
My responsibility to hang out here. I love the backdrop. I love that we leaned into the pat Patriots.
People are making fun of it back home. They said it looked like a bed sheet.
I think it looks nicer than I think it looks nice at that, but it was the most comfortable bed sheet of all time.
How's that you?
That's right Fields, Thanks for joining us.
Sorry to miss you guys for those that are going to be at the draft events. But I won't move again.
I told my wife this is the last time we're moving, so future years, I'm back.
Thanks Peel, thank you.
All right, So Evan, let's turn out to the wide receivers. Everybody who's waiting to see Marvin Harrison. Of course I was excited just to see him Marrison, just to kind of see you know what his size looks like, you know what kind of build he has. Unfortunately, he did not speak this morning. We're still waiting to hear. Perhaps he will speak later, perhaps he won't speak at all. Does he really even need to speak?
I love that Marvin Harrison Junior has just decided to stand on the film and be like, I don't need to do any of this. I'm not going to work out, I'm not going to talk to the media. I am set my tape here it.
Is, That's what I do. This is Marvin Harrison. That's all you need to know.
Hey, yeah, good name too, right, So there's really just no reason for him to do any of this, and I love that that's being normalized to an extent. I know some people are gonna rub him the wrong way that these guys are opting out, but what's the point. And I think Kayleb Williams said it when someone asked him about why he's not throwing here, and he said that I have thirty three starts in college football. If me throwing in shorts and a T shirt is going to change your mind about who I am as a prospect when you can watch thirty plus games of me at college football, then that's ridiculous. And I think that's how Marvin Harrison Junior feels about it too, So I'm not It does absolutely nothing to stalk to me that he kind of blew off the combine.
I honestly could care less.
No, And I mean, just just look at the film, right, That's all you have to do. But let's stick with these top rank receivers. And I don't know about you, but I've kind of like made peace that these guys are probably just not going to fall in the right period or you know, timeframe of the first round for the Patriots to be able to have a selection at them. But this is another draft class, Evan, that absolutely is loaded. And I mean it's just it seems like every single year you see the wide receiver position gets you know, there's just always good guys. I mean we were talking before we were taping, and I mean, you made it a great point about last year's class.
I mean, I'll let you make it again. But compare last year's class to this year's class.
Yeah, I've thought about this a lot of where I would put last year's class into this year's class. And the main reason why is that the run last year started in the twenties in the first round, which tells me that the run this year. How many wide receivers are going to go in the first round if that is what happened last year. So you look at Jordan Addison, Za Flowers, Jackson Smith, and Jigba Quintin Johnson. Those are the big four that went in the first round a year ago. I think you're starting at maybe wide receiver five or wide receiver six for the top of that board, which means that you have to think a guy like Adie Mitchell is now potentially going in the first round. Certainly Brian Thomas Junior is going in the first round, is Keyon Coleman also going in the first round, Troy Franklin, Xavier Worthy.
You go right on down the line.
I think it kind of stops at maybe eight or nine guys that have a potential of going in the first round out of this class. So if you're the Patriots and you're going quarterback early and you're looking at thirty four, you're looking at sixty eight, at what point do you just have to jump on the carousel and say we have to at least get one of these guys before, as we like to say, the parade passes this spy, Do.
We get twenty picks that are nothing but offensive lineman and wide receivers in this first round? Like it seems like you're gonna at least have a run where there's like twenty picks that are all those that position.
I've been doing this for a while now because I'm old, and I will tell you I have never seen a top of the draft board this heavy on one side of the ball. The first nine guys on every single consensus board that I see are all offensive players one through nine, and then at ten. Usually you get Dallas Turner at that point. So you're looking at a board that is heavily skewed towards the offense. It's not that the defense doesn't have any good position groups. It's just not a ton of top end talent. It's more like depth, like an edge corner, things like that. But this draft loaded on the offense side.
Of the ball. At the top.
You mentioned Brian Thomas a d Mitchell.
I mean, those two guys to me seem like ide and I didn't even mention Malik Nighbors. I feel like I just have to break up with him because I'm like, you're too good, and I really don't look forward to watching him torch our defense or anyone else's defense for that matter. But I'm sure it's gonna happen. But going back to Mitchell and Thomas, like those seem like the kind of guys that can develop into that number one outside receiver that everybody you know, everyone talk about Marvin Harrison, But I think these guys have that kind of potential where maybe you trade back into the first round, maybe you get lucky they followed the second round.
But those guys seem like if you could get a quarterback first.
Overall, you get a developmental X receiver could be the guy that seems like a home run to me, no offense to the offensive line.
Yeah, it's a little different with both guys. Another flavors thing. Brian Thomas Junior more of that explosive linear athlete. The comp that I was working with with him a little bit was like a slender DK metcalf He's not as like rocked up as DK metcalf as, but he's definitely that explosive guy that has some concerns about is he really going to be a technician at the top of the route. Probably not, But if you want a vertical receiver that's going to go down the field, then he's someone that has definitely checks that box. Whereas Adie Mitchell. He's sixty three sixty four a similar size honestly all around the board for Adie Mitchell as Brian Thomas, but he's the more of that technician. He's someone that can really break down and as quick feed gets sick as hips and get in and out of the break.
But he's just not as explosive.
I wouldn't expect him to run as fast as a guy like Brian Thomas Junior. But one thing that is really appealing, and I don't know if they'll have the opportunity to do it, because Thomas Junior is probably a teens pick. I would say Adie Mitchell maybe late twenties, early thirties more likely more realistic. But they if they do get Jaden Daniels at three, pairing him with one of his LSU teammates, it's not going to be neighbors. But like, that's everybody wants to do that. That's the appealing thing about all these guys. He's been trying to do that. I've kind of the Bengals cooled off on Tesz Walker, who's at Drake May's number one receiver. But if that's a third round, fourth round guy that you take just because of the familiarity with Drake May, I don't hate that either. But if Brian Thomas Junior, I don't know, maybe he gets lost into into a shuffle of like six seven guys at that receiver position, who knows, I mean, maybe they trade up. I don't know, But it just is someone that I think is extremely intriguing.
A couple more names I'm just gonna kind of run through a few guys that you know interested me before and continue to malk I Corley really wanted to hear from him, talked about him kind of being a debo comp is how fast is he going to be?
That's my big question. You know, a guy like that who can do a lot, but you want to make sure he's got an ex glosive element, you know.
Troy Franklin, I know we kind of were taking like the Taekwon jokes a little bit by him, but explosive, explosive player, and it's you know, weaponizing the offense if that's what you need to do those that guy has some speed, you know.
There's just there's all kinds of different varieties.
It's like, yeah, and right now with the way that the Patriots offense is, I feel like you really just look inside the slot and then we've got a slot receiver and otherwise everything else is kind of on the table.
To me, Yeah, I actually really like Troy Franklin. I know that Patriots fans are going to take one look at him and be like, Nope, I'm out because of his size and similarity and body type to Taekwon Thornton. But I look at him as someone that is a lot more advanced and a lot more nuanced with his route running than Taekwon was coming out releases top of the route. You know, he's someone that a lot of people that are really high on him, higher than me, have said runs routes more like a Devonte Smith than he does like a Taekwon Thoron. So someone that truly does have a lot of he's got cool tape, Like he's got some really cool, you know, little nuances like he'll just like foot fire and come out and like guys are just like whoa and what are we doing here? And then he just blows past you. So there's a lot of I love watching him run routes, and I think he can do it for multiple alignments. So I like Troy Franklin, I would assume that this group, this Patriots brass is probably gonna say let's not make the Taekwon Thorton mistake and draft one like let's not do this again and go somewhere in a different direction. But I think he's someone that Patriots fans are like, oh no way. But I think he's better than people expect.
You talk about guys who are fun to watch, and I mean you were down at Senior Bowl Lab McConkey, I mean, it's a clinic. Was about running with that guy he spoke today, you know, hey, what do you think you're good at? I mean it's like, hello, have you watched this guy play? Why you're asking this question? Like we all know what he's good at. I just had to bring him up because I think that, you know, he kind of gets pigeonholed said today, he's like, I actually played more on the outside than the slot. You know, people look at him and assume he's a slot receiver, but he's another one that, you know, day two kind of a guy.
You can get a really good.
Player who can come in here and has instantly got some polish to his game and the ability to hopefully, you know, get open, quick move the chains. I think that's what the Patriots need most more than you know, that big extra receiver. Yes, of course you're always looking for that, but to me, it's that other receiver, you know, that every down kind of Z receiver that you can move around, that you can have some fun with.
McConkie seems like he could be that kind of guy. Yeah.
The biggest thing with mcconkey's sample size. He just wasn't healthy for the entire year last year. But and when you watch him when he was healthy, he's electric. He's somebody that has vertical acceleration for days, and he's got a great feel for decelerating. I think this is one of the most underrated traits about wide receivers that people overlook. And it sounds so simple, but can you stop on a dime? Can you open it up? Get guys opened up on the other side of the ball, accelerate up the field, and then efficiently stop down and slow yourself down and then make a cut.
He's one of the most efficient top of the route guys in this draft, no doubt about that.
It's funny you don't think like great breaks is like a like like a scouting term with great breaks.
He's got great breaks? What what does that mean?
Yeah, but he really does. And he's able to.
He has enough vertical burst that he's able to push vert and make it look like he's gonna run by you, and then at the last second he just stops on a diamond and it creates that separation. So if you watch him against like Terry On Arnold from Alabama, who might be CB one in this draft. Probably the most consistent guy that got open against Arnold last year on film against Florida.
Forget about it. He had like a ridiculous game against Florida. You just wish that it was more.
You know, you only had like four hundred yards of production last year because he didn't play a ton.
So one more guy, I'm gonna mention it. I don't expect you to comment on him, but my own holy Cross Jalen Coker, was here.
I mean, holy Jalen Coker.
It's not like this is not like last year where he had some of those fake ones. Dude, Like, no, this is a real this is a real pros.
I've watched him for a while. He's got great size. I mean, he's the c J.
Hansen's a guard who will see tomorrow to holy Cross because these are the fourth These are the third and fourth guys ever from holy Cross local program to go here to the combine. So excited just to see how Coker runs tomorrow. I think he's a contested catch guy. He's an outside guy and he said it himself today, But I'm excited to see my lacrosse guy get out there and perform tomorrow.
As long as he doesn't bomb the combine, that's a Day two that's a Day three pick. Yeah, that's a Day three guy, Like you have a real Day three guy.
Bringing to Fox Brough all of them. I tried not to harass him too much as they get away from me, all right. I think we covered most of the wide receivers. You know, we weren't really going depth anybody else that we didn't really touch.
Touch On Wilson, who's another one of my guys right now. He said he's going to run in the four threes. If he does that, then I forget about sixty eight. That's not happening. He's going top fifty. I think that there's so many different guys that are going to get lost into the weeds of the second round, third round picks in this draft that all could come out of the other side as players.
You know.
Brandon Rice from USC is another one like those guys that I think all have really good, uh you know, foundational elements about their games. I love Roman Wilson, though, I just think that that's somebody that at the next level. He didn't necessarily similar to j jimccarthy because of the volume. He didn't necessarily put up the numbers that some of these other guys did because they didn't throw as much as at Michigan. If he was in like Washington's offense last year, He's a thousand yard receiver easily.
So let's move on to the running backs. And I feel like this is slowly becoming like the forgotten position.
Like you know, it's like you talk about needing to get it's more explosive this on offense. But you know these granted that these guys aren't I guess like long term building blocks. You know, you wouldn't like really, look, I think we all kind of look at running backs as while you're draft wing, you run him into the ground for four years, you let.
Him go, you draft another running back.
But in between, you've got those four years where you can really find some productive guys. And I know, look, we got free agency, it's just around the corner.
It's coming up.
We think that's a position, got some great guys, and you know, like usually not something the Patriots would address, but it's a huge need. Blake Orm's the top of the list though, coming off national championship. Heard from him, but otherwise there's just so many guys that are gonna bleed from Day two to Day three that have talent, that have that explosiveness that you can round out your roster. I just think it's such an underrated position and they're gonna draft at least one of these guys, maybe two, and you're gonna be like, oh man, I didn't even realize they're gonna draft running back, but.
I absolutely are.
So this is not There's no Saquon Barkley, there's no Christian mc caffrey. There's no lock top ten pick in this draft at running back. But like you just said, there's great mid round depth in this draft. So I don't even know if there's gonna be a running back that goes in the top fifty because I think teams are just gonna wait for the run to start, and whenever it starts, that's when everybody will jump in and get their guy. So I look at it as like a third or fourth round sweet spot, and I think the Patriots are in the market there.
Maybe not.
I I'm not sure I really love a top seventy pick on a running back given their needs, but the fourth round is definitely in play for them at running back, and I think that there's a bunch of guys that will be in that range of the fourth round. We don't know exactly when they'll pick in the fourth round yet because we don't have the compis, but somewhere in the beginning of.
The fourth round obviously, so I think that they'll be right there to take. You know, some of the guys that we like to talk.
About, Bucky, Bucky's our guy.
We like Bucky's our guys, explosive, Captain America.
You know, I think that Bucky we're talking about Bucky Irving from the other Bucky's.
Yeah, Bucky Erving from Oregon.
We've talked about wanting to pair Ramandra Stevenson with a little bit light under and length exactly, Lindell White and Reggie Bush. You know, let's let's get two guys in there that are complimentary. And I think that that's one thing. I thought Zeke was great last year for what it was, but they were redundant. They were the same back. So yeah, it's cool that you can kind of go, you know, drive or drive when they were both healthy or whatever. But I really feel like that's the spot that Patriots could get a little bit more explosive, and especially in this Alex Van Pelt offense, are going to run that wide zone. They're gonna want to bounce it up through the middle. Let's have a little bit more of a home run hitter that can hit those runs.
Just a couple other guys to kind of mention Mon Bailey, one guy liked it.
Dylan Lobby from U n H who you know, we talked about a little bit on the quick debrief, but local kid.
You know, it seems like it might be a natural fit.
Maybe another one, but it's just it's I think you can look at pretty much any back back in style.
And of course these guys a little bit more.
Maybe I don't want to call them third because I feel like that kind of pigeonholes them. Maybe they are, but I think overall they've got, you know, all around skills that could contribute. The Patriots just have huge needs, so it's hard to rule anybody out.
YEA Dylan Lobby is I think a sub package back is the best way to go.
There we go.
I don't think he's a true third down back where he's only gonna play in the passing game. But one thing that's appealing to him, and he did this down in Mobile is he can line up in different spots. He can play flex out and play a little bit of receiver as well. So he's got a ton of versatility to play in the passing game and in the run game. As a runner, more of that one cut and go, good acceleration can get through the line of scrimmage. And if you're gonna get let's say, let's put it all together. If you're gonna draft Jayden Daniels at three overall, and you are going to be a very heavy shotgun team, and then you have a back like Dylan Lobby who's a little bit more of that spread undersized, but it's explosive running back. And that's somebody you get read option going with those two guys, and if you get the corner, then he's gonna be off to the races.
So I think that's what you have to look for at all these backs.
One more guy, I'm gonna throw at you on the spot. I mean, I don't know how much much you've done too dove into the running backs. But Jonathan Brooks from Texas and know he's coming off an ACL injury, heard from him today.
He expects to be ready.
Another one that kind of appeals to me, like I always you know, always coming off an ACL. We don't need it, Like could we stash him maybe, But he said he thinks he'll be ready July first.
If you watched him at all.
Well, I've watched the Texas offense a ton obviously for the other guys, And I think the biggest thing with him is that he fits in really what I was just talking about in the Jayden and Daniels situation, because that Sark system is that's what they are, you know, their motion, they're spread their rpo.
So I think that's a lot.
But he does have a really good power to him too, even despite being more of that like you know, lighter type of back.
So I think that he's someone that probably falls because of his knee.
But maybe that is the right way to go for this Patriots and is certainly what I would do, Like I'm not taking a running back in the.
First three rounds.
So if you're looking at it as like we need a running back at some point, but it's probably too early with all of our other needs, then yeah, maybe you can get him in the fifth or sixth round and ends up being a seal.
I'll give you one more. I'm just from the Senior Bowl.
MARSHN Lloyd from USC who is someone that really impressed me as a route runner getting up the field. This is a vertical back like not necessarily the James White third and four. We're going to move the chains, but somebody that real route rail route you know, seem even out of the backfield, he can get up the field and if you get him on the linebacker into some space and a foot race, he can get up the field and get by the guy.
So I was really impressed with him at the Senior Bowl.
Him.
Dwan Edwards too from Georgia's another one of those Day three backs that I think can do the same type of thing. So all those guys are a little thicker, you know, they're not necessarily the Bucky Irving like we're talking about earlier, but still have a little bit of a juice in the passing game.
All right.
So we got through the quarterbacks, wide receivers, the running backs, all very important positions for the Patriots, and this will be the last wrap up we do from here. So we want to just take a minute now to just you know, overall thoughts from the combine. We've been here all week. We will talk to the offensive lineman tomorrow. Again, that's a huge need for the Patriots, so we'll be sure next week we'll be talking talking about it. During Patriots Unfiltered, we'll be plenty more videos mock drafts. You guys know how we do it all spring. It can be videos coming out you left them right, draft and free agency, but just overall, Evan like, what are your biggest takeaways here from India in twenty twenty four.
Well, I think either the Patriots are putting on the world's best smoke screen or everybody knows what they're doing. I don't know which one it is, and maybe that's what they want. They're like feeding information on both sides of their mouth. But at the end of the day, when the dust settles, it just feels like quarterback is where they're going third overall, and it's for two the easiest way you know, it's a straight line, right, like, it's the easiest way through. And I think that it's a no brainer with these two quarterbacks sitting there. If it was one of those years that was a little bit worse of a class and you weren't totally sold on it and things like that.
That would be different. But this year, I don't feel it is like that.
You know, a couple of years ago and it's like Kenny Pickett Malik Willis like, obviously they're not going to draft a quarterback, but this year they have two quarterbacks. They had third overall pick, and there's three quarterbacks that are worth a top three pick. So someone's going to be there on the board and you're telling me that Drake may Jaden Daniel, someone is going to be sitting and the Patriots are going to be on the clock, and Elliot Wolf is going to be like, I'm good, Like I just I don't really see that happening. So I think that that's really where the wind is blowing. But we should mention that it is smokescreen season, so anally, all these things could just be everywhere fugazi, right. And secondly, it's March first, and it is two months basically to go until the draft, so it's a long way to go.
Still, of course, free agency. I mean it's we're less than two weeks away from free agency. Patriots have a bunch of money, draw Mayo walk back, cash to burn, you know, I mean, I think he was saying that kind of in ingest and everybody ran with it.
But they just they have the money to do things.
You know, the reports they have offers out on Kyle Tuger, you know they've been negotiating with Michael and Whnu. They express their support for those guys, that they would like those guys back. We've talked about Christian Barmore being a priority. Extend him early, don't let him get to free agency next year. But I think my biggest takeaway just from the draft is that for a team that needs to remake their offense, it's it's kind of a good year. And I feel bad that we're kind of pushing the tackles, you know, down to day tomorrow, day six really and we haven't seen them. And you know, maybe once we do see you know, Joe Alter, were like, oh my god, he's enormous. We need you know, that's a huge need.
I will definitely it'll be loved first sight.
I know we'll have to keep you back from him.
That that's gonna be easy.
But I think that you know, this tackle class, there's not a ton of depth, and so the question is is that as much as we all love the receivers thirty four, quarterback at three, tackle at thirty four. Just the way that the board falls, that seems to be the best way to go about things, just because of the depth is really at receiver, you know, that's where you have a depth, and then you know, tackle is the spot where I think there is a precipitous drop off once you get through the first eight nine names or so at the tackle spot.
So I'm excited to see the tackles. I think there's a.
Couple guys that we've talked about yet before, but looking at that thirty fourth spot, you know Kingsley Suu and my tie, you know, Patrick Paul, Like those types of guys are probably more in the conversation instead of like Olo Fashana and Joe Alt, who are going to be up at the top of the draft and measurables as out of anything at the combine that matters arm Lands for tackles might actually matter the most.
You gotta get to thirty three. That's that's the minimum, that's the threshold.
And a guy like you know, Jordan Morgan for example, from Arizona, he measured in with thirty two and seven eighths inch arms.
So he's been stretching. I've been told, you know, I'm just kidding, but I bet you he has.
And you know, if he can get to thirty one and one eighth, you know, and I know it's ridiculous to think like, oh, that could really make that big of a difference, but that's how NFL teams operate, and that those thresholds are important for tackles, and that's going to be important for them on Sunday, I believe, is when they measure in way in.
My feeling is like in the first round, in the late first round, mid first round, it's going to kind of be interesting to see how the wide receivers and tackles come off the board. I mean jokingly said maybe twenty picks, but what's the run on first? You know, does it kind of go wide receiver tackle, you know? Or is it a big, you know, straight run on those guys. It's just that second pick for the Patriots is so interesting, and that's you know, if they do google quarterback, then really that that next pick becomes just fascinating. What direction do you go? And there's it's almost it almost goes to a core football debate. Do you make sure you got them protected and even at that point it might be a little tenuous, or do you make sure you get them a high ranking explosive receiver, Because even if you get to the third pick, I could we could probably get somebody in the third round of wide receiver.
They'd be like, Okay, I think that'll work.
That that's my concern. My concern is that at tackle, they need an immediate starter at tackle. And I'm a big proponent of you build from the inside out and the quarterbacks on the inside, so that counts right, but quarterback you go inside out from there, and the receiver is really the icing on you know, the cherry on top, Like that's the last thing that you do. And I know a lot of people don't necessarily look at it that way anymore, but I still think that, you know, the way the Bills did it by dropping Stefon digs in like, or the way the Eagles did it with Aj Brown, you know, those types of things.
I feel like is the way that you go about.
Building a roster for sustainability when you start to get into you know, just the shiny new toys, a four win team, drafting a wide receiver up high. It just doesn't make much sense to me. It just I think it's you're putting the cart before the horse. So I think that that's what I would go. And I'm looking forward to seeing these guys. You tackles are one of those spots that you just want to see it, Like, you want to what does this guy look like? You know, what's his body copse? There is, Yeah, exactly how guy can take out the tape measures, start measuring the arms for him, so that those are types of things are important.
All right.
So that's gonna do it for the video portion at least of Dus and Lazaar in Indy twenty twenty four. We will come back in next week with plenty of content wrapping up the tackles. You know, stay tuned of course, Patriots Unfiltered Tuesdays and Thursdays, and launching March thirteenth, that'll be our next episode of Patriots Draft Countdown, presented by bud Light.
We're gonna do a live show right on the.
First day of official free agency, even though at that point we'll probably have a pretty good sense of who The Patriots will have a lot of reports, so they're gonna sign this guy and that guy. It'll all kind of become official on Wednesday. It'll give us a chance to really re evaluate the draft board and see how they're approaching these free agent needs. And coming up next week as well, will have a full free agency preview video. Evan and I'll be highlighting some of the players that we think could possibly fit the Patriots.
There's a lot of good players out there, guys.
There's defensive ends, there's tackles or sorry the tackles, no, not so much meant to say edge players, running backs, even guys like Austin Ecklerman. There's always running back names on the free agency market. But real quick, just any initial thoughts on free agency.
Well, I think you just kind of nailed it with the players on the defensive side of the ball that might become available. Unfortunately for the Patriots, I guess that extra little bit of cap space at every team, god that they weren't expecting about ten million dollars that made it easier for contenders to tag their receivers. So t Higgins is going back to Cincinnati or is going to you know, it's gonna be a massive haul to get him as a trade.
Michael Pittman Junior here this week.
Chris Ballard, their general manager for in Indianapolis, said, one way or another, Michael Pittman Junior is going to be a cult. Whether it's on the franchise tagger as an extension, we're going to go right up against the deadline. But one way or another, he's going to be a cult. So now you take him off the board. I can't imagine that Mike Evans is going to play anywhere else except Tampa Bay, so you can take him off the board. So once you start to really narrow it down, I like Calvin Ridley. I think he's a solid player, but he's really the number one receiver. And so now you're competing in the market with teams that aren't for win football, teams that have a more contender status.
So that makes it harder.
So I don't necessarily look at this receiver group and free agency and get.
All Google gaga about it. And I know that that's unfortunate. Same with the quarterbacks because I don't think Baker Mayfield's going to be available.
So I look at the defense side of the ball.
I think edge, you know, really the entire defensive line, whether you want to call him edge rushers or defensive line. I think they're interior guys. I think there's guys that are rush the passer out on the edge that are intriguing. And that's where I would spend the money. If they're going to spend the money and go out and make a splash, I would probably a Christian Wilkins, pay O'Brian Burns, pay somebody that's really of that ilk at the top. Not necessarily go out and pay Gabe Davis just because you need a receiver.
All right, Well that's gonna do it for Dus and Lazarre and Indie. You put a rap on this one.
But folks, we're just getting started here in the off season. Free agency is just about to start. We got the draft around the corner, big boards, mock drafts, you know it all.
We love it.
We're here to win it. We're gotta get the team. We've got to get this team back in the playoffs. We need some talent. So it's an exciting spring. We're excited to see all the moves the Patriots are gonna make, and we'll be here with you every step of the way.
