Tune-in as we break down how the latest free agency moves by the Patriots could affect their draft strategy in April. Evan Lazar breaks down the tight end class while we discuss the quarterbacks and take a look at common mock draft themes for the Patriots.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is Patriots Draft Countdown presented by bud Light. Welcome
to an NFL draft posted by the writers of Patriots
dot Com. From now until you hear the New England
Patriots slife.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
The countdown is on.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome to the Patriots Draft Countdown presented by bud Light.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Welcome everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
This is Patriots Draft Countdown presented by bud Light.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Easy to drink, easy to enjoy, bud Light.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
The official fear sponsor of the New England Patriots. And
we're excited here to be back in studio for another
episode of Patriots Draft Countdown. Guys, we had free agency,
a lot of moves made by the Patriots, specifically on
the defensive side of the ball, and what we just
want to discuss here is how's it gonna affect their
draft plans? Paul, they were heavy on the defensive side
of the ball. What are your takeaways and how they
might affect the draft.
Speaker 5 (00:45):
Yeah, starting to hear a lot of people being let's say, worried,
might be an understatement about neglecting the offense. I have
to think that they're going to lean a little bit
more heavily on that side of the ball come draft time. Now,
the problem with that is that's great in theory, but
how does it work out in practice?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Who's available?
Speaker 5 (01:02):
You need a left tackle, you need more than just
a left tackle up front, you need a wide receiver.
Will those spots be worthy of taking someone at number
four with those positions? I should say that time will tell,
but I have to think they're going to weigh heavily
on offense.
Speaker 6 (01:18):
Mike Evan, you.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Put out another mock draft this week. How did the
free agency affect your thoughts.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
That went into this Monck draft?
Speaker 7 (01:23):
Yeah, offense. Offense was the first two picks. I mean,
I took Campbell and Jayden Higgins from ioways stay with
my first two picks. But I think that's really what
it came down to when I did that mock drafts
order of operations, like at which position do you want
to address first? Obviously it's going to depend on which
player you have great at higher you know, is it
Ted McMillan, and then a tackle, is it Campbell?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
And then a receiver.
Speaker 7 (01:43):
I think that's the direction that we're headed in. But
it's just a matter of, you know, finding the value
of where it hit those spots. You mentioned that they
need more than just tackle. Do you think one of
the benefits of this draft is a very good guard class,
a very deep You could probably find a third or
fourth round starters at guard in particular, especially with all
the tackles that could be guards from college to the pros.
(02:04):
So I feel pretty good about them finding another guard
that can compete at left guard, maybe even somebody that
can flex the center as well. It's gonna be those
two positions though, and just what order do you go
in and how do you find that best value there?
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Yeah, let's took out to you matismos from this last
week of free agency.
Speaker 6 (02:20):
I mean, the defense is all you want to say,
taken care of now, but we still have questions at receiver.
The O line has some questions. I think some Patriots
fans were a little upset that there are some trades
made around the league, and I think the Patriots maybe
could have got involved in that. But I mean, now
it's April. See what happens at receiver.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
So coming up later in the show, Matisa and Chris
Cassidy satdown broke down some of the mock drafts. How
teams are you know other I guess pundits around the
league view what the Patriots are gonna do. But guys,
it seems like we're always kind of coming back to
the same names up there at fourth.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Overall.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
For me, though, it seems like a no brainer if
Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter is there. And I know
we've been saying this for months now, but if those
two guys are there, Paul is, are those the slam
dunk guys? Is that the best case scenario one of
those two.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
They would be.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
For me, I absolutely would jump all over Travis Hunter
if he were to slip to four. Mike, I'm a
little bit more interested in what you might do if
those two guys were to not be on the board
at number four.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Well, that's the hard decision, and I put out a
mock traft last week that we'll get into it.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I'm sure Matisa and.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Chris are going to tear it apart, but you know,
just making a case or at least bringing up the
discussion for you know, player like Ashtrion genty in. Look,
I understand running back, it's a devalue position a little
bit this year, and the Patriots have a lot of needs.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Though, it's just standing out.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
In my eye that the Patriots were a terrible run
team last year, and that might be a way to
support Drake May.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
But I think there are a.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Lot of, you know, different options. We've talked about Daniel
Jeremiah his view of this draft going from ten to
thirty even not a lot of change. So it really
puts I think, have pressure on the scouting staff to
get it right. We don't want to be looking back
five years from now and saying, man, we had the
stud staring at us in the face at fourth overall
and we were trying to fill a need, or we
(03:56):
went away from our board and we tried to make
something work. I think they just have to nail this
pick and get a talented player.
Speaker 7 (04:02):
Yeah, there's always a chance that that happens in any draft,
that somebody slips through the cracks or falls a little
bit that ends up being, you know, a great generational player.
But I think in a draft like this, fit is
going to be a big part of it, whether that's
positional needs or just to fit in your system and
in your program. And I think for a guy like
Mike Rabel that is going to hold some weight in
(04:24):
this draft because there's not a big talent gap between
the others, not Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter, but everybody else,
character and intangibles and fit in. How he's going to
help them, you know, and run this program and establish
this program might end up being as a big factor
in this decision because you might look at the board
(04:45):
and you might say, picks four through twelve, we kind
of have everybody graded similarly.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
So what are going to be the deal breakers?
Speaker 7 (04:52):
The position that they play, and if the staff likes
the guy or not, right like, those are going to
end up ultimately being the deal breakers. And that's why
when I hear just pick the best player available, I
don't know if that necessarily applies to a draft like this.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
And that's an interesting factor that Evan brings up because
there are a lot of people that see this as
a very level draft in terms whatever number you want
to go down to. Is it four, is at five,
you know, ten to forty? Is it more like four
to forty. There's a lot of people that think there's
not a lot to choose from these different guys. So
the factors that Evan's talking about might make the difference
(05:27):
as to where you lean and Mike, I think you
made a really good point about the draft in general,
and it's true every year you have to make sure
you hit on the picks so you can do what
Evan said in say Campbell and Hawkins with your first
two picks and say, well, we're addressing the offense.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Well, that's if.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Those two guys can play so and there's no guarantees
of that, and that's what makes it a little bit
more difficult. And I think the challenge this year is
finding difference making players regardless of position. That's why I
kind of lean on the best player available. But I
understand what Evan's talking about with fit and culture and
all those other things, because there's not a lot to
choose from between say Tep McMillan and Tyler Warren and
(06:06):
Ashton genty and and you know, Will Campbell this. You know,
there's something for everybody. It depends on what your preference
happens to be.
Speaker 7 (06:12):
Yeah, like Tech McMillan, sorry Duce, but like Teed McMillan
is such a great example of the fit thing because
he would be the first receiver since Mike Evans in
twenty fourteen to go top fifteen that ran a four
or five plus in the forty yard dash. So when
you draft Tep McMillan, you have to have a plan
of how are we going to use Tep McMillan, How
does he fit into our offense?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
And if Josh McDaniels says he's not really my.
Speaker 7 (06:34):
Type of receiver, then you don't reach on a player
like that in a draft like this because of that.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
So, like there's so many examples of that.
Speaker 7 (06:42):
You know, Mason Graham, does he have too much overlap
with Milon Williams? Like is there going to be redundancy
there that now all of a sudden, there's value just
isn't as high to the Patriots.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So you have to be careful in this draft.
Speaker 7 (06:53):
I think of, you know, what's the plan for this player,
what's the vision, where's the playing time for him? You know,
where is his role going to be in your offense
or your defense? Because if you can't make the player work,
then then you're in a really tough spot.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
He's free agency isn't quite over yet though, and there
are still some players out there. Kim Robinson's a popular name,
you know, Amari Cooper, Stefan Diggs. The Patriots could still
make some additions. Do you feel like they still have
some holes to plug. With some of those veterans who
might cost you a little bit more money, you might
not quite get the return you want.
Speaker 6 (07:23):
I think there are definitely some holes, but we've whiffed
on so many receivers. I think a guy like Stefan Diggs,
you faced him for the past three years in Buffalo,
you played him again last year with the Texans, like
I think bringing somebody in like that brings a lot
of value to the team. Similar with a Marii Cooper
and Mac Hollins kind of brings that in. But you
gotta hit nail head there.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
All right, Well, that's gonna do it here at this
first segment. But we've got a jam Pack show. Hope
you'll stick around. We got Evan's got a film breakdown
coming up, and then later in the show we'll also
break down the quarterbacks in addition to Chris and Matis
breaking down the recent mock draft. So jam Pack Show,
check out Evan's film review here.
Speaker 7 (07:57):
What's up, everybody, It's Evan Lazarre. Welcome into the Page
Treats Draft Countdown film Room. We're gonna talk about the
tight ends here today. My top five tight ends in
this draft. We're gonna break all these guys down individually
here in a second, But I want to start at
the top with Penn State's tight end Tyler Warren, top
ten projected pick in this class. We get to his
film here and show you why he's so highly coveted
(08:20):
here in this draft cycle. And I look at Tyler
Warren a couple different things that stand out about him
on film, the first one being we can play bully ball.
We can just be a man amongst boys. This is
gronk esque from him in the red zone. So we're
gonna just run the sem here out of the slot.
And as we roll this play, we're gonna get off
some physical coverage. We're gonna get up the seam, and
(08:41):
we're just gonna make ourselves available. We're gonna high point
the ball over the defender in massam. Right. That's what
we can do at six foot five, two hundred and
sixty pounds that other tight ends simply cannot do. Now,
we know he can play bullyball, we know he can
out muscle guys. But I also think that he's got
some bursts and some wiggle at the top of the route.
So he's gonn run a litle option here, get himself open,
(09:02):
and then turn up the field. Nice little inch concept
there by Penn State, and then this next clip right
now show off that versatility. Now, I don't think that
the wildcat is gonna be a big part of what
he's gonna bring to the table if he's drafted by
the Patriots. But the reason why I want to show
you him operating in the wildcat is because of how
smooth and explosive he is as a ball carrier in
(09:23):
the open field. Again, remember this is a six foot five,
two hundred and fifty plus tight end that is moving
like a running back. And watch him tightrope the sideline
and nearly get into the end zone here. That's pretty
rare at that size. The last one here, we have
the receiving ability, we have the yards after the catch,
and the ball carrying skill. Let's get to the blocking
right here on the end of the line of scrimmage,
(09:43):
we're gonna get to We're gonna bump this guy over first.
Then we're gonna get to the dB here on the outside.
And look at the rushing waye that he creates right
there for his running back.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
So you can block.
Speaker 7 (09:53):
He can catch passes. He can run with the football
in his hands. That's why Tyler Warren is a projected
top ten pick in this year's class. A couple of
other guys I want to highlight here before we wrap
this up. Colson Lovelin from Michigan, big, big fan of his.
He is more in Natt Travis Kelcey Brock Bauers archetype.
If Tyler Warren is like baby Gronk, I would say
(10:13):
Colson Lovelin similar to those guys. Explosive receiver bersie and
his routes really can make big plays happen in the
passing game. He's not a nothing blocker. I'd say he's
an above average blocker. But really, what you're getting with
Colson Lovelin is a jumbo receiver that can make big plays.
A couple other guys here on day two. You want
your seam runner, your crosser artist right there with Elijah
(10:36):
Royo from Miami. Harold Fannin had that big year last year,
record breaking season for Bowling Green. But the last name
I want to highlight here is Mason Taylor. We know
all about his father, Jason Taylor, from his days with
the Miami Dolphins, he's a younger prospect, had a great
Senior Bowl week, fantastic ball skills, really natural hands catcher
there by Mason Taylor. So those are my top five
(10:58):
tight ends. Tyler Warren obvious slee in play there at
number four overall for the Patriots, but just in general,
a really strong class.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
What's up, everybody, I'm a tease bowmen here with Chris Cassi.
We got a new segment on the Patriots Draft Countdown
podcast presented by Bud Light. We're gonna break down some
of the Patriots mock drafts from the experts around the league.
This is all available on the patriots dot com mock
draft track. We want to talk about it live, so
Chris our very own Mike do so we'll get started
with it.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Sure it up with money?
Speaker 6 (11:25):
Has the Patriots select an Ashton genty from Boise State?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I mean, all right, this is my take on that.
All right, Patriots will need a running back in this draft.
In my opinion, I think there's a lot of running backs,
a lot of depth there. I don't know if you
take Ashton, gents have four. Yeah. My only thought here
is there's more important needs to be filled and you
need you need the ausome tackle. You need a left tackle.
(11:50):
You got Morgan Moses. We can play right tackle forever,
who has played right tackle forever.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
I wish you could play for it.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yeah, yeah, but you need the wide receiver and you
need the left tackle. You know, Travis Hunter is really
appealing there at four Ashton Gentsy. I don't know if
he really gets it done for you there. Yeah, I
think there's more valuable options if you want to get
Ashton gents maybe trade back some sort of scenario like that.
Speaker 6 (12:13):
But so I viewed genty as a luxury pick. I
think if the Patriots sooner situation similar to the Bengals
in twenty twenty one, I believe, where Joe Burrow hurt
his knee, but the team was pretty set. They hurt
his knee, they get Jamar Chase. Look where they are
Patriots aren't in that situation. We have the quarterback, but
we have so many other needs that I don't think
it's the right pick.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
What I would compare it to as well, though, is
like the Derrick Henry coming into the draft, like he
has that much promise and he's that good at his position,
but he needs to go to a team that specifically
needs that needs to fill their running back hole.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
And that being said, Chris, we'll get to this in
the next couple episodes. This is a pretty deep running
back class. So if you if you pass on genty,
you're good. But Deuce, I love the h the ambition,
I like it. I like it got the pep talking.
So Chris, we move on to Daniel Jeremiah mel kiper ESPN,
and we also throw Evan Lazar in there with his
mock Draft one point zero. Travis Hunter cornerback, wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
I mean, I think that's the most appealing pick YEP
in this draft. I mean, you're one two punch in
the draft in this twenty twenty five draft. Abdul Carter,
Travis Hunter. I think those are your one two guy
top two guys in the draft really can step up
immediate starters depending on where they're putting them on the ball.
Travis Hunter, as we're talking about right now, I mean,
(13:30):
he could be your wide receiver one if he wanted
to better himself. I think he needs to get his
hands in a better spot. I think he's a little
bit better defensively. That's just my opinion. But the Patriots
need like both sides, you know what I mean. So,
however you want to use him, I think Travis Hunter's
your guy. You can kind of utilize it and work
around it any way you want.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
Yeah, he's optioned one B for me. One A we'll
get to later, but one be just him being a receiver.
That instinct really helps him be a cornerback as well.
But the Patriots added Carlton Davis, so you got Gonzo Davis,
you could put Travis Hunter there. So, hey, if you
get him, you're scary already.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
If you want to use Travis Hunter as a wide
receiver primarily, you can still use him in your nickel package.
He is, like, he has so much experience playing both
sides of the ball. You could throw him out there
for twenty five percent of the defensive snaps in a
game and he'll be productive for you.
Speaker 6 (14:21):
And Chris, So those are those are three big names there, Dan,
Jemiah melkiper Junior, and our own Evan Lazar. But we'll
get onto the pick number three. From mock draft number three,
we got Josh Edwards, Chris Japasso from CBS Sports, and
Evan Lazar's most recent mock draft two point zero which
just went up on Patriots dot Com. They have him
taking Will Campbell offensive tackle l now.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Now Will Campbell another guy. I mean, I don't want
do you want? Does Armlake matter? Absolutely? I don't think
it matters in the case for Will Campbell. I think
he's one of the best offensive line blockers in college football.
I think he's he's got great speed. Whatever you need
him to do, he'll do it. So that being said,
(15:06):
as a tackle, you could put him there, I'm sure
he'll be productive. Could he maybe be more productive on
an interior line position possibly, which we need now? Absolutely? Yeah, absolutely,
So you kind of have to gauge that situation. I
do think Will Campbell will be productive out of tackle spot.
Me personally, I don't know if I would go to
the Campbell route. I just I don't know. I feel like, again,
(15:30):
I'm so set on the Travis Hunter and.
Speaker 6 (15:32):
Well, definitely Chris that being said, But that being said,
it's not the sexy pick. That's the least sexy out
of all of it. But he's he's a grinder and
people forget beginning of the year for twenty four. I mean,
he was consensus pick number one before Hunter hit the scene.
An Abdol Carter. So, I mean, I don't really believe
the arm length thing. I kind of put it like
DK Metcalf with the three cone drill. If he can play,
you can play. But I'd be okay with it. But
(15:54):
out of the people we've mentioned so far, my least favorite.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, again, I like him a lot, but I think
there's more through left tackles in this draft.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
Yep, all right, so Chris, we move on for me.
Pick one A. We got Field Yates, Charles Davis, Abdull Carter,
Penn State number four, overall.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Absolute menace on the field. I mean his body like
he's your pure edge rusher, Like he's the guy you
want to line up week one, and he's going to
have immedia production on the field. And I just think
on everyone's draft boards, regardless of needs, he's everybody's one one. Yeah,
it just comes down to what teams specifically need at
(16:34):
that point.
Speaker 6 (16:35):
I mean, Chris, if the Titans take cam Ward, Browns
take Sudarry, you're getting one of those other three guys
we've said. That being said Abdul Carter, it kind of
reminds me of the twenty seventeen draft. The Browns took
Miles Garrett. They needed a quarterback. Listen, that draft had Mahomes, Watson,
Christian McCaffrey, and they picked Miles Garrett. And I think
(16:55):
the Patriots are their best spot because we have the quarterback.
So if we can take Abdol cart Are at four,
it's from the football guys, you run with it and
you're good.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
I agree. I think he's your one A. Like like
you said earlier, I think one A Abdula Carter, one
B Travis Hunter. And people are gonna be back and
forth on the Travis Hunter pick because they're like, oh,
well we have gone zone. Yes, we signed Carlton Davis.
Of course those are important, and people again are skeptical
at some points of Travis Hunter's wide receiver game. But
I just athletically and what you'd be able to do
(17:25):
with these guys on the field, I think those have
to year one A, one B.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
So, Chris, this is just the week after free agency.
A lot more to come. More mock drafts have come.
Our next segment, we're gonna be doing our own three
round mock, so we'll let you know what we do.
We break that down, But guys, thanks for tuning in
let's get back to the rest of the Patriots Draft
count on Podcasts presented by Bud Light.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Okay, the first position we're breaking down here is the
position guys I'm glad that we got last year because
it's pretty barren out there as far as the quarterbacks
this year. Two guys atop the list though, cam Ward
Shadur Sanders, two guys that I think we're all hoping
that maybe go in the top five or sorry, top
three really and push down Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter
maybe to the Patriots. That's probably the most interesting thing
(18:08):
about these quarterbacks this year. But Paul's start with you,
just what are your impression with those top two guys.
Speaker 5 (18:13):
I would think you nailed the setting there. That's exactly
what the Patriots are hoping for both of those guys
to go in the top three. I don't think it's
gonna happen because to me, it's really not the top
two guys. It's the top one guy, cam Ward and
then the next guy, Shado Sanders, and I do think
there's a gap between Sanders and the rest, but I
think there's also a gap between Ward and Sanders. So
(18:35):
I'm sort of intrigued. I liked cam Ward at Washington
State a lot. I didn't see him as much last
year in Miami. I know he was a little sort
of up and down. They had an explosive offense, but
there's a lot of skills there I think to work with,
and I think that you guys would know better coming
back from the combine a few weeks ago. It seems
like the NFL guys are a little bit more sold
(18:56):
on him than they are the rest.
Speaker 7 (18:57):
Yeah, I think you broke it down perfectly those tiers.
The question is just where does Schador fit into all
of this and what's his ceiling, what's his floor in
terms of where he goes in the draft. Cam Ward
feels like a top quarterback prospect a way that he's
being discussed by, you know, people that we spoke to
at the combine deuce and things like that. So he's
a he's got a free arm, you know, loose arm,
(19:19):
really can whip the ball anywhere from different arm angles,
has that whole like you know, gunslinger playmaker thing that
everybody likes nowadays, can run a little bit. I would
say that his skill set reminds me the most of
like a Russell Wilson type, you know, prime Russell Wilson,
with the way that he can throw the ball deep
and you know, move around and things like that. But
(19:39):
he's he's being talked about it a little bit differently
than the rest of this class. And if you're a
quarterback needy team, it's just a matter of, you know,
do you draft Shadoor Sanders in the first round or
do you draft a similar high floor guy like Will
Howard or something like that on Day two? And I
feel like that's where the Patriots are are circling, you know,
crossing their fingers that somebody jumps early Tez we.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Saw Should Sanders at the combine. Does not lack for
confidence at all. I said, I think he's got all
this dad's confidence, maybe not quite all his dad's skill.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
But what do you think is Should would if this
was your team, would you make the move for him?
I am a chador guy, But that being said, this
is just it's not a strong class. You always see
quarterbacks be hyped up. Every year has shades of twenty
twenty two with Pickett and rock Party, which is funny
because Pickett just won a Super Bowl, won a Super
Bowl and party's mister irrelevant. But that being said, I
like Shador. He's more of a pro typical quarterback compared
(20:30):
to cam Ward. I think the question is if you're
one of those teams, is this the guy like you're
drafted in one or two? Is that like you're gonna
have to bank on him for a couple of years?
You want to go through the growing pains again, or
maybe get a better player like Abdol Carter or Travis Hunter,
which would be bad for the Patriots obviously, and then
deal with the growing pains.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
So I was hoping you were gonna talk me into
the going overall.
Speaker 7 (20:51):
Hey, I feel like I, you know, we come across
like Shador can't play at all.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Sometimes I think he's a good player.
Speaker 7 (20:58):
Yeah, I just think that there's questions of out how
good of a player is he going to be?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
What's his ceiling?
Speaker 7 (21:03):
I think he's really polished actually for this point, you know,
pocket poised mechanics. He throws a good ball, but there
isn't that wow factor when you watch his tape.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
Well, that being said too, he's playing behind a very
bad offensive line. That being said, some of the teams
draft him, would that would draft him don't have the
best line, but it'd be interesting to see if he
falls in the right place what his potential could be.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Yeah, moving down the list a little bit, Jackson Dart.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Did you see him down to the Senior Bowl?
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (21:27):
Yeah, so you got to see the ball week ever apparently.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Well it was for a while there we were talking
about he's gonna elevate. It seems like that's maybe settled
in a little bit. He's that maybe I don't want
to say B level because I'm not sure that Shador
is at B level guy, but he's that maybe seems
like that third guy to come.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
He's the wild card.
Speaker 7 (21:43):
You could fall in love with the traits with Jackson
Dart and I would totally understand it. If it was
seven on seven, Jackson Dart would would be a top
five pick, right. Like, guy can really sling it. He
throws a great ball, He's got a great arm. He
can throw on the run, he can throw from the pocket.
He really has no limitations from a physical standpoint. But
he played in one of those college air raid systems.
(22:05):
You know, there's a lot of RPO, there's a lot
of one read things that were going on for him
there at Ole Miss, so like he's going to have
to prove that, you know, he can do a little
bit more than I think some of the things he
showed in college at the next level. But he's got
a lot of traits that you can fall in love with.
And when you see him in a practice setting, like
down in Mobile where he's wearing a non contact jersey
(22:26):
and he's just kind of standing there throwing balls in practice,
I can tell why people would watch that and say,
this guy's got something going here.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
But you watch his.
Speaker 7 (22:35):
College tape and it's just a roller coaster. It's just
a lot of ups and downs.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
I mean, from a pure skills standpoint, I think you
can make an argument he's more skilled than Sanders. But
everything Evan said is right in that whole Old Miss system.
And there's a reason why those quarterbacks and there's some
good guys with good skills, like Matt Carrall was a
guy obviously the Patriots fans are, you know, mildly familiar with.
There's a reason why different teams are giving those guys
(23:01):
opportunities because they were enamored with the skill sets. But
I think that the system down there, while it's a
very effective college system hasn't necessariarily translated. I think if
you look back to like Texas Tech, you know, the
old Mike Leech Air raid, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Kind of a thing.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
A lot of those guys just didn't work, you know
when they got to the NFL, and then all of
a sudden, Patrick Mahomes came. So maybe Jackson Dart's the
guy that sort of breaks them old. I'd be a
little bit more skeptical the way Evan sounded. I think
he can play. I think physically he's a guy I
wouldn't mind taking a chance on in day two as
a developmental guy. You mentioned Will Howard also, I would
(23:39):
be in on those guys as a developmental guy. But
if you think you're gonna like, oh, I'm gonna I'm
gonna beat the system. I'm gonna take Jackson Dart at
twenty two and I'm going to have my guy, I
don't think it's gonna work out for you.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Yeah, but I want you don't need to believe in
this position too much. But you guys mentioned Will Howard,
Riley Leonard, two guys that faced each other in the
National Championship Game, and Quinn your is another name I
would just throw in there guys that are to have
some name brand recognition. But as we get to the draft,
you mentioned Will Howard is maybe a guy with a
floor and maybe worth working with. But what do you
guys think of those those three teas.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
It's just interesting you see Quin yours, Will Howard, all
those guys, I wonder where they're gonna end up falling
because the drop is pre significant. You also have guys
like Jalen Milroe, Like, they all have some positive traits.
So I think they're gonna end up in the fourth round,
like you could take a shot on them. But if
that case, you probably said a quarterback, they're gonna develop
for a couple of years.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Day three guys I would agree with with tease, and
you know I would. You know, Tyler Shock is a
guy that you know, I don't know if if there's
ever been a more experienced quarterback.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Coming out of college.
Speaker 5 (24:37):
I mean seven seasons three at Oregon, three at Texas Tech,
and last year at Louisville. Maybe he's too old.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I really liked him at the Combine in the podium,
I just found him. I thought he presented himself well, you.
Speaker 5 (24:48):
Know, obviously, you know everybody looks at Jayden Daniels. Now
you know he played six years and how you need
that experience and.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
That's how you do it. So maybe he'll get a
look as a Day three guy. Maybe not, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
But he's a guy that sort of had some periods
of productivity in college.
Speaker 7 (25:04):
Yeah, you mentioned the Howards, the Leonards. I think those
guys are backups to maybe low end starter talents just
in terms of their ceiling. But Tyler Show is one
of those guys that had six foot five, two hundred
and twenty five pounds, and.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
You watch his tape.
Speaker 7 (25:19):
He's like kind of the Draft Knicks favorite quarterback in
this class because he just makes some throws that are
just you know, from ridiculous arm angles and stuff like that.
There's one of him in the red zone where I
don't really know if a human arm is supposed to
go at that angle, and he just like kind of
flips it almost like underhand to a receiver. And so
he does a lot of that kind of stuff on
tape that gets clipped and put on Twitter and things
(25:39):
like that, and makes the rounds.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
The other guy.
Speaker 7 (25:42):
I think that has some upside that teams could take
a chance on his Jalen Milroe, I just look at him.
His ability to run obviously is a big part of it.
But if you build an offense around him like Philly
did with Jalen Hurts, and it specializes in the things
that he can do, then I do think that you
could make a productive offense around Jalen Milroe. A little
raw still as a passer, but can really whip it,
(26:04):
can run. I would look at him as someone that
if you want to bet on trades, you know, those
two guys are the trades guys, and then Howard and
Riley Leonard and those guys are sort of the floor,
you know, backup types.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
I mean, I agree with Evan also with Milroe. You
look at the beginning of the college season. I mean
they were saying he was going to go top five. So,
I mean the talent is there and it'll be very interesting.
Maybe gets that backup role, somebody gets hurt, give him
a chance, see what happens.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Yeah, anybody else that I didn't mention that you guys
are a particularly interested in and not a big position
to need for the Patriots.
Speaker 6 (26:32):
Patriots got lucky. That's all I'm gonna say.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
True enough, Drake May last year, so that's going to
do it for the quarterback positional preview as well as
this episode of Patriots Draft Countdown. We'll back next week
when I have a jam packed episode
This is Patriots Draft Countdown presented by bud Light. Welcome
to an NFL draft posted by the writers of Patriots
dot Com. From now until you hear the New England
Patriots slife.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
The countdown is on.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Welcome to the Patriots Draft Countdown presented by bud Light.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Welcome everybody.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
This is Patriots Draft Countdown presented by bud Light.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Easy to drink, easy to enjoy, bud Light.
Speaker 4 (00:26):
The official fear sponsor of the New England Patriots. And
we're excited here to be back in studio for another
episode of Patriots Draft Countdown. Guys, we had free agency,
a lot of moves made by the Patriots, specifically on
the defensive side of the ball, and what we just
want to discuss here is how's it gonna affect their
draft plans? Paul, they were heavy on the defensive side
of the ball. What are your takeaways and how they
might affect the draft.
Speaker 5 (00:45):
Yeah, starting to hear a lot of people being let's say, worried,
might be an understatement about neglecting the offense. I have
to think that they're going to lean a little bit
more heavily on that side of the ball come draft time. Now,
the problem with that is that's great in theory, but
how does it work out in practice?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Who's available?
Speaker 5 (01:02):
You need a left tackle, you need more than just
a left tackle up front, you need a wide receiver.
Will those spots be worthy of taking someone at number
four with those positions? I should say that time will tell,
but I have to think they're going to weigh heavily
on offense.
Speaker 6 (01:18):
Mike Evan, you.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
Put out another mock draft this week. How did the
free agency affect your thoughts.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
That went into this Monck draft?
Speaker 7 (01:23):
Yeah, offense. Offense was the first two picks. I mean,
I took Campbell and Jayden Higgins from ioways stay with
my first two picks. But I think that's really what
it came down to when I did that mock drafts
order of operations, like at which position do you want
to address first? Obviously it's going to depend on which
player you have great at higher you know, is it
Ted McMillan, and then a tackle, is it Campbell?
Speaker 2 (01:41):
And then a receiver.
Speaker 7 (01:43):
I think that's the direction that we're headed in. But
it's just a matter of, you know, finding the value
of where it hit those spots. You mentioned that they
need more than just tackle. Do you think one of
the benefits of this draft is a very good guard class,
a very deep You could probably find a third or
fourth round starters at guard in particular, especially with all
the tackles that could be guards from college to the pros.
(02:04):
So I feel pretty good about them finding another guard
that can compete at left guard, maybe even somebody that
can flex the center as well. It's gonna be those
two positions though, and just what order do you go
in and how do you find that best value there?
Speaker 4 (02:17):
Yeah, let's took out to you matismos from this last
week of free agency.
Speaker 6 (02:20):
I mean, the defense is all you want to say,
taken care of now, but we still have questions at receiver.
The O line has some questions. I think some Patriots
fans were a little upset that there are some trades
made around the league, and I think the Patriots maybe
could have got involved in that. But I mean, now
it's April. See what happens at receiver.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
So coming up later in the show, Matisa and Chris
Cassidy satdown broke down some of the mock drafts. How
teams are you know other I guess pundits around the
league view what the Patriots are gonna do. But guys,
it seems like we're always kind of coming back to
the same names up there at fourth.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Overall.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
For me, though, it seems like a no brainer if
Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter is there. And I know
we've been saying this for months now, but if those
two guys are there, Paul is, are those the slam
dunk guys? Is that the best case scenario one of
those two.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
They would be.
Speaker 5 (03:02):
For me, I absolutely would jump all over Travis Hunter
if he were to slip to four. Mike, I'm a
little bit more interested in what you might do if
those two guys were to not be on the board
at number four.
Speaker 4 (03:14):
Well, that's the hard decision, and I put out a
mock traft last week that we'll get into it.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
I'm sure Matisa and.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
Chris are going to tear it apart, but you know,
just making a case or at least bringing up the
discussion for you know, player like Ashtrion genty in. Look,
I understand running back, it's a devalue position a little
bit this year, and the Patriots have a lot of needs.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Though, it's just standing out.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
In my eye that the Patriots were a terrible run
team last year, and that might be a way to
support Drake May.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
But I think there are a.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Lot of, you know, different options. We've talked about Daniel
Jeremiah his view of this draft going from ten to
thirty even not a lot of change. So it really
puts I think, have pressure on the scouting staff to
get it right. We don't want to be looking back
five years from now and saying, man, we had the
stud staring at us in the face at fourth overall
and we were trying to fill a need, or we
(03:56):
went away from our board and we tried to make
something work. I think they just have to nail this
pick and get a talented player.
Speaker 7 (04:02):
Yeah, there's always a chance that that happens in any draft,
that somebody slips through the cracks or falls a little
bit that ends up being, you know, a great generational player.
But I think in a draft like this, fit is
going to be a big part of it, whether that's
positional needs or just to fit in your system and
in your program. And I think for a guy like
Mike Rabel that is going to hold some weight in
(04:24):
this draft because there's not a big talent gap between
the others, not Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter, but everybody else,
character and intangibles and fit in. How he's going to
help them, you know, and run this program and establish
this program might end up being as a big factor
in this decision because you might look at the board
(04:45):
and you might say, picks four through twelve, we kind
of have everybody graded similarly.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
So what are going to be the deal breakers?
Speaker 7 (04:52):
The position that they play, and if the staff likes
the guy or not, right like, those are going to
end up ultimately being the deal breakers. And that's why
when I hear just pick the best player available, I
don't know if that necessarily applies to a draft like this.
Speaker 5 (05:06):
And that's an interesting factor that Evan brings up because
there are a lot of people that see this as
a very level draft in terms whatever number you want
to go down to. Is it four, is at five,
you know, ten to forty? Is it more like four
to forty. There's a lot of people that think there's
not a lot to choose from these different guys. So
the factors that Evan's talking about might make the difference
(05:27):
as to where you lean and Mike, I think you
made a really good point about the draft in general,
and it's true every year you have to make sure
you hit on the picks so you can do what
Evan said in say Campbell and Hawkins with your first
two picks and say, well, we're addressing the offense.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Well, that's if.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Those two guys can play so and there's no guarantees
of that, and that's what makes it a little bit
more difficult. And I think the challenge this year is
finding difference making players regardless of position. That's why I
kind of lean on the best player available. But I
understand what Evan's talking about with fit and culture and
all those other things, because there's not a lot to
choose from between say Tep McMillan and Tyler Warren and
(06:06):
Ashton genty and and you know, Will Campbell this. You know,
there's something for everybody. It depends on what your preference
happens to be.
Speaker 7 (06:12):
Yeah, like Tech McMillan, sorry Duce, but like Teed McMillan
is such a great example of the fit thing because
he would be the first receiver since Mike Evans in
twenty fourteen to go top fifteen that ran a four
or five plus in the forty yard dash. So when
you draft Tep McMillan, you have to have a plan
of how are we going to use Tep McMillan, How
does he fit into our offense?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
And if Josh McDaniels says he's not really my.
Speaker 7 (06:34):
Type of receiver, then you don't reach on a player
like that in a draft like this because of that.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
So, like there's so many examples of that.
Speaker 7 (06:42):
You know, Mason Graham, does he have too much overlap
with Milon Williams? Like is there going to be redundancy
there that now all of a sudden, there's value just
isn't as high to the Patriots.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
So you have to be careful in this draft.
Speaker 7 (06:53):
I think of, you know, what's the plan for this player,
what's the vision, where's the playing time for him? You know,
where is his role going to be in your offense
or your defense? Because if you can't make the player work,
then then you're in a really tough spot.
Speaker 4 (07:06):
He's free agency isn't quite over yet though, and there
are still some players out there. Kim Robinson's a popular name,
you know, Amari Cooper, Stefan Diggs. The Patriots could still
make some additions. Do you feel like they still have
some holes to plug. With some of those veterans who
might cost you a little bit more money, you might
not quite get the return you want.
Speaker 6 (07:23):
I think there are definitely some holes, but we've whiffed
on so many receivers. I think a guy like Stefan Diggs,
you faced him for the past three years in Buffalo,
you played him again last year with the Texans, like
I think bringing somebody in like that brings a lot
of value to the team. Similar with a Marii Cooper
and Mac Hollins kind of brings that in. But you
gotta hit nail head there.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
All right, Well, that's gonna do it here at this
first segment. But we've got a jam Pack show. Hope
you'll stick around. We got Evan's got a film breakdown
coming up, and then later in the show we'll also
break down the quarterbacks in addition to Chris and Matis
breaking down the recent mock draft. So jam Pack Show,
check out Evan's film review here.
Speaker 7 (07:57):
What's up, everybody, It's Evan Lazarre. Welcome into the Page
Treats Draft Countdown film Room. We're gonna talk about the
tight ends here today. My top five tight ends in
this draft. We're gonna break all these guys down individually
here in a second, But I want to start at
the top with Penn State's tight end Tyler Warren, top
ten projected pick in this class. We get to his
film here and show you why he's so highly coveted
(08:20):
here in this draft cycle. And I look at Tyler
Warren a couple different things that stand out about him
on film, the first one being we can play bully ball.
We can just be a man amongst boys. This is
gronk esque from him in the red zone. So we're
gonna just run the sem here out of the slot.
And as we roll this play, we're gonna get off
some physical coverage. We're gonna get up the seam, and
(08:41):
we're just gonna make ourselves available. We're gonna high point
the ball over the defender in massam. Right. That's what
we can do at six foot five, two hundred and
sixty pounds that other tight ends simply cannot do. Now,
we know he can play bullyball, we know he can
out muscle guys. But I also think that he's got
some bursts and some wiggle at the top of the route.
So he's gonn run a litle option here, get himself open,
(09:02):
and then turn up the field. Nice little inch concept
there by Penn State, and then this next clip right
now show off that versatility. Now, I don't think that
the wildcat is gonna be a big part of what
he's gonna bring to the table if he's drafted by
the Patriots. But the reason why I want to show
you him operating in the wildcat is because of how
smooth and explosive he is as a ball carrier in
(09:23):
the open field. Again, remember this is a six foot five,
two hundred and fifty plus tight end that is moving
like a running back. And watch him tightrope the sideline
and nearly get into the end zone here. That's pretty
rare at that size. The last one here, we have
the receiving ability, we have the yards after the catch,
and the ball carrying skill. Let's get to the blocking
right here on the end of the line of scrimmage,
(09:43):
we're gonna get to We're gonna bump this guy over first.
Then we're gonna get to the dB here on the outside.
And look at the rushing waye that he creates right
there for his running back.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
So you can block.
Speaker 7 (09:53):
He can catch passes. He can run with the football
in his hands. That's why Tyler Warren is a projected
top ten pick in this year's class. A couple of
other guys I want to highlight here before we wrap
this up. Colson Lovelin from Michigan, big, big fan of his.
He is more in Natt Travis Kelcey Brock Bauers archetype.
If Tyler Warren is like baby Gronk, I would say
(10:13):
Colson Lovelin similar to those guys. Explosive receiver bersie and
his routes really can make big plays happen in the
passing game. He's not a nothing blocker. I'd say he's
an above average blocker. But really, what you're getting with
Colson Lovelin is a jumbo receiver that can make big plays.
A couple other guys here on day two. You want
your seam runner, your crosser artist right there with Elijah
(10:36):
Royo from Miami. Harold Fannin had that big year last year,
record breaking season for Bowling Green. But the last name
I want to highlight here is Mason Taylor. We know
all about his father, Jason Taylor, from his days with
the Miami Dolphins, he's a younger prospect, had a great
Senior Bowl week, fantastic ball skills, really natural hands catcher
there by Mason Taylor. So those are my top five
(10:58):
tight ends. Tyler Warren obvious slee in play there at
number four overall for the Patriots, but just in general,
a really strong class.
Speaker 6 (11:06):
What's up, everybody, I'm a tease bowmen here with Chris Cassi.
We got a new segment on the Patriots Draft Countdown
podcast presented by Bud Light. We're gonna break down some
of the Patriots mock drafts from the experts around the league.
This is all available on the patriots dot com mock
draft track. We want to talk about it live, so
Chris our very own Mike do so we'll get started
with it.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
Sure it up with money?
Speaker 6 (11:25):
Has the Patriots select an Ashton genty from Boise State?
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I mean, all right, this is my take on that.
All right, Patriots will need a running back in this draft.
In my opinion, I think there's a lot of running backs,
a lot of depth there. I don't know if you
take Ashton, gents have four. Yeah. My only thought here
is there's more important needs to be filled and you
need you need the ausome tackle. You need a left tackle.
(11:50):
You got Morgan Moses. We can play right tackle forever,
who has played right tackle forever.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
I wish you could play for it.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Yeah, yeah, but you need the wide receiver and you
need the left tackle. You know, Travis Hunter is really
appealing there at four Ashton Gentsy. I don't know if
he really gets it done for you there. Yeah, I
think there's more valuable options if you want to get
Ashton gents maybe trade back some sort of scenario like that.
Speaker 6 (12:13):
But so I viewed genty as a luxury pick. I
think if the Patriots sooner situation similar to the Bengals
in twenty twenty one, I believe, where Joe Burrow hurt
his knee, but the team was pretty set. They hurt
his knee, they get Jamar Chase. Look where they are
Patriots aren't in that situation. We have the quarterback, but
we have so many other needs that I don't think
it's the right pick.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
What I would compare it to as well, though, is
like the Derrick Henry coming into the draft, like he
has that much promise and he's that good at his position,
but he needs to go to a team that specifically
needs that needs to fill their running back hole.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
And that being said, Chris, we'll get to this in
the next couple episodes. This is a pretty deep running
back class. So if you if you pass on genty,
you're good. But Deuce, I love the h the ambition,
I like it. I like it got the pep talking.
So Chris, we move on to Daniel Jeremiah mel kiper ESPN,
and we also throw Evan Lazar in there with his
mock Draft one point zero. Travis Hunter cornerback, wide receiver.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
I mean, I think that's the most appealing pick YEP
in this draft. I mean, you're one two punch in
the draft in this twenty twenty five draft. Abdul Carter,
Travis Hunter. I think those are your one two guy
top two guys in the draft really can step up
immediate starters depending on where they're putting them on the ball.
Travis Hunter, as we're talking about right now, I mean,
(13:30):
he could be your wide receiver one if he wanted
to better himself. I think he needs to get his
hands in a better spot. I think he's a little
bit better defensively. That's just my opinion. But the Patriots
need like both sides, you know what I mean. So,
however you want to use him, I think Travis Hunter's
your guy. You can kind of utilize it and work
around it any way you want.
Speaker 6 (13:50):
Yeah, he's optioned one B for me. One A we'll
get to later, but one be just him being a receiver.
That instinct really helps him be a cornerback as well.
But the Patriots added Carlton Davis, so you got Gonzo Davis,
you could put Travis Hunter there. So, hey, if you
get him, you're scary already.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
If you want to use Travis Hunter as a wide
receiver primarily, you can still use him in your nickel package.
He is, like, he has so much experience playing both
sides of the ball. You could throw him out there
for twenty five percent of the defensive snaps in a
game and he'll be productive for you.
Speaker 6 (14:21):
And Chris, So those are those are three big names there, Dan,
Jemiah melkiper Junior, and our own Evan Lazar. But we'll
get onto the pick number three. From mock draft number three,
we got Josh Edwards, Chris Japasso from CBS Sports, and
Evan Lazar's most recent mock draft two point zero which
just went up on Patriots dot Com. They have him
taking Will Campbell offensive tackle l now.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Now Will Campbell another guy. I mean, I don't want
do you want? Does Armlake matter? Absolutely? I don't think
it matters in the case for Will Campbell. I think
he's one of the best offensive line blockers in college football.
I think he's he's got great speed. Whatever you need
him to do, he'll do it. So that being said,
(15:06):
as a tackle, you could put him there, I'm sure
he'll be productive. Could he maybe be more productive on
an interior line position possibly, which we need now? Absolutely? Yeah, absolutely,
So you kind of have to gauge that situation. I
do think Will Campbell will be productive out of tackle spot.
Me personally, I don't know if I would go to
the Campbell route. I just I don't know. I feel like, again,
(15:30):
I'm so set on the Travis Hunter and.
Speaker 6 (15:32):
Well, definitely Chris that being said, But that being said,
it's not the sexy pick. That's the least sexy out
of all of it. But he's he's a grinder and
people forget beginning of the year for twenty four. I mean,
he was consensus pick number one before Hunter hit the scene.
An Abdol Carter. So, I mean, I don't really believe
the arm length thing. I kind of put it like
DK Metcalf with the three cone drill. If he can play,
you can play. But I'd be okay with it. But
(15:54):
out of the people we've mentioned so far, my least favorite.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, again, I like him a lot, but I think
there's more through left tackles in this draft.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
Yep, all right, so Chris, we move on for me.
Pick one A. We got Field Yates, Charles Davis, Abdull Carter,
Penn State number four, overall.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Absolute menace on the field. I mean his body like
he's your pure edge rusher, Like he's the guy you
want to line up week one, and he's going to
have immedia production on the field. And I just think
on everyone's draft boards, regardless of needs, he's everybody's one one. Yeah,
it just comes down to what teams specifically need at
(16:34):
that point.
Speaker 6 (16:35):
I mean, Chris, if the Titans take cam Ward, Browns
take Sudarry, you're getting one of those other three guys
we've said. That being said Abdul Carter, it kind of
reminds me of the twenty seventeen draft. The Browns took
Miles Garrett. They needed a quarterback. Listen, that draft had Mahomes, Watson,
Christian McCaffrey, and they picked Miles Garrett. And I think
(16:55):
the Patriots are their best spot because we have the quarterback.
So if we can take Abdol cart Are at four,
it's from the football guys, you run with it and
you're good.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
I agree. I think he's your one A. Like like
you said earlier, I think one A Abdula Carter, one
B Travis Hunter. And people are gonna be back and
forth on the Travis Hunter pick because they're like, oh,
well we have gone zone. Yes, we signed Carlton Davis.
Of course those are important, and people again are skeptical
at some points of Travis Hunter's wide receiver game. But
I just athletically and what you'd be able to do
(17:25):
with these guys on the field, I think those have
to year one A, one B.
Speaker 6 (17:30):
So, Chris, this is just the week after free agency.
A lot more to come. More mock drafts have come.
Our next segment, we're gonna be doing our own three
round mock, so we'll let you know what we do.
We break that down, But guys, thanks for tuning in
let's get back to the rest of the Patriots Draft
count on Podcasts presented by Bud Light.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
Okay, the first position we're breaking down here is the
position guys I'm glad that we got last year because
it's pretty barren out there as far as the quarterbacks
this year. Two guys atop the list though, cam Ward
Shadur Sanders, two guys that I think we're all hoping
that maybe go in the top five or sorry, top
three really and push down Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter
maybe to the Patriots. That's probably the most interesting thing
(18:08):
about these quarterbacks this year. But Paul's start with you,
just what are your impression with those top two guys.
Speaker 5 (18:13):
I would think you nailed the setting there. That's exactly
what the Patriots are hoping for both of those guys
to go in the top three. I don't think it's
gonna happen because to me, it's really not the top
two guys. It's the top one guy, cam Ward and
then the next guy, Shado Sanders, and I do think
there's a gap between Sanders and the rest, but I
think there's also a gap between Ward and Sanders. So
(18:35):
I'm sort of intrigued. I liked cam Ward at Washington
State a lot. I didn't see him as much last
year in Miami. I know he was a little sort
of up and down. They had an explosive offense, but
there's a lot of skills there I think to work with,
and I think that you guys would know better coming
back from the combine a few weeks ago. It seems
like the NFL guys are a little bit more sold
(18:56):
on him than they are the rest.
Speaker 7 (18:57):
Yeah, I think you broke it down perfectly those tiers.
The question is just where does Schador fit into all
of this and what's his ceiling, what's his floor in
terms of where he goes in the draft. Cam Ward
feels like a top quarterback prospect a way that he's
being discussed by, you know, people that we spoke to
at the combine deuce and things like that. So he's
a he's got a free arm, you know, loose arm,
(19:19):
really can whip the ball anywhere from different arm angles,
has that whole like you know, gunslinger playmaker thing that
everybody likes nowadays, can run a little bit. I would
say that his skill set reminds me the most of
like a Russell Wilson type, you know, prime Russell Wilson,
with the way that he can throw the ball deep
and you know, move around and things like that. But
(19:39):
he's he's being talked about it a little bit differently
than the rest of this class. And if you're a
quarterback needy team, it's just a matter of, you know,
do you draft Shadoor Sanders in the first round or
do you draft a similar high floor guy like Will
Howard or something like that on Day two? And I
feel like that's where the Patriots are are circling, you know,
crossing their fingers that somebody jumps early Tez we.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Saw Should Sanders at the combine. Does not lack for
confidence at all. I said, I think he's got all
this dad's confidence, maybe not quite all his dad's skill.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
But what do you think is Should would if this
was your team, would you make the move for him?
I am a chador guy, But that being said, this
is just it's not a strong class. You always see
quarterbacks be hyped up. Every year has shades of twenty
twenty two with Pickett and rock Party, which is funny
because Pickett just won a Super Bowl, won a Super
Bowl and party's mister irrelevant. But that being said, I
like Shador. He's more of a pro typical quarterback compared
(20:30):
to cam Ward. I think the question is if you're
one of those teams, is this the guy like you're
drafted in one or two? Is that like you're gonna
have to bank on him for a couple of years?
You want to go through the growing pains again, or
maybe get a better player like Abdol Carter or Travis Hunter,
which would be bad for the Patriots obviously, and then
deal with the growing pains.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
So I was hoping you were gonna talk me into
the going overall.
Speaker 7 (20:51):
Hey, I feel like I, you know, we come across
like Shador can't play at all.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
Sometimes I think he's a good player.
Speaker 7 (20:58):
Yeah, I just think that there's questions of out how
good of a player is he going to be?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
What's his ceiling?
Speaker 7 (21:03):
I think he's really polished actually for this point, you know,
pocket poised mechanics. He throws a good ball, but there
isn't that wow factor when you watch his tape.
Speaker 6 (21:12):
Well, that being said too, he's playing behind a very
bad offensive line. That being said, some of the teams
draft him, would that would draft him don't have the
best line, but it'd be interesting to see if he
falls in the right place what his potential could be.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Yeah, moving down the list a little bit, Jackson Dart.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Did you see him down to the Senior Bowl?
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (21:27):
Yeah, so you got to see the ball week ever apparently.
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Well it was for a while there we were talking
about he's gonna elevate. It seems like that's maybe settled
in a little bit. He's that maybe I don't want
to say B level because I'm not sure that Shador
is at B level guy, but he's that maybe seems
like that third guy to come.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
He's the wild card.
Speaker 7 (21:43):
You could fall in love with the traits with Jackson
Dart and I would totally understand it. If it was
seven on seven, Jackson Dart would would be a top
five pick, right. Like, guy can really sling it. He
throws a great ball, He's got a great arm. He
can throw on the run, he can throw from the pocket.
He really has no limitations from a physical standpoint. But
he played in one of those college air raid systems.
(22:05):
You know, there's a lot of RPO, there's a lot
of one read things that were going on for him
there at Ole Miss, so like he's going to have
to prove that, you know, he can do a little
bit more than I think some of the things he
showed in college at the next level. But he's got
a lot of traits that you can fall in love with.
And when you see him in a practice setting, like
down in Mobile where he's wearing a non contact jersey
(22:26):
and he's just kind of standing there throwing balls in practice,
I can tell why people would watch that and say,
this guy's got something going here.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
But you watch his.
Speaker 7 (22:35):
College tape and it's just a roller coaster. It's just
a lot of ups and downs.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (22:39):
I mean, from a pure skills standpoint, I think you
can make an argument he's more skilled than Sanders. But
everything Evan said is right in that whole Old Miss system.
And there's a reason why those quarterbacks and there's some
good guys with good skills, like Matt Carrall was a
guy obviously the Patriots fans are, you know, mildly familiar with.
There's a reason why different teams are giving those guys
(23:01):
opportunities because they were enamored with the skill sets. But
I think that the system down there, while it's a
very effective college system hasn't necessariarily translated. I think if
you look back to like Texas Tech, you know, the
old Mike Leech Air raid, you know.
Speaker 2 (23:16):
Kind of a thing.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
A lot of those guys just didn't work, you know
when they got to the NFL, and then all of
a sudden, Patrick Mahomes came. So maybe Jackson Dart's the
guy that sort of breaks them old. I'd be a
little bit more skeptical the way Evan sounded. I think
he can play. I think physically he's a guy I
wouldn't mind taking a chance on in day two as
a developmental guy. You mentioned Will Howard also, I would
(23:39):
be in on those guys as a developmental guy. But
if you think you're gonna like, oh, I'm gonna I'm
gonna beat the system. I'm gonna take Jackson Dart at
twenty two and I'm going to have my guy, I
don't think it's gonna work out for you.
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Yeah, but I want you don't need to believe in
this position too much. But you guys mentioned Will Howard,
Riley Leonard, two guys that faced each other in the
National Championship Game, and Quinn your is another name I
would just throw in there guys that are to have
some name brand recognition. But as we get to the draft,
you mentioned Will Howard is maybe a guy with a
floor and maybe worth working with. But what do you
guys think of those those three teas.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
It's just interesting you see Quin yours, Will Howard, all
those guys, I wonder where they're gonna end up falling
because the drop is pre significant. You also have guys
like Jalen Milroe, Like, they all have some positive traits.
So I think they're gonna end up in the fourth round,
like you could take a shot on them. But if
that case, you probably said a quarterback, they're gonna develop
for a couple of years.
Speaker 5 (24:27):
Day three guys I would agree with with tease, and
you know I would. You know, Tyler Shock is a
guy that you know, I don't know if if there's
ever been a more experienced quarterback.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
Coming out of college.
Speaker 5 (24:37):
I mean seven seasons three at Oregon, three at Texas Tech,
and last year at Louisville. Maybe he's too old.
Speaker 4 (24:44):
I really liked him at the Combine in the podium,
I just found him. I thought he presented himself well, you.
Speaker 5 (24:48):
Know, obviously, you know everybody looks at Jayden Daniels. Now
you know he played six years and how you need
that experience and.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
That's how you do it. So maybe he'll get a
look as a Day three guy. Maybe not, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
But he's a guy that sort of had some periods
of productivity in college.
Speaker 7 (25:04):
Yeah, you mentioned the Howards, the Leonards. I think those
guys are backups to maybe low end starter talents just
in terms of their ceiling. But Tyler Show is one
of those guys that had six foot five, two hundred
and twenty five pounds, and.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
You watch his tape.
Speaker 7 (25:19):
He's like kind of the Draft Knicks favorite quarterback in
this class because he just makes some throws that are
just you know, from ridiculous arm angles and stuff like that.
There's one of him in the red zone where I
don't really know if a human arm is supposed to
go at that angle, and he just like kind of
flips it almost like underhand to a receiver. And so
he does a lot of that kind of stuff on
tape that gets clipped and put on Twitter and things
(25:39):
like that, and makes the rounds.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
The other guy.
Speaker 7 (25:42):
I think that has some upside that teams could take
a chance on his Jalen Milroe, I just look at him.
His ability to run obviously is a big part of it.
But if you build an offense around him like Philly
did with Jalen Hurts, and it specializes in the things
that he can do, then I do think that you
could make a productive offense around Jalen Milroe. A little
raw still as a passer, but can really whip it,
(26:04):
can run. I would look at him as someone that
if you want to bet on trades, you know, those
two guys are the trades guys, and then Howard and
Riley Leonard and those guys are sort of the floor,
you know, backup types.
Speaker 6 (26:15):
I mean, I agree with Evan also with Milroe. You
look at the beginning of the college season. I mean
they were saying he was going to go top five. So,
I mean the talent is there and it'll be very interesting.
Maybe gets that backup role, somebody gets hurt, give him
a chance, see what happens.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Yeah, anybody else that I didn't mention that you guys
are a particularly interested in and not a big position
to need for the Patriots.
Speaker 6 (26:32):
Patriots got lucky. That's all I'm gonna say.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
True enough, Drake May last year, so that's going to
do it for the quarterback positional preview as well as
this episode of Patriots Draft Countdown. We'll back next week
when I have a jam packed episode
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com