Player Bio: Jon Halapio
Name: Jon Halapio
Position: Guard
School: Florida
Selected: Round 6, Pick 179 overall
Height: 6’3
Weight: 323
Strengths:
- Big, thick body with a fierce mentality
- Can drive defenders, anchor on the line
- Tough, played through a torn pectoral his senior year
- Team captain, 43 career starts
Weaknesses:
- Lower body technique needs work
- Struggle to react, poor balance with contact
- Limited blocking range
- Run block mauler, but needs work in pass protection
- Injuries may be a concern
Analysis:
The Patriots went back to the Florida pipeline to grab another offensive lineman. Halapio is a big-bodied mauler that will need work on pass protection in order to develop at the NFL level. He's tough and is a warrior in the trenches. Despite a torn pectoral, he pushed through the pain and then wanted to prove he was better than his 2013 tape in the pre-draft process.
Halapio needs some work, but has the potential to be a solid NFL guard. The Patriots needed to inject some youth to their line, they did just that. Expect Halapio to be a backup lineman to start, maybe coming in on short-yardage situations.
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