Great Blue North Draft Report
25 New England *Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia
This kid is great!
He is a stud, but look at the names late in the 1st round in that mock and there are a number of other directions to go that I think lead to a stronger team:
Michael Johnson/DE - He has had a down year so he may slip this far. If he does and the Pats project him to OLB and they believe football is important to him (lots of if's), then he is a freak of nature. He has prototype measurables for a Pats OLB, but need a serious look at the production drop this year.
Duke Robinson/OG - Giant road-grader that is solid in pass protection. Could even project to ORT for a time if Neal can stay healthy/productive.
Brian Cushing/LB - Assuming the roid rumors are false, you can play him all over the place (inside, outside, DE) and he'll be productive. Given the Pats situational formations (4-3, 3-4, 4-2-5, etc.), he has the ability to never come off the field.
Mike Mickens/CB - I think Alphonso Smith fits what the Pats have targeted recently and he should slip due to his size. Mickens has solid ball skills but I think the Pats could find equal quality later with the multiple 2nd/3rd round picks. The Pats D takes on a different look adding a lock-down corner.
Jason Smith/OT - Athletic tackle that fits what the Pats would likely look for in an eventual replacement for Light. He could start at ORT and be an immediate upgrade before making the transition to the left side.
Brandon Spikes/LB - I was much higher on Spikes before this year. He has seemed to be out of position too often this year for my liking. That being said, if he can get back to his past productivity he could be an ideal inside partner for Mayo.
BJ Raji/DT - Wilfork is still unsigned long-term (are you listening Bill & Scott?) so this could be an insurance policy. Raji and Wilfork could be used together in a 4-3 to effectively eliminate any inside running game. Assuming Wilfork re-signs (seriously, Bill? Scott?), this would be a luxury pick but it is interesting to think about the possibilities.
I see all of these picks making a bigger impact than Moreno for the Pats. Not disputing his talent, but the Pats already have (or could readily assemble) a set of RBs that can win with Brady behind center.
