3-Round Mock (YDKF): Fletcher Cox, Alfonzo Dennard, Joe Adams, Travis Lewis, D Molk

[nyjet17]

Here's what the Patriots GM had to say :

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (faaipdeoaid)

1.27 – Fletcher Cox, DL, Mississippi State
1.32 – Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
2.16 – Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas
2.31 – Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
3.32 – David Molk, C, Michigan

faaipdeoaid says: Working on the assumption that the Pats are fine on offence (Welker will stay one way or another) and the O-line is one of the best around (the only issue here is an aging center which I addressed in the third) I drafted to improve the defence. I think Cox can improve the NE pass rush both from the interior and as an end in a 3-4. Dennard was for me the best corner left in the draft at 32, and again can play safety. BB likes adaptability. I’ve heard McCourty may be moving to safety himself and Dowling needs to prove he can stay fit. Looking around since my picks I’ve been interested to see these two have been rated as top 20 talent on at least two expert draft rankings.

I didn’t draft Adams as the third pick (I missed my draft slot due to time zone issues, so someone stepped in for me) and I think there’s a good chance NE will use FA to get their WR – I was looking at a linebacker/end at this point. Curry would have been my ideal but the pick I had lined up was Zach Brown. Still, I was happy enough to get Travis Lewis at the end of two. NE needed help with their linebacker corps.

Entire Mock/Team explanations:

NFL Mock Draft 2012 - YDKF

 

[Keyser Söze]

Everyone seems to be picking Cox for us. What is so special about him? He looks invisible in the highlights I've seen of him.

 

[Merril Hoge's Tie Knot]

Everyone seems to be picking Cox for us. What is so special about him? He looks invisible in the highlights I've seen of him.

Why would you watch highlights?

 

[Sciz]

Lewis is the worst pick there. He's too small to be anything more than a subpackage linebacker for the Pats. Dennard and Molk are "eh" value, but I can live with them.

 

[manxman2601]

Everyone seems to be picking Cox for us. What is so special about him? He looks invisible in the highlights I've seen of him.

Watch the first half of Miss St v Arkansas. You'll change your mind.

 

[MP-Logick]

I don't know much about the last two, but based on the limited amount I've seen I'd be pleased if those were our three picks.

 

[NinjaZX6R]

Molk is a pure zone scheme Center. He won't fit well with teams that run power schemes.

Pats run a mix of both but a majority of it is power. Josh Mcd is more Power based scheme guy.

 

[patsfaninpa]

I like the Fletcher Cox pick. Alfonso Dennard isn't any better than Dowling or McCourty. So, I'd go with Mark Barron at 31. Or Nick Perry. Let us say Barron. At 48, I'd go with Andre Branch. At 63 I'd pick Jayron Housley(just as good a prospect as Dennard and I get Barron to boot. I've really improved my defense. A couple of wr's available in the third are; Fuller, Broyles, Hilton and Jarius Wright. Give me Fuller. Oh, and Tanneyhill going at 70 is not realistic. He may not get past Seattle at 11 or 12 in the 1st round.

1a Cox
1b Barron
2a Branch
2b Housley
3 Fuller

 

[midwestpatsfan]

Not sure why people have Dennard going so high? Is it because of rankings from the "experts?" I have watched a lot, too many games of his to know that he is not a first round guy, I would even go as far to say he is not a 2nd round guy for me.

He is so stiff in the hips, which got really exposed at the senior bowl. He also does not have great speed. He is physical at the line but when he went up against upper tier talent, he could not handle them. I would rather take a chance on some lower ranked guys who might be a little raw, but have higher upside.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

Not sure why people have Dennard going so high? Is it because of rankings from the "experts?" I have watched a lot, too many games of his to know that he is not a first round guy, I would even go as far to say he is not a 2nd round guy for me.

He is so stiff in the hips, which got really exposed at the senior bowl. He also does not have great speed. He is physical at the line but when he went up against upper tier talent, he could not handle them. I would rather take a chance on some lower ranked guys who might be a little raw, but have higher upside.

At the senoir bowl the announcers said Dennard works best as a press CB. He would work best in Oakland or Green Bay's defense.

If BB reverts back to the 3-4 next season, you have to think he will also revert back to the soft zone defensive secondary schemes. If he does, then McCourty will be jumping for joy but Dennard is a square peg trying to fit in a round hole.

However if BB does decide to play press again next season, Dennard might work, but McCourty will be learning to play FS. .

 

[Gronkandez]

Molk is a pure zone scheme Center. He won't fit well with teams that run power schemes.

Pats run a mix of both but a majority of it is power. Josh Mcd is more Power based scheme guy.

That may be true (I'm not an expert) but if it is, then why did they draft Solder? Isn't he the antithesis of "power?"

 

[Leemo]

I would have taken:

Cox, DL
Barron, SS
Cam Johnson, DE
Stephen Hill, WR
Jamell Fleming, CB

 

[manxman2601]

I would have taken:

Cox, DL
Barron, SS
Cam Johnson, DE
Stephen Hill, WR
Jamell Fleming, CB

You've been spying on my big board haven't you.


If the draft happened like that I'd be doing cartwheels for weeks. Best draft EVAH!! (unless we somehow got Hightower too).

 

[Leemo]

You've been spying on my big board haven't you.


If the draft happened like that I'd be doing cartwheels for weeks. Best draft EVAH!! (unless we somehow got Hightower too).

No but I'd like to see your big board if possible, you're always one of the more insightful posters.

By the way the guy who did this draft for the pats isn't a pats fan. Hes from the UK and a Leeds United fan like myself, hes from a leeds site called waccoe.

 

[jays52]

That may be true (I'm not an expert) but if it is, then why did they draft Solder? Isn't he the antithesis of "power?"

Power in this case is a noun, not an adjective. It means essentially directional blocking with the linemen moving either in pulls or downblocks to create creases and seals. This is opposed to zone which is essentially 5 men downblocking until something opens up.

 

[VrabelJr]

No point in drafting Mark Barron just because he's the best safety in a class of garbage safeties. Plus his skillset is almost identical to Chung's. There's four pretty good FA safeties available in Goldson, Branch, Nelson, and Griffin.

 

[manxman2601]

No point in drafting Mark Barron just because he's the best safety in a class of garbage safeties. Plus his skillset is almost identical to Chung's. There's four pretty good FA safeties available in Goldson, Branch, Nelson, and Griffin.

The question is, how does his skillset compare to James Ihedigbo? That's the comparison that should be made. The second question that needs to be asked is do we want a cost controlled S, trained in a system almost identical to the Pats or an expensive free agent (which we don't do nowadays).

 

[VrabelJr]

The question is, how does his skillset compare to James Ihedigbo? That's the comparison that should be made. The second question that needs to be asked is do we want a cost controlled S, trained in a system almost identical to the Pats or an expensive free agent (which we don't do nowadays).

That's not really the comparison that should be made.

 

[manxman2601]

That's not really the comparison that should be made.

Why? That's who he'd be replacing.

 

[manxman2601]

No but I'd like to see your big board if possible, you're always one of the more insightful posters.

By the way the guy who did this draft for the pats isn't a pats fan. Hes from the UK and a Leeds United fan like myself, hes from a leeds site called waccoe.

Many thanks. I don't have a big board as such, trying to work on one. What I have is a bunch of prospects I think of as being ideal Pats or personal binkies. That mock very closely resembles my ideal mock. I might have Hightower instead of Cox and if you add in Marvin Jones (WR, Cal) or Akiem Hicks (DE/DT, Regina) as a fourth round pick then it would be perfect.