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I don't know if this is worth a separate thread, but I feel like my overall approach to this draft is finally crystallizing. Paradoxically, it's becoming harder for me to mock players, because my approach is based on building out around a couple of guys who should be day 2 prospects.
Last year my approach was pretty simple, with a focus on the defense and adding OL depth. Stork and Fleming weren't my picks (Brandon Thomas and John Urschel were), but they fit the OL part just fine. On defense, my strongest goal was adding a disrupting interior lineman, and Aaron Donald (very unlikely) and Dominique Easley became my top 2 targets. I pretty much viewed any draft that landed either of them as a success, and I was thrilled when the Pats actually took Easley at 29.
This year my priority has been on adding to both lines, which ideally 2 prospects on each side of the LOS. At this point I feel like I've finally settled on the 2 guys that I want the most: DL Marcus Hardison and OL Ali Marpet:
- At 6'3" 307# Hardison has lined up a DE for Arizona St., and has surprising edge speed for such a big guy, but also has the size and strength to play inside. Like Easley, he can line up anywhere from the 9 tech to the 0/1 tech. I think the combination of Hardison and Easley would give the Pats tremendous flexibility and versatility - they would be the DL equivalent of Hightower and Collins.
- Dane Brugler calls Ali Marpet a "bargain basement Zach Martin", and I think he's not that far off of the real thing. He reminds me of both Joel Bitonio and Marcus Cooper in some regards. He is athletic, tough, and has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. I think he will be a year 1 starter and long term LG with versatility at all 5 positions, and I like him as much as Cam Erving.
I think both guys are top 50 talents, or better. But right now neither will probably go that high. Hardison is still flying under the radar, and is probably a 3rd-4th round pick right now. Marpet's stock has been climbing, but as a Division III prospect there may be a ceiling on how high he can go. I'm guessing high 3rd is probably his ceiling (roughly where Jared Veldheer and Terron Amstead went).
So my personal approach would be to target both of these guys on day 2 of the draft. I think both should be attainable. I'd happily use our 2nd and 3rd round picks on them, and trade up at least once if necessary (e.g., a 2nd on one guy and a trade up from 96 to the early-mid 3rd for the other). With a likely 3rd round supplemental pick and an extra early 4th, the Pats should have plenty of ammo to move around. That would leave us our 1st, a supplemental 3rd, a 4th and some late round picks to add the best values.
The rest of my draft would be very flexible. There are a lot of guys I'd be happy with, on all 3 days. Todd Gurley, Bud Dupree, Eddie Goldman, TJ Clemmings, Shaq Thompson, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Bernardrick McKinney, Danielle Hunter, Jake Fisher, Cedric Ogbuehi, Tevin Coleman, David Johnson, Mario Edwards, Henry Anderson, Byron Jones, Eric Rowe, Max Valles, Ellis McCarthy, DeAndre Smelter, Tre McBride, Kenny Bell, Nick Marshall, Josh Shaw, Darren Waller, just to name a few. I like some more than others. But as long as the Pats added those 2 guys, I'd feel pretty comfortable that they would have upgraded the lines in a big way. The rest would be gravy.
Last year my approach was pretty simple, with a focus on the defense and adding OL depth. Stork and Fleming weren't my picks (Brandon Thomas and John Urschel were), but they fit the OL part just fine. On defense, my strongest goal was adding a disrupting interior lineman, and Aaron Donald (very unlikely) and Dominique Easley became my top 2 targets. I pretty much viewed any draft that landed either of them as a success, and I was thrilled when the Pats actually took Easley at 29.
This year my priority has been on adding to both lines, which ideally 2 prospects on each side of the LOS. At this point I feel like I've finally settled on the 2 guys that I want the most: DL Marcus Hardison and OL Ali Marpet:
- At 6'3" 307# Hardison has lined up a DE for Arizona St., and has surprising edge speed for such a big guy, but also has the size and strength to play inside. Like Easley, he can line up anywhere from the 9 tech to the 0/1 tech. I think the combination of Hardison and Easley would give the Pats tremendous flexibility and versatility - they would be the DL equivalent of Hightower and Collins.
- Dane Brugler calls Ali Marpet a "bargain basement Zach Martin", and I think he's not that far off of the real thing. He reminds me of both Joel Bitonio and Marcus Cooper in some regards. He is athletic, tough, and has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. I think he will be a year 1 starter and long term LG with versatility at all 5 positions, and I like him as much as Cam Erving.
I think both guys are top 50 talents, or better. But right now neither will probably go that high. Hardison is still flying under the radar, and is probably a 3rd-4th round pick right now. Marpet's stock has been climbing, but as a Division III prospect there may be a ceiling on how high he can go. I'm guessing high 3rd is probably his ceiling (roughly where Jared Veldheer and Terron Amstead went).
So my personal approach would be to target both of these guys on day 2 of the draft. I think both should be attainable. I'd happily use our 2nd and 3rd round picks on them, and trade up at least once if necessary (e.g., a 2nd on one guy and a trade up from 96 to the early-mid 3rd for the other). With a likely 3rd round supplemental pick and an extra early 4th, the Pats should have plenty of ammo to move around. That would leave us our 1st, a supplemental 3rd, a 4th and some late round picks to add the best values.
The rest of my draft would be very flexible. There are a lot of guys I'd be happy with, on all 3 days. Todd Gurley, Bud Dupree, Eddie Goldman, TJ Clemmings, Shaq Thompson, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Bernardrick McKinney, Danielle Hunter, Jake Fisher, Cedric Ogbuehi, Tevin Coleman, David Johnson, Mario Edwards, Henry Anderson, Byron Jones, Eric Rowe, Max Valles, Ellis McCarthy, DeAndre Smelter, Tre McBride, Kenny Bell, Nick Marshall, Josh Shaw, Darren Waller, just to name a few. I like some more than others. But as long as the Pats added those 2 guys, I'd feel pretty comfortable that they would have upgraded the lines in a big way. The rest would be gravy.
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