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This is an revision of my latest mock in Ye Olde Mock Draft Thread, along with some thoughts there and on the main board. I thought I'd post it for fun.
Priorities:
1. Fix the secondary
2. A stud LDE opposite Chandler Jones
3. Youth/depth at OL
4. Speed at WR to stretch the field
5. Depth at DT/penetrating DT/successor to Vince Wilfork
6. Depth at H-back/"move TE" to spell/complement Aaron Hernandez
7. An eventual true successor to TB
The Next 6 Months:
1. Trade Patrick Chung to Tampa Bay for CB Aqib Talib; alternatively, the Pats might trade a 2014 draft pick for Talib and use Chung as a hybrid S/LB this year
2. Move Devin McCourty to FS and team him with Tavon Wilson, with Steve Gregory/Nate Ebner as backups
3. Re-sign Sebastian Vollmer
4. Franchise/extend Wes Welker
5. Sign Aqib Talib to a long term deal if he works out, or sign UFA CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Philadelphia). Brent Grimes (Atlanta) is a possibility, but he's coming off an Achilles injury, and we've already been burned with Jonathan Fanene and injured UFAs. If the Pats are unable to trade for Talib by the deadline, then they can just go after one of these guys during FA in 2013
6. Re-sign Myron Pryor and Danny Woodhead
7. Let go: Ron Brace, Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, Kyle Arrington
The Draft:
General plan: Get a stud interior offensive and defensive lineman, LDE and a speed WR, plus some developmental talent. This one works for me (I'm assuming the Pats get 5th and 6th round comp picks):
*** Trade: New England trades #32 and 64 (860 points) to Cincinnati for # 40, 50 and 82 (880 points).
40. Johnathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina. 6'3" 310. Currently NFL DraftScout #35.
Beast!I have a hard time believing Cooper will last this long, but guards tend to slip a bit. David DeCastro was touted as a likely top 15 pick, and Amini Silatolu was considered a possible late 1st round pick. Cooper has great movement skills and the ability to get the 2nd level, which makes him stand out as a fit for the Pats.
Note: Jesse Williams is currently ranked #28 on NFL Draft Scout's board, so I had to pass on him in this mock, but if he fell to #40 it would be a tough call between him and Cooper.
50. Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah, DE, BYU. 6'6" 270#. Currently NFL DraftScout #77.
Sleeper Super Beast! A Brother Manx find, Ansah is still raw but has almost unlimited upside. Athletically he is roughly what you would get if Dr. Frankenstein created a fusion of JJ Watt, Jason Pierre-Paul and Dion Jordan. 39" vertical, 10.9 100M and 20.9 200M. Long arms. Great core strength, stunning verticity for a guy his size. Basketball, soccer and track and field background. High character, high motor, smart kid with good processing speed. Fast learner. Not yet terribly instinctive, but developing quickly.
Dane Brugler of CBS Sports writes:
NFL Draft Risers and Fallers - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
Mike Mayock predicts that Ansah could go in the 1st round, but for now I have him as a top 50 pick. He would be a beast opposite Chandler Jones. If Ansah is gone, the Pats could go with SMU DE Margus Hunt (#87) or Florida St. DE Cornelius "Tank" Carradine (#44). One of the 3 should be available around 50. William Gholston (54) is an outside option.
82. Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia. 5'9" 174". Current NFL Draftscout #49.
Stud Greyhound! It's evident that the Pats' offense needs more of a speed threat at WR. Austin would be a Percy Harvin/DeSean Jackson kind of weapon for the Pats: a dynamic speedster who can get separation and accelerate on a dime and take it to the house at any time. Guys like Austin and Jeff Demps could be dynamic weapons in the Pats' up-tempo offense, especially given the blocking TEs and the power running game to balance things out. If defenses go big to try and stop the TEs and the running game then the Pats can shred them with speed.
After the West Virginia-Texas game Bucky Brooks wrote:
West Virginia's Geno Smith shows poise of NFL quarterback - NFL.com
This pick is a bit of a stretch based on NFL DraftScout's current rankings. It is based on the assumptions that Austin could slip a bit based on his size and the perception that he might be limited in the number of touches he gets. An alternative would be Brother Manx's binkie, Tennessee Tech WR Da'Rick Rodgers (#76 overall on NFL DraftScout's current board), who has more size but less pure speed, or someone like Aaron Dobson of Marshall (#80).
*** Trade: Pats trade their 3rd and 4th round picks (around #94 and 126, rough 160 points) to move up in the 3rd round to around #86 (160 points)
86. Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina. Current NFL DraftScout rank #82.
Stud Horse! Williams is an extremely talented DT who slips a bit because of a deep and talented class and because he is a slightly older prospect, having spent 2 years in a manufacturing plant before going to community college and then to North Carolina. I'm not normally a fan of North Carolina players, but Williams has a great motor, terrific core strength, and great athleticism for a big man. He is strong against the run and has the strength to handle double teams, but is explosive enough to collapse the pocket and penetrate. He has nice positional versatility, playing either 4-3 DT position, 3-4 NT, and even some 3-4 DE. At one point projected as a 1st/2nd round pick, DraftScout currently projects him as a 3rd round pick, and he would be a steal, even if he required a slight trade up in this range. A rotation of Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love and Williams would be beastly.
5th (comp). Chris Gragg, TE/H-Back, Arkansas. 6'3" 236#. Currently NFL DraftScout #150.
Sleeper Stud Horse! Gragg is Arkansas' leading receiver so far this year despite missing 3 games due to a bone bruise, which should keep his draft stock down and make him a relative bargain. A "move TE", he would provide backup insurance to Aaron Hernandez and would also create even more mismatch headaches when the two are used together. Gregg is deceptively fast, has good hands, and knows how to find the open seams in a defense.
6th (comp). Dontae Johnson*, CB/FS, North Carolina St. 6'3" 190#.
Sleeper! Johnson played FS for the last year, but was moved to boundary CB this year opposite David Amerson. He is big, physical, tough, fast, smart, versatile and has good ball skills. He's not as fast as Richard Sherman, but brings a somewhat similar raw skill set.
If Johnson doesn't declare, alternatives might be someone like Blidi Wreh-Wilson of Connecticut or MIcah Hyde of Iowa.
(continued due to length restrictions)
Priorities:
1. Fix the secondary
2. A stud LDE opposite Chandler Jones
3. Youth/depth at OL
4. Speed at WR to stretch the field
5. Depth at DT/penetrating DT/successor to Vince Wilfork
6. Depth at H-back/"move TE" to spell/complement Aaron Hernandez
7. An eventual true successor to TB
The Next 6 Months:
1. Trade Patrick Chung to Tampa Bay for CB Aqib Talib; alternatively, the Pats might trade a 2014 draft pick for Talib and use Chung as a hybrid S/LB this year
2. Move Devin McCourty to FS and team him with Tavon Wilson, with Steve Gregory/Nate Ebner as backups
3. Re-sign Sebastian Vollmer
4. Franchise/extend Wes Welker
5. Sign Aqib Talib to a long term deal if he works out, or sign UFA CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Philadelphia). Brent Grimes (Atlanta) is a possibility, but he's coming off an Achilles injury, and we've already been burned with Jonathan Fanene and injured UFAs. If the Pats are unable to trade for Talib by the deadline, then they can just go after one of these guys during FA in 2013
6. Re-sign Myron Pryor and Danny Woodhead
7. Let go: Ron Brace, Deion Branch, Julian Edelman, Kyle Arrington
The Draft:
General plan: Get a stud interior offensive and defensive lineman, LDE and a speed WR, plus some developmental talent. This one works for me (I'm assuming the Pats get 5th and 6th round comp picks):
*** Trade: New England trades #32 and 64 (860 points) to Cincinnati for # 40, 50 and 82 (880 points).
40. Johnathan Cooper, OG, North Carolina. 6'3" 310. Currently NFL DraftScout #35.
Beast!I have a hard time believing Cooper will last this long, but guards tend to slip a bit. David DeCastro was touted as a likely top 15 pick, and Amini Silatolu was considered a possible late 1st round pick. Cooper has great movement skills and the ability to get the 2nd level, which makes him stand out as a fit for the Pats.
Note: Jesse Williams is currently ranked #28 on NFL Draft Scout's board, so I had to pass on him in this mock, but if he fell to #40 it would be a tough call between him and Cooper.
50. Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah, DE, BYU. 6'6" 270#. Currently NFL DraftScout #77.
Sleeper Super Beast! A Brother Manx find, Ansah is still raw but has almost unlimited upside. Athletically he is roughly what you would get if Dr. Frankenstein created a fusion of JJ Watt, Jason Pierre-Paul and Dion Jordan. 39" vertical, 10.9 100M and 20.9 200M. Long arms. Great core strength, stunning verticity for a guy his size. Basketball, soccer and track and field background. High character, high motor, smart kid with good processing speed. Fast learner. Not yet terribly instinctive, but developing quickly.
Dane Brugler of CBS Sports writes:
Every year there are a few players that are totally off the map who are able to find playing time as seniors and grab the attention of NFL scouts. BYU hybrid linebacker Ezekiel Ansah fits that description as a virtual unknown a few months ago, but is now shooting up draft boards as we find out more about the disruptive defender. Originally a track athlete at BYU, he decided to try football so he went to the Cougars' coaching staff in 2010 and worked his way onto the team. Ansah, who was born and raised in Ghana, entered the 2012 season with just 10 career tackles on his resume, but earned a starting job as a senior and hasn't disappointed. Against Utah State last Friday, he set career-bests with 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks, pushing his season totals to 27 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and three pass break-ups. Listed at 6-6 and 270 pounds, Ansah is a freakish athlete with an outstanding blend of length, speed and natural power. He plays all over the front-seven for BYU, lining up with his hand in the dirt at defensive end or standing up at linebacker and dropping into coverage. Ansah has a flexible, fluid body type and is an effortless mover, exploding in any direction and chasing down the ballcarrier. He is obviously very raw having so little experience playing the sport, but already he has showed improved recognition skills and hand use. Ansah is just scratching the surface on what he can do and, like Jason Pierre Paul a few years back, NFL scouts are wondering just how high his ceiling can be. Don't be surprised if Ansah continues to produce, tests off the charts in pre-draft work outs and ends up as a top-50 draft pick.
NFL Draft Risers and Fallers - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
Mike Mayock predicts that Ansah could go in the 1st round, but for now I have him as a top 50 pick. He would be a beast opposite Chandler Jones. If Ansah is gone, the Pats could go with SMU DE Margus Hunt (#87) or Florida St. DE Cornelius "Tank" Carradine (#44). One of the 3 should be available around 50. William Gholston (54) is an outside option.
82. Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia. 5'9" 174". Current NFL Draftscout #49.
Stud Greyhound! It's evident that the Pats' offense needs more of a speed threat at WR. Austin would be a Percy Harvin/DeSean Jackson kind of weapon for the Pats: a dynamic speedster who can get separation and accelerate on a dime and take it to the house at any time. Guys like Austin and Jeff Demps could be dynamic weapons in the Pats' up-tempo offense, especially given the blocking TEs and the power running game to balance things out. If defenses go big to try and stop the TEs and the running game then the Pats can shred them with speed.
After the West Virginia-Texas game Bucky Brooks wrote:
Teams searching for a Percy Harvin clone will love Austin. The 5-foot-9, 174-pound jitterbug is lightning in a bottle in the open field. Whether he was catching bubble screens on the perimeter or running slant routes over the middle, Austin was nearly impossible to contain when he touched the ball. He possesses rare stop-start quickness, and his ability to reach top speed in a hurry allows him to routinely outrun defenders to the corner of the end zone. He's also one of the most electrifying return men I've seen in recent memory.
West Virginia's Geno Smith shows poise of NFL quarterback - NFL.com
This pick is a bit of a stretch based on NFL DraftScout's current rankings. It is based on the assumptions that Austin could slip a bit based on his size and the perception that he might be limited in the number of touches he gets. An alternative would be Brother Manx's binkie, Tennessee Tech WR Da'Rick Rodgers (#76 overall on NFL DraftScout's current board), who has more size but less pure speed, or someone like Aaron Dobson of Marshall (#80).
*** Trade: Pats trade their 3rd and 4th round picks (around #94 and 126, rough 160 points) to move up in the 3rd round to around #86 (160 points)
86. Sylvester Williams, DT, North Carolina. Current NFL DraftScout rank #82.
Stud Horse! Williams is an extremely talented DT who slips a bit because of a deep and talented class and because he is a slightly older prospect, having spent 2 years in a manufacturing plant before going to community college and then to North Carolina. I'm not normally a fan of North Carolina players, but Williams has a great motor, terrific core strength, and great athleticism for a big man. He is strong against the run and has the strength to handle double teams, but is explosive enough to collapse the pocket and penetrate. He has nice positional versatility, playing either 4-3 DT position, 3-4 NT, and even some 3-4 DE. At one point projected as a 1st/2nd round pick, DraftScout currently projects him as a 3rd round pick, and he would be a steal, even if he required a slight trade up in this range. A rotation of Vince Wilfork, Kyle Love and Williams would be beastly.
5th (comp). Chris Gragg, TE/H-Back, Arkansas. 6'3" 236#. Currently NFL DraftScout #150.
Sleeper Stud Horse! Gragg is Arkansas' leading receiver so far this year despite missing 3 games due to a bone bruise, which should keep his draft stock down and make him a relative bargain. A "move TE", he would provide backup insurance to Aaron Hernandez and would also create even more mismatch headaches when the two are used together. Gregg is deceptively fast, has good hands, and knows how to find the open seams in a defense.
6th (comp). Dontae Johnson*, CB/FS, North Carolina St. 6'3" 190#.
Sleeper! Johnson played FS for the last year, but was moved to boundary CB this year opposite David Amerson. He is big, physical, tough, fast, smart, versatile and has good ball skills. He's not as fast as Richard Sherman, but brings a somewhat similar raw skill set.
If Johnson doesn't declare, alternatives might be someone like Blidi Wreh-Wilson of Connecticut or MIcah Hyde of Iowa.
(continued due to length restrictions)