This is the guy I would love the Pats to nab with the SD pick, I'm hoping he's there as his stock is now in the late 2 range right now, but with a solid combine, he could jump into the upper 2's. He's got Patriot written all over him. Here's what Stueber had to say about him:
"Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
There were a lot of great defenders in Mobile this week, and I have to credit former NFL scout Tom Marino for identifying Tennessee DE Robert Ayers a couple of months ago as a hidden gem who had frontline talent. I saw Ayers play this season a lot, and he was good, but consistency was his biggest problem. This week in Mobile, he was quietly the best defensive end and had one of the best first steps of any defensive linemen. He still has to develop a larger repertoire of moves, instead of using his signature inside rip move, but that will come with time. Ayers was the most dominant defensive player on Saturday night. He used his quickness and strength against the likes of Oklahoma OT Phil Loadholt and Illinois OT Xavier Fulton and beat them off the edge with ease. Ayers finished the game with three tackles and 1.5 sacks, which earned him the Defensive Player of the game trophy. His play this week opened the eyes of many, and this once mid-round prospect has elevated his status to a late second, early third round pick."