DL - TWarren will be back, if anyone thinks he won't be able to return I don't understand it. The guy is a borderline pro-bowler and a major locker room presence. GWarren is only here on a 1 year deal, I doubt if he will be back, just a JAG really. Deadrick is a surprise but is solid against the run, if he can continue to progress as a 7th rounder it will be a great pick. MWright is a very good player...when used correctly, as a pass rushing DE, he is not a starter. Pryor is a solid player as a sub and in specific situations as a DT or a backup NT, not at DE. Brace is also a decent player in his role as a DT/NT, he is not a DE either. Love is a bottom of the roster guy and a nice story, but easily replaceable. And of course Wilfork.
So Projecting into next year at DE Warren, Deadrick, & Wright, at NT/DT Wilfork, Brace, Pryor. That would leave one spot for a rookie.
My short list would look like Dareus, Heyward, Jordan, Ballard, and the JRs, Fairley, Watt, & Crick.
If he continues to progress, especially at NT, I can see Gerard coming back. I think Love has the potential to be more than you are projecting. Brace puzzles me, I hope it's a combination of Deadrick's development and nagging injury holding him back and not mental/work ethic issues. Wright isn't that bad as a starter, it's just that he can't be that and the stud passing down specialist too. I still expect at least one rookie DL. From your list scratch Jordan, Ballard, and Crick; none of them improve on what NE currently has, and Ballard is better off as a 4-3 DE (he has no nose for the ball in traffic, he needs time to locate it and let his excellent athleticism allow him to make a play). I'm still pondering Heyward and Watt, the latter looked too raw when I watched earlier this season, and I've only seen the former in his struggle with Wisconsin.
-- Fairley is climbing fast, if any work ethic concerns have been settled he's going to be talked about as a potential #1 overall, especially if Buffalo continues as they are.
-- Dareus seems a consensus Top 15.
-- Stephen Paea isn't getting the press with Oregon State's slide, but I know NE has been very interested and I think he'd be a stud at DE or NT.
-- Clemson's Jarvis Jenkins is growing on me as another possible Ty Warren.
-- Baylor's Phil Taylor looked Warren-like when I saw him early in the season, he moves really well for a man his size and pursues the ball in space, I'd love to see what he will do once Woicik & Nash & Pepper get their hands on him.
-- Karl Klug: Ballard and Clayborne get the headlines, but when you watch the games, offenses double-team Klug twice as much as anyone else, I'm not talking combo blocks where one OL helps initially then peels off to get a LB, these are true double-teams. He's reported to only be 270, I think he may weigh in 280+ at the Combine or Pro-Day; if he does, I want him for a late round passing down specialist. If he's at 270, slim him down to 255 and put him at LOLB, the guy can stop the run and get after the QB, we'll just have to see what he can do in space. I noted Ballard has no nose for the ball in traffic, Klug is a pigskin seeking missile in traffic.
-- Lolomana Mikaele (Arizona), the guy was a rock inside against Iowa's OL, and he get's after the QB pretty well too.
LB - No need for any pick at ILB. When was the last time we said that??
OLB, Cunningham has definitely replaced TBC as the starter, I never really thought TBC was more than an average starter. I do not understand the lack of respect for Ninko though, he is very solid. Doesn't make the mental mistakes. I would bet he will be the starter the rest of this season and probably next. The continual improvement of Crable in encouraging.
But, yes one more should be brought in, I would say within the first 2 rounds. But there aren't many to pick from.
I just don't see BB going for a guy like Quinn, in fact I'm not even sure how good of a fit he is as a 34 OLB, I think in the end he goes to a 43 team as a DE.
So you are looking at Beal, Sheard, Acho and JRs Ayers and Houston.
Sheard, okay. Houston is getting scouted heavily. Beal, Acho, Ayers - meh.
-- Clemson's DaQuan Bowers is Top 10 material if he declares - and he's got the tools at 6-4/275 to play OLB. They had him playing 3-4 OLB against Georgia Tech, he needs a dietitian and the TLC of Coaches Woicik & Nash, plus BB, Patricia, and Pepper, but that kid will be a monster if he keeps his focus.
-- Marshall's Vinny Curry could be another WillieMac. The kid is everywhere making tackles and getting after the QB. If he declares he's probably looking at a late second round grade.
-- Arizona's Brooks Reed is a later round kid who might compete with TBC and Ninko.
-- The only other later round kid I like is UCF's Bruce Miller. He reminds me of a poor man's Rosy Colvin, he makes the guys around him better.
CB After Bodden, McCourty and Arrington there are a lot of questions for next year. Wilhite played a little this last game, I didn't even see Butler, and Wheatley is inactive? If there is no improvement with these guys, I don't think they will have any choice but to go get another one. But not early, I cannot imagine getting another 1st round CB next year. I predict there will be a good one sitting there in the middle of the 3rd they can grab with the Vikes pick.
I don't think NE goes CB with 1a, but they may consider it with 1b or 2a/b, and I'll be surprised if they don't take at least one. The following have been scouted and are ranked as draft projections by NFL Draft Scout;
-- Jimmy Smith & Jalil Brown, Colorado: multiple scouting visits and a program recently plundered (if ineffectively with Wheatley's injury woes). The new this year DB coach is a 13 year NFL vet getting his first position coach assignment.
-- Ras-I Dowling, Virginia
-- Chris Culliver, South Carolina
-- Shareece Wright, Southern Cal: multiple scouting visits.
-- Kendric Burney, North Carolina: gets his first action tonight.
-- Johnny Patrick, Louisville
-- James Dockery, Oregon State
-- Jason Teague, TCU
-- Demarcus Van Dyke, Miami
and the two top rated juniors off NFLDS' board:
-- Patrick Peterson, LSU
-- Brandon Harris, Miami
Safety I have been thinking they could go with another one this year. Possibly in the 4th or 5th, but with the kids they have on IR, and now signing Brown to a 4 yr deal, I'm not so sure. The one kid I have had my eye on is Brian Lainhart, Edelman's former teammate at Kent State.
I'm not seeing a true Safety drafted, but one of the big CBs as a hybrid CB/FS, yes.
-- Lockett, Barret, and McGowan are all Special Teams Aces with McGowan having some versatility as a starter.
-- I can see re-signing McGowan to compete with Sanders and Sergio and Barrett.
-- I can see re-signing Lockett to vet minimum with no signing bonus to compete for STs again.
-- My start of the season analysis called for Safety as a high draft priority, I'm not prepared to back off that given the development time we've seen for Meriweather and Chung. I don't think SS is an issue going forward, but a big CB to play a hybrid CB/FS role, and move into FS full time if Meriweather moves on, is likely.
It's shaping up to be an interesting draft process for NE. While the argument for upgrading swirls, there truly is no position so destitute as to require more than drafting for depth (yes, even RB and C). NE is in the enviable position of being able to truly focus on upgrading wherever the strength of the draft takes them.
