ZoisKing
Rotational Player and Threatening Starter's Job
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1a (6-10)- DE Marcell Dareus
1b (28-32)- Flanker Jeremy Beal
2a (33-37)- C Mike Pouncey
2b (61-64)- FS Will Hill
Sign WR Vincent Jackson
Hey there, first post! I'm a Pats fan from Brazil (yeah, I know, right) and today I found this terrific message board. You may not believe me, but I read this entire thread :singing:
So, to contribute to the discussion, here's my mock draft:
01. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
The Raiders pick looks to be higher by the day. While other teams fall, the Raiders rise, and sadly Richard Seymour could not magically become a top 10 pick. It looks very probable that Robert Quinn, Marcell Dareus and even Adrian Clayborn won't be around when the Patriots pick. And anyways, they don't feel like a good choice to me: Quinn falls into the Belichickean 3-4 OLB mold, that's for sure, but Belichick drafts by value, and drafting a former college 4-3 DE to play NFL 3-4 OLB doesn't look that valuable - or safe, for that matter. Bowers, who's been shooting up draft boards, fall into that category too. Dareus is a great fit and Clayborn a great talent, but they won't be filling that much of a need - remember, Ty Warren will be back, and Deadrick has been playing well. And the 3-4 DL is responsible of stopping the run, something the Pats have been surprising in 2010, ranking 9th in the league after facing the Bengals (19th), the Jets (2nd), Buffalo (15th), Miami (16th), the Ravens (12th) and the Chargers (17th), all top 20 and an average 13.5th. Anyway, that doesn't bother my pick at all!
The Patriots have been mediocre so far in the running game with their committee, ranking 14th in the NFL. While it does have some nice pieces - Green-Ellis as the short yardage back and Woodhead as the third-down back -, it still needs a featured back. Since Adrian Peterson, no college back has entered the NFL with the level of talent and success Mark Ingram has - and, to an extent, Ingram is a safer bet than Peterson, for his durability and consistency. So the Patriots need to pull the trigger on the guy who'll take the pressure off Tom Brady, the guy who will make the offense unstopable, the Heisman, the new Emmit Smith: Mark Ingram. Keeping Brady's jersey clean is one of the priorities, and the best friend to a QB is a strong running game, and any team that drafts Mark Ingram will have a jump start to its rushing attack. IMO, Ingram is a Top 1 talent, the best player in the draft, but the fact most teams either run committees or have a featured back or bigger needs will drop him in the Patriots' lap. I can already already imagine former employee Nick Saban calling Bill Belichick: "hey, Bill, I rode Ingram to a title, and so should you". Belichick likes to draft guys who his protegees like, and Saban surely likes Ingram - but then, what coach could have such a back and not like him?
01. Mike Pouncey, G/C, Florida
A player from Urban Meyer's program who's smart, tough, has good pedigree and size. A top-notch linemen who can play center and both guard positions. If that's not a Bill Belichick pick, I don't know what is.
Of course, this pick could go many ways. If somehow Robert Quinn slides this far because of his suspension, Belichick would gladly draft him, since he fits the 6'5''/250/4.6-forty prototype that coach looks for in OLBs - even tough no one in the roster right now is over 6'3'' aside from Shawn Crable, who's 6'5'' and not exactly a good story. Da'Qwan Bowers would also be tough to pass, Allen Bailley too. Still, I think protecting the franchise is the best decision, specially with Brady getting older and slower - and what's best to protect a QB than a strong running game provided by Mark Ingram and a good guard who can also play center?
02. Stefen Wisniewski, G/C Penn State
This second rounder figures to be very close to the previous first rounder, so it could be that player over here and this player over there. But anyhow, I know you're screaming "defense" by now. But New England's defense is a young up and coming unit, with many guys who'll likely contribute for years to come and shall only get better with each 2010 game. That goes for youngsters McCourty, Arrington, Butler, Wheatley, Chung, Brown, Pryor, Brace, Deadrick, Cunningham, Fletcher, Mayo, Spikes, Guyton, Ninkovich and even Crable, who feels 30 but is actually 25. So there: I just named 16 players under 27 who are learning the system and could be major contributors come 2011. Add Ty, Bodden and McGowan back to the mix and the defense is looking good and, while not having any major talent, effective with the potential to be 2001-2004 effective.
When you look at offense, the same can't be said: the 2011 OL could have only one returning starter who'll be switching sides and four question marks. I bet my left arm (I'm right handed, so don't take that heavily) that Light will be gone. Connolly looked promising but has struggled, specially against the Charger's 3-4. Koppen has underachieved, IMO, specially against strong nose tackles, while Neal has been talking about retirement for quite some time, and hasn't been playing that well anyway... So getting another guard to build a great interior O-line seems logical, and Wisniewski is another guy who, just liks Pouncey, has "Belichick pick" written all over him. He's also got the pedigree, with his father and uncle being former NFL players, and his on-field and off-the-field intelligence are amazing, something that goes well with his character and work ethic. His blocking technique is, IMO, one of the best in all of the linemen in this class and, while he won't overwhelm anyone physically, his talent and experience will make up for it. And while he may be "only" 6'3''/298, the current interior starters are 6'2''/296 (Koppen), 6'4''/205 (Neal) and 6'4''/313 (the bigger Connolly, who's been sharing time with 6'2''/300 Ohrnberger), so New England isn't looking for 6'6''/330 guards.
So, with the first three picks in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Patriots drafted a running game: two tough, mean-streaked guards who can also play center, and the best RB in years - be sure that Brady will smile and the NFL will tremble if this happens.
02. Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia
We all know New England's young defense has been a complete surprise this season. They're in the top 10 on interceptions and rushing yards per game - sure, that's great, and a nice sign for an up and coming defense... But still, the team is near the bottom in passing yards per game and has only 12 sacks - the worst team in the league, the Bucs, has 5, while the top dogs, the Chargers, have 25. Those are numbers that will likely improve, specially with Jermaine Cunningham's improved play and the many successful looks the defensive line has been showing through the games... But bottom line is: the defense still needs pass rushing help. Georgia's Justin Houston comes close enough to Belichick prototype for OLB, at 6'3'' and 257, running something like a 4.6 forty. He's got a good motor and nice instincts, stuff that you have to have to be successful in Belichick's 3-4. Houston has also been amazing this year, notching 1.13 sacks per game so far. He also feels safer than, say, Quinn because he's got experience playing OLB in a 3-4. He's not that great against the run or in coverage, something that was said about Cunningham, but his pass rushing skill set makes this pick worth it. Let's hope he declares early (something he probably will do) and that, even after the combine, he doesn't shoot up team's boards.
03. Marcus Gilbert, T/G, Florida
The guy who used to protect Tim Tebow's blindside is another pick from Urban Meyer's lips to Bill Belichick's ears. He's got the size and some talent, and something else Belichick loves: the versatility. So far the guy has played at left tackle for a right handed quarterback, at right tackle for a left handed quarterback and at both guard positions. At the same time, this is the pick I feel the least comfortable with, but I just don't see any offensive tackle worth being drafted with 1A or 1B or 2A or 2B who's also a good fit.
03. Dontay Moch, OLB, Nevada
Vernon Gholston 2.0? At 6'1'' and 245 with 4.4 speed and not-great-at-all instincts he might just be... But everyone has to wonder what kind of player Gholston would've been if he was drafted by Belichick and implemented in his complex schemes. And, in Moch's defense, he looks to have a better pass rush repertoire than Gholston's "bull rush only" and he's better against the run. I think that, at the third round, with this many picks, taking a shot at a physical specimen like Moch is well worth it.
[...and here's the always exciting lower picks!]
04. Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, WR, Iowa
He can catch, run after the catch, return kicks and explode into screens - and comes with great value at the fourth round. He's 6'1'' and 205 with 4.4 speed. If he's not a Patriot wideout, no one is. Kirk Ferentz, Belichick's close friend, will likely give him the advice to draft this underrated talent. Dwayne Harris is also a nice talent and a pretty similar player, altough slower and smaller - so I give the nod to Belichick's coaching tree and go with Iowa's product.
05. Joe Lefeged, SS, Rutgers
A playmaking strong safety and special teams ace, McCourty's former teammate may not be the fastest or the strongest, but he's tough and smart - and that's a Patriot in my book. He's also another guy from a Belichick-related program, since Greg Schiano visits the Patriots TC every year and talks defense all the time with coach B. Last year was notable that Belichick prefers to draft players from programs he has inside information, and Lefeged is a huge leader and an important player for Schiano's team.
06. DeMarcus Van Dyke, CB, Miami
Playing with Brandon Harris sure shadows Van Dyke, but being the weaker half of a CB tandem is actually bad, since teams will throw at you while avoiding the better guy - Arrington knows it, for example. At 6'0''/180 with 4.4 speed he's a great physical specimen, and plays the zone very well, something Belichick defense has been leaning toward, specially for the nickel.
06. Chris Neild, NT, West Virginia
So far the Patriots defensive line has had two looks: one with Wilfork at nose tackle, against passing teams; and one with Wilfork at defensive end, against running teams. So while I think a 3-4 end like Adrian Clayborn or Marcell Dareus would greatly improve the front seven, I don't think it's wise to pass on amazing and unique Mark Ingram to get a guy who doesn't project to be the next Richard Seymour - there's no Suh in this draft. So, think about it: the safest route to go is to get a new nose tackle, someone who can plug the middle while still applying some pressure, another mammoth to clog the running lanes and force opposing teams into situations they don't want to be in. Nield, a 3-year starter and a team leader, is hard to run against and can make plays. At the 6th round it's hard to find better value.
07. Kenny Wiggins, T, Fresno State
#60, facing us. Best I could do!!
Another offensive tackle for the mix, and a guy from Pat Hill's program. He's surely got the size (6'7''/315) and physical tools, and he's been improving. You shouldn't look for a franchise savior in the 7th round, of course, but Wiggins could add depth to the O-line and stick around - or, in a best case scenario, he could be coached into a starting role. That's unlikely, but stranger things have happened to Belichick-coached players.
So that's my 7-round mock. I'm sure the Patriots will get some compensatory selections and will go after some undrafted free agents, and it's crazy to say they won't make around six thousand draft-day-trades... But I won't get into that, since the possibilities are so many. Anyways, just for the record, i'd like to see Meriweather getting traded, specially if Belichick falls in love with Deunta Williams, who's a playmaker and projects well into the NFL.
Well, that's it!
), I don't see anyone worth it in the top three rounds. Belichick will most likely go for some obscure picks into the 4th-7th rounds, IMO.
The team obviously needs an upgrade at RB, but the thought of using a rare high pick on one makes me queasy. It's one of the most fungible positions on the field, and the Pats put together a pretty impressive decade without ever having anything like an "All-World running back." It was Clock Killin' Corey Dillon, not That Thrillin' Corey Dillon.
So for me, I'll take a veteran FA and a mid-round pick at RB and look for a rare talent at DE, OLB or CB with my top pick. The way this draft is shaping up, one should be there.
Brother Off the Grid, thanks a lot for the pics and the nice words! I'm glad you liked my mock.
I really liked those pics, specially Ingram's.
The term "flanker" is pretty interesting too, and cooler than "outside linebacker". I don't even like "linebacker" that much, to be honest.
Thanks!
I used to think like you, so I see where you're coming from and I think it's a pretty valid opinion. But still, I just don't see it as being that much of a problem, and I don't see any major talent like Seymour or Wilfork who'd fit the 2-gap scheme while still being able to apply pressure either.
Dareus seems to be the only guy who fits the description with no question marks, but I can't see why he won't be a Cleveland Brown. In case he falls he could very well be drafted with 1A, even tough I still would believe Ingram would've been the better choice - because, right now, I see the offense as the descending unit while the defense is the ascending unit, and that's bad because Tom, who, really, is one of the (if not the one) biggest difference makers in sports. If the Patriots get rings the next 10 years, it'll be because of Brady - so give him weapons. And not Moss-like weapons, who in the end dictate too much targets and change the gameplan, but smashmouth weapons like a tough mean-streaked O-line and a All-World running back.
Other than that, I'd like to hear some suggestions from you on DEs you think fit the scheme, because I don't see that many... Just from the top of my head:
I believe Adrian Clayborn will be a better 4-3 end. I really like his energy and motor, and I don't care about his character issues, and he's from Iowa, so he could be Belichick's pick. He was on my first mock, but Ingram surpassed him based on the impact I believe each one will have on the team success'.
I don't like Allan Bailey because he's one of those college players who rely too much on his power and speed combo to be successful, and that kind of player tend to fail in the NFL.
Cameron Jordan is a name I've heard some fuzz about, but I haven't seen too much tape of him. Maybe he? I'm not easily sold on one year wonders, though.
Lawrence Guy is a guy I think has some upside, but he's not that great against the run and will most likely struggle in the point of attack while trying to cover 2 gaps. He could improve the pass rush, but IMO he couldn't ever be an every-down linemen for the Patriots.
Nick Farley has been on the rise and I was very high on Cameron Heyward and specially on Jared Crick, but 2010 hasn't been going so well to them. I think any of these two could be a nice value pick into the 2nd or 3rd round, but only if they fall and only if Belichick believes he can make any of them pull their act together.
I'd like as much as you to come from this draft with a new stud 3-4 DE to improve the D (I'm a pretty "D wins championships" guy, my 2009 mock was all-D, trust me
As this team continues to evolve ~ to EXPLODE!! ~ in front of our eyes, virtually every NEED is falling by the wayside.
We may actually end up in the RIDICULOUS position of having solid contributors at ALL positions...And a Free Hand to draft for PLEASURE...at our LEISURE.
The team obviously needs an upgrade at RB, but the thought of using a rare high pick on one makes me queasy. It's one of the most fungible positions on the field, and the Pats put together a pretty impressive decade without ever having anything like an "All-World running back." It was Clock Killin' Corey Dillon, not That Thrillin' Corey Dillon.
So for me, I'll take a veteran FA and a mid-round pick at RB and look for a rare talent at DE, OLB or CB with my top pick. The way this draft is shaping up, one should be there.
