My early shopping list

[Ochmed Jones]

If the NFL player lockout continues past the 2011 NFL Draft, the following mock draft for the New England Patriots covers most of the roster contingencies except for Logan Mankins:

#17 Ryan Kerrigan, DE/OLB Purdue or Justin Houston, DE/OLB Georgia
#28 Gabe Carimi, OT Wisconsin
#33 Mike Pouncey, OG Florida or Stefen Wisniewski, C/OG Penn State
#60 Jarvis Jenkins, DT Clemson
#74 Rahim Moore, FS UCLA or DeMarco Murray, RB Oklahoma or Shane Vereen, RB California
#92 Sam Acho, DE/OLB Texas or Stephen Schilling, OG Michigan
#124 Clint Boling, OG Georgia or Stevan Ridley, RB LSU

Player ratings based upon NFL Draft Scout Top 750 for 2011

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I really like your picks at #17. I would be happy with either player. Houston is more sudden, but Kerrigan plays the run better.

The more I examine the way this draft could fall, the more I think that Jacksonville takes one of these players at #16. However if BOTH are on the board at #17, I just wonder if BB wouldn;t try to trade back a few spots, thinking that he could still get one.

 

[ATippett56]

I really like your picks at #17. I would be happy with either player. Houston is more sudden, but Kerrigan plays the run better.

I'm trying to be realistic based upon pre-combine evaluations by NFL Draft Scout.

The more I examine the way this draft could fall, the more I think that Jacksonville takes one of these players at #16. However if BOTH are on the board at #17, I just wonder if BB wouldn;t try to trade back a few spots, thinking that he could still get one.

You then risk coming away with nothing. If your number one priority is a 3-4 OLB who can rush the passer while setting the edge in the running game, you don't pass up the opportunity.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I'm trying to be realistic based upon pre-combine evaluations by NFL Draft Scout.

You then risk coming away with nothing. If your number one priority is a 3-4 OLB who can rush the passer while setting the edge in the running game, you don't pass up the opportunity.

You are correct I would never pass up the opportunity, but BB has passed on thes type players year after year for the past decade. He could have had Mathews and instead waited a year to take 4.95 bruises easier than a banana Cunningham.

BB prefers veterans at this position, but after wasting a lot of dollars on Thomas, he seems happier to sign retreads like TBC and Ninkovich rather than burn a high draft pick on a projection selection.

 

[ATippett56]

BB prefers veterans at this position, but after wasting a lot of dollars on Thomas, he seems happier to sign retreads like TBC and Ninkovich rather than burn a high draft pick on a projection selection.

With an impending NFL player lockout, there may not be free agency this year.

As for Tully Banta-Cain, he is a major liability in the running game and has trouble setting the edge. Conversely, Rob Ninkovich is hardly considered a feared pass rusher. I can live without Tully Banta-Cain and Eric Moore since the former is on the downhill side of thirty while the latter is just another guy.

Drafting Jermaine Cunningham is a sign of hope for future 3-4 outside linebackers in the New England Patriots defense.