Utterly fantastic, Brother Mayo!! :rocker:
By far the best one I've seen, this year, and your finest Mock YET!!
Thanks. As we've discussed, the main purpose of "mocks" this early is to beat the bushes about guys of potential interest. And, given a key event today, I have to update my mock sooner than expected with one little addition:
Time for a another bump, just to kick the tires on this thread. Once gain, it's obviously just throwing darts at this stage of the game. I'm also assuming the Pats pick at 32 in each round.
1. Dion Jordan, DE/LB/"DB", Oregon. 6'6" 245#.
Hybrid Beast! The "Preying Mantis" is a rare animal, a 6'6" guy with great explosion and quickness off the edge who is unreal in space. He came to Oregon as a WR, converted to TE, and then to DE. He is so agile in space that the Ducks sometimes use him to play press CB and to cover slot receivers. He spends most of his time playing out of a 2 point stance, even when he is on the line. Jordan is not stout enough to be a full time edge setter, but he has good core strength for his size. The Pats could move him around, including playing DB in "big nickel" packages. With his length, speed and agility, Jordan could be a unique weapon in a defense which already has playmakers like Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower.
2. Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama. 6'4" 330#.
Beast! Star Lotulelei and Johnathan Hankins will likely be out of reach in 2013, but there is still plenty of depth and talent at the DT position. Williams could be a steal, and may have as much upside as either of those guys. An Australian transplant and JUCO transfer by way of Arizona, Wiliams played 3-4 DE for the Tide in 2011 but is taking over at NT for Josh Chapman in 2012. A former rugby player, Williams has tremendous strength and terrific movement skills for his size. He is a weight room fanatic with incredible core strength, who recently benched 600 lbs (Dontari Poe, who led the 2012 Combine at the bench press, had a best of 500 lbs. at Memphis), and very little body fat. Best quote: "I stopped looking for the monster under the bed when I realized the monster was me." Williams has enough agility and athleticism to play outside in the 3-4 and probably play 4-3 LDE as well, and enough strength and size to play 3-4 NT, 4-3 NT and 4-3 DT. Getting Williams might require a trade up in the 2nd round.
3. Mark Jackson, OT/OG, Glenville St. 6'5" 328#.
Sleeper! Rated the #7 center in the country by Rivals coming out of high school and signed by Illinois, Jackson subsequently transferred to a small school and has been flying under the rader. A big kid with excellent footwork for his size, Jackson has positional versatility at tackle, guard and center. He's still a bit under the rader, but with a strong season he'll probably be a top 100 pick, and could even sneak into the 2nd round. I could see him becoming a Brian Waters kind of player at guard.
4a. David Bass, DE, Missouri Western St.. 6'5" 280#.
Super Sleeper! Mackenzie Pantoja has recently profiled Bass, who has an intriguing combination of size, length, long arms, verticity, instincts and processing speed. Pantoja writes: "I have never before scouted a player who is tremendous at so many different things needed to stop the pass" and "I’m not sure if I could design a player better suited to cover the NFL’s new breed of 'super tight ends' (Gronk, Graham, etc.)". A 280# LDE who can drop back into coverage from a 3-point stance and cover a TE or a slot WR in addition to rushing the passer, clogging the passing lanes and setting the edge would be a tremendous weapon - so much so that Bass got me to pass on Margus Hunt in the 1st round in favor of Dion Jordan. A DE group of Fanene/Bass/Bequette at LDE and Chandler Jones/Bequette/Cunningham at RDE would have terrific depth and versatility.
***Trade: the Pats trade something or other to pick up an extra 4th round pick. I'm not sure what they would give up at this juncture, but BB can certainly somehow manufacture an extra day 3 pick.
4b. Tyrann Mathieu, DB. 5'9" 175#.
Fallen Stud! The Honey Badger becomes the 2013 version of Aaron Hernandez/Alfonzo Dennard, a day 1 or 2 pick who slips to day 3 because of off field issues and gets snatched up by BB. Mathieu is undersized and doesn't have elite man coverage skills. But he is a heat seeking missile and ball hawk par extraordinaire who can be moved all around the secondary to create disruption. He's a big risk without a true position and multiple off field issues leading to his dismissal from LSU, but as a day 3 pick the upside is too great to ignore. The combination of the Honey Bader with the "Preying Mantis" Dion Jordan would add tremendous playmaking ability and versatility to the defense.
5. Brandon Moore, DT, Texas. 6'5" 335#.
Super Sleeper Beast! Moore was recruited by Nick Saban to Alabama, and left the team for disciplinary reasons before transferring to Texas to be reunited with his old line coach. A huge kid with terrific athleticism, Moore has reportedly been dominant in Spring practices. With VInce Wilfork turning 32 in 2013 and Myron Pryor and Ron Brace UDFAs after this year and Kyle Love a RFA, a second interior lineman would be a nice addition. A front 6 of Wilfork, Jesse Williams, Jonathan Fanene, Love, Deaderick and Brandon Moore would be a very strong group. I'm guessing that a deep DT class and his past disciplinary issues could push Moore down a bit.
I'd still like to add another offensive lineman and a WR, but will wait until it's clearler exactl what picks the Pats have.
