Ok. I wasn't sure where I should put this:
Saw an article that listed the following 4 as potential sleeper picks for the Pats. There was a 5th one, but I already talked about him .
New England Patriots: 5 Sleepers to target in 2018 NFL Draft
I'd love to hear what the Draftniks have to say:
Kyle Fitts - DE - Utah - 6'3 6/8 - 263 - Great agility stats for a DE.
Leon Jacobs - LB - Wisconsin - 6'1 1/8" - 248 - supposedly has good range and motor..
Brandon Parker - LT - NC A&T - 6'7 5/8 - 305 - 35 3/8" arms - possible swing tackle (?) as he played both.
Tony Brown - CB/ST - Alabama - 5'11 7/8 - 199 lbs - AMAZING 4.33 speed. Also very good agility numbers.. Good in run support.. Coverage is a question.. But supposedly an excellent special teams player.
I'd also love to hear of other "sleeper" picks you think would be ideal for the Pats.
It's tough to keep track of all the posts at this time of year, isn't it? The draft board certainly sees a lot more traffic in these final three weeks.
Here's a brief writeup I posted last month about Fitts:
Kylie Fitts I like better as an off the line player, even though he primarily played DE. I'm not sure I saw enough technique to leave him as a pass rusher or full time run defender, but I did like his bull rush. At first I questioned his functional strength against the run, but once I saw how successful his bull rush is, I realized it's the difference between extending his arms and playing with leverage, vs tossing his shoulder into the blocker and just trying to hang on for dear life. He drops occasionally into coverage on tape, and looks pretty fluid. Regardless of DE or OLB, he has solid size and measurables. Good comparisons at either position:
Kylie Fitts - MockDraftable
Kylie Fitts - MockDraftable
Here is a compilation of some of my comments about Jacobs, my favorite late round LB:
Leon Jacobs — 1.58 10 yard split. Jacobs played ILB and OLB for Wisconsin. He tested with the edge players at the Combine, but I liked him better in space where he can use his speed to chase down plays. He compares better in size to a true inside linebacker like Jerod Mayo, David Harris, or Patrick Willis, and his speed in coverage is really impressive. The only player we have in that role is Elandon Roberts, and we would all like to upgrade him inside. Jacobs has the athleticism to do that. While he is undersized for edge, he's actually very physical, and probably relies on his bull rush and pole arm more than he should. He needs technical refinement, but his speed at that size is incredibly rare. Well worth a 4th round gamble.
Despite being listed with the DEs, Jacobs can cover and has experience in space (3 interceptions this year). He also ran a 4.48 at the Combine at 246 pounds. That's an impressive time for any size linebacker, but particularly for a guy who isn't a Deion Jones or Telvin Smith size (around 230). I said in stature he's closer to a Mayo (6'1, 242 vs 6'1, 246), because I doubt we're going to draft a 6' #230 linebacker very early (we took Roberts at the end of the 6th), but he's also not the same size as Hightower, McClellin, Flowers, or Van Noy, which seems to be the preferred build for our LB. In my dream scenario he would upgrade Elandon Roberts.
Roberts:
Height: 5113
Weight: 234
40 Yrd Dash: 4.60
20 Yrd Dash: 2.64
10 Yrd Dash: 1.67
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 25
Vertical Jump: 36
Broad Jump: 10'00"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.26
3-Cone Drill: 7.20
Jacobs:
Height: 6011
Weight: 246
40 Yrd Dash: 4.48
20 Yrd Dash: 2.61
10 Yrd Dash: 1.58
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 26
Vertical Jump: 35
Broad Jump: 10'02"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.44
3-Cone Drill: 7.14
Obviously you can't get a full picture from a highlight reel, but I like his versatility to play with physicality against the run, rush the passer, and also to drop successfully in coverage. I've seen him projected anywhere from the 4th to the 6th. I'd take him with 136, since I don't think he'd be available at 210, or whenever we pick again. Could be a nice bargain value vs spending a 1st or 2nd on LVE or Evans (assuming they're available), or Jefferson, who is a little smaller and doesn't play off blocks as well as Jacobs.
As for Tony Brown, well, he has the kind of toughness and attitude I like on defense, but I'm not sure about his mentality. Reportedly, he struggled to learn the Alabama defensive schemes, and he's been prone to penalties at times. That said, he's fast, physical, and fiery. I'd find a place for him if it were up to me to bring in players.
