The 2014 Mock draft Thread.

[Kontradiction]

Since my last mock included a trade, I'm not going to include one for this mock. Should be my final one before the draft...

29. Louis Nix, DT/Notre Dame
Not high on this DT class so I think the Pats have to grab the cream of the crop here in the first round. I would also go SS here if the right guy fell, but I don't see the right guy falling so I'm going with DT here and Nix should be the best one left available that can come in and give us quality snaps in the event Wilfork and Kelly do not come back the same and/or get injured again.

62. Kelvin Benjamin, WR/Free Seafood University
I'm actually going to go in a different direction with Benjamin. I'm going to move him to TE. Given some of his slower and more poor times, I don't think he's going to be exactly what we need at the WR position and, while I love the WR's in the first round, I would rather take the best DL we can get at that point. TE is a need and I've become increasingly underwhelmed by the TE's in this draft. Benjamin's stock has dropped, but I think he would be the perfect solution to our TE issues while also having the flexibility to line up in the slot or split wide, if need be. Benjamin, with his long wingspan, would be a match-up nightmare for LB's. Take him here and move him to TE. Red zone issues: SOLVED.

93. Dri Archer, WR/Kent State
Archer reminds me a lot of DeSean Jackson. He's small but his 40 time and break away speed are absolutely ridiculous. He can also get off the press and doesn't shy away from physicality at the LOS. He needs some polishing on his route running, but this would give the Pats a burner at WR that can line up at flanker and threaten both deep down the field and outside the numbers. It also provides some competition for PR and KR.

130. Travis Swanson, C/Arkansas
Swanson is projected as the third best center in this draft. This pick may be a bit of a reach for him and some of his measurables, such as the VJ, don't match up with the OL prospects the Patriots tend to look at. But I'm hoping that may change now that Scar isn't coaching them. I've watched Swanson pretty closely at Arkansas and have watched him since. He's a mauler that looks for contact in the run game and has the size and power to be able to hold up against the likes of Suh, Potroast Knighton, etc. better than Wendell has. Fortify that position with this selection.

140. Jordan Tripp, LB/Montana
Tripp looks, acts, and sounds the part of a Patriot. Excellent movement skills and fluidity in coverage and is not afraid to come up against the run. With a little work, he has the potential of a three down LB in this system. He's also very smart, by all accounts. He needs to work on his tackling a bit, but with the right coaching, that can be fixed.

198. Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB/Boston College
This is actually the position that I expect the Pats to "double dip" at. I put double dip in quotations because KPL can either line up at OLB in the nickel to provide coverage help and may also be able to find some snaps lining up at SS, either as an in-the-box safety, or paired across from McCourty in the Cover-2 to provide a physical presence back there. KPL has nice speed and movement skills for a man of his size and should be able to provide some excellent camp competition and get a roster spot after camp.

206. Dontae Johnson, CB/NC State
Johnson is a big bodied, physical CB prospect that is excellent at re-routing receivers at the LOS ala Brandon Browner. He has very nice top end speed but needs to work on his fluidity in coverage as he can easily be turned around. I don't see him contributing that much at CB off the bat, but he's another bigger, physical guy that we can throw into the competition for SS. He can hit, take on the run, and has some nice coverage ability.

244. A.C. Leonard, TE/Tennessee State
Another big bodied TE to throw into competition with the Hooman. Nice route running skills, body control, and ability to track the ball in the air but needs quite a bit of improvement as a blocker.

-------------------------

And, with that, I've just added size, speed, and athleticism to the team on both sides of the ball. Questions, comments? Jokes?

 

[old 55]

Since my last mock included a trade, I'm not going to include one for this mock. Should be my final one before the draft...

29. Louis Nix, DT/Notre Dame
Not high on this DT class so I think the Pats have to grab the cream of the crop here in the first round. I would also go SS here if the right guy fell, but I don't see the right guy falling so I'm going with DT here and Nix should be the best one left available that can come in and give us quality snaps in the event Wilfork and Kelly do not come back the same and/or get injured again.

62. Kelvin Benjamin, WR/Free Seafood University
I'm actually going to go in a different direction with Benjamin. I'm going to move him to TE. Given some of his slower and more poor times, I don't think he's going to be exactly what we need at the WR position and, while I love the WR's in the first round, I would rather take the best DL we can get at that point. TE is a need and I've become increasingly underwhelmed by the TE's in this draft. Benjamin's stock has dropped, but I think he would be the perfect solution to our TE issues while also having the flexibility to line up in the slot or split wide, if need be. Benjamin, with his long wingspan, would be a match-up nightmare for LB's. Take him here and move him to TE. Red zone issues: SOLVED.

93. Dri Archer, WR/Kent State
Archer reminds me a lot of DeSean Jackson. He's small but his 40 time and break away speed are absolutely ridiculous. He can also get off the press and doesn't shy away from physicality at the LOS. He needs some polishing on his route running, but this would give the Pats a burner at WR that can line up at flanker and threaten both deep down the field and outside the numbers. It also provides some competition for PR and KR.

130. Travis Swanson, C/Arkansas
Swanson is projected as the third best center in this draft. This pick may be a bit of a reach for him and some of his measurables, such as the VJ, don't match up with the OL prospects the Patriots tend to look at. But I'm hoping that may change now that Scar isn't coaching them. I've watched Swanson pretty closely at Arkansas and have watched him since. He's a mauler that looks for contact in the run game and has the size and power to be able to hold up against the likes of Suh, Potroast Knighton, etc. better than Wendell has. Fortify that position with this selection.

140. Jordan Tripp, LB/Montana
Tripp looks, acts, and sounds the part of a Patriot. Excellent movement skills and fluidity in coverage and is not afraid to come up against the run. With a little work, he has the potential of a three down LB in this system. He's also very smart, by all accounts. He needs to work on his tackling a bit, but with the right coaching, that can be fixed.

198. Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB/Boston College
This is actually the position that I expect the Pats to "double dip" at. I put double dip in quotations because KPL can either line up at OLB in the nickel to provide coverage help and may also be able to find some snaps lining up at SS, either as an in-the-box safety, or paired across from McCourty in the Cover-2 to provide a physical presence back there. KPL has nice speed and movement skills for a man of his size and should be able to provide some excellent camp competition and get a roster spot after camp.

206. Dontae Johnson, CB/NC State
Johnson is a big bodied, physical CB prospect that is excellent at re-routing receivers at the LOS ala Brandon Browner. He has very nice top end speed but needs to work on his fluidity in coverage as he can easily be turned around. I don't see him contributing that much at CB off the bat, but he's another bigger, physical guy that we can throw into the competition for SS. He can hit, take on the run, and has some nice coverage ability.

244. A.C. Leonard, TE/Tennessee State
Another big bodied TE to throw into competition with the Hooman. Nice route running skills, body control, and ability to track the ball in the air but needs quite a bit of improvement as a blocker.

-------------------------

And, with that, I've just added size, speed, and athleticism to the team on both sides of the ball. Questions, comments? Jokes?

Free Seafood U - perfect..

I like Dri Archer, but most drafts I've seen have him dropping to lower rounds because of his lack of size. If we could get him a little lower I'd be happier, but I like the thinking of adding a playmaker with so much speed. I think if we draft him here, people will be calling it another BB reach, but I think it would give us a Bethel Johnson who can actually catch. I like Nix at DT. We have to be ready for Big Vince's departure and the very real possibility that the injured achilles doesn't allow him to return to his prior performance level. If we miss on Nix, I think McKullors is the way to go and possibly a better value and would allow a different impact player at #29 such as a DE/LB pass rusher. I like the logic of Dontae Johnson - similar size to Browner and let him apprentice for a little while and hope he can learn from Browner & Revis this year and work towards contributing in the future.

 

[Brady6]

Since my last mock included a trade, I'm not going to include one for this mock. Should be my final one before the draft...

29. Louis Nix, DT/Notre Dame
Not high on this DT class so I think the Pats have to grab the cream of the crop here in the first round. I would also go SS here if the right guy fell, but I don't see the right guy falling so I'm going with DT here and Nix should be the best one left available that can come in and give us quality snaps in the event Wilfork and Kelly do not come back the same and/or get injured again.

62. Kelvin Benjamin, WR/Free Seafood University
I'm actually going to go in a different direction with Benjamin. I'm going to move him to TE. Given some of his slower and more poor times, I don't think he's going to be exactly what we need at the WR position and, while I love the WR's in the first round, I would rather take the best DL we can get at that point. TE is a need and I've become increasingly underwhelmed by the TE's in this draft. Benjamin's stock has dropped, but I think he would be the perfect solution to our TE issues while also having the flexibility to line up in the slot or split wide, if need be. Benjamin, with his long wingspan, would be a match-up nightmare for LB's. Take him here and move him to TE. Red zone issues: SOLVED.

93. Dri Archer, WR/Kent State
Archer reminds me a lot of DeSean Jackson. He's small but his 40 time and break away speed are absolutely ridiculous. He can also get off the press and doesn't shy away from physicality at the LOS. He needs some polishing on his route running, but this would give the Pats a burner at WR that can line up at flanker and threaten both deep down the field and outside the numbers. It also provides some competition for PR and KR.

130. Travis Swanson, C/Arkansas
Swanson is projected as the third best center in this draft. This pick may be a bit of a reach for him and some of his measurables, such as the VJ, don't match up with the OL prospects the Patriots tend to look at. But I'm hoping that may change now that Scar isn't coaching them. I've watched Swanson pretty closely at Arkansas and have watched him since. He's a mauler that looks for contact in the run game and has the size and power to be able to hold up against the likes of Suh, Potroast Knighton, etc. better than Wendell has. Fortify that position with this selection.

140. Jordan Tripp, LB/Montana
Tripp looks, acts, and sounds the part of a Patriot. Excellent movement skills and fluidity in coverage and is not afraid to come up against the run. With a little work, he has the potential of a three down LB in this system. He's also very smart, by all accounts. He needs to work on his tackling a bit, but with the right coaching, that can be fixed.

198. Kevin Pierre-Louis, LB/Boston College
This is actually the position that I expect the Pats to "double dip" at. I put double dip in quotations because KPL can either line up at OLB in the nickel to provide coverage help and may also be able to find some snaps lining up at SS, either as an in-the-box safety, or paired across from McCourty in the Cover-2 to provide a physical presence back there. KPL has nice speed and movement skills for a man of his size and should be able to provide some excellent camp competition and get a roster spot after camp.

206. Dontae Johnson, CB/NC State
Johnson is a big bodied, physical CB prospect that is excellent at re-routing receivers at the LOS ala Brandon Browner. He has very nice top end speed but needs to work on his fluidity in coverage as he can easily be turned around. I don't see him contributing that much at CB off the bat, but he's another bigger, physical guy that we can throw into the competition for SS. He can hit, take on the run, and has some nice coverage ability.

244. A.C. Leonard, TE/Tennessee State
Another big bodied TE to throw into competition with the Hooman. Nice route running skills, body control, and ability to track the ball in the air but needs quite a bit of improvement as a blocker.

-------------------------

And, with that, I've just added size, speed, and athleticism to the team on both sides of the ball. Questions, comments? Jokes?

Do you like Swanson a lot? I am trying to get a read on him as a prospect, he was considered the top center in the draft on a lot of boards earlier in the draft process but now he has dropped to #119 on the NFL draft scout prospect board.

 

[Brady6]

Trade Ryan Mallett and #62 to Houston for #33
-Houston maintains a second round pick and the Patriots trade Mallett for the point’s value of the #50 pick.

Trade #29 and #93 to Oakland for #36 and #67
-Raiders trades up to draft a QB; they do not lose a third round pick by swapping thirds.

Trade #33 to Arizona for #52, #84, and #120
-Arizona trades up to draft a QB before Cleveland, Jacksonville, and Minnesota.

36-Dominique Easley
-Risky pick but the Patriots can afford to take a risk, and if Easley is healthy, they get a top 20 talent.

52-Marcus Martin
-Fills an immediate need, an OL of Solder-Mankins-Martin-Cannon-Vollmer would be outstanding for many years to come.

67-Trent Murphy
-Smart player who can rotate with Ninkovich, with Jones and Buchanan rotating at RDE the Patriots have a solid rotation and can keep everyone fresh for the playoffs.

84-C.J. Fiedorowicz
-Excellent blocker and a solid pass catcher, he can assume the Y-TE role allowing them to use Gronkowski as the flex and move him around to create matchup opportunities.

120-Marqueston Huff
-Good value here, he can play both safety positions and cover tight ends and running backs out of the backfield.

130-Brandon Coleman
-Upside pick, Coleman could be brilliant at the next level with the proper coaching, and he adds a red zone threat.

140-Christian Kirksey
-Good overall LB, athletic and would be a good #4 LB

198-David Fales
-We need a backup and Fales has potential to be a solid backup for a number of years. It is a solid investment on a player that will fill a need

206-Lorenzo Taliaferro
-Replaces Blount as the inside pounder, has a lot of upside.

244-John Urschel
-Smart OL with solid talent, will be a good fit with the Patriots since he can play all three inside positions.

Thoughts?

 

[captain stone]

One small nit to pick: I don't think that Urschel's going to last into the 7th round. I used to be able to grab him in the 6th round with Larry Webster in Fanspeak's draft simulator; that's no longer the case.

 

[JMC00]

#29 traded to Oakland for #36 and #107

#36- Stephon Tuitt
#62- Deone Bucannon
#93- CJ Fiedorowicz
#107- Daniel McCullers
#130- Christian Kirksey
#140- Brandon Coleman
#198- Wesley Johnson
#206- Lorenzo Taliaferro
#244- Jacob Pederson

UFA- Gator Hoskins
UFA- Tyler Starr
UFA- Bene Bewikere

 

[JMC00]

I didn't even see Brady6's latest one before I posted mine.

 

[manxman2601]

@Brady6 and JMC00

Strongly approve of your Taliaferro, Kirksey and Fiedorowicz picks and I can see the Coleman pick. Good job on both mocks.

 

[Brady6]

I didn't even see Brady6's latest one before I posted mine.

I like your mock it is more realistic then mine.

 

[joepatsfan]

Everyone keeps trading back and back, because its a deep draft so we can get a lot of talent.

So if that's the case for us, why would other teams give up capital to move up in a deep draft? It doesn't make sense.

I don't see a lot of trade backs for us this year. Maybe back from 29 to late 30s to a team who wants a slipping QB but besides that, I wouldn't be surprised to see BB actually move up a couple spots for a guy he loves.

 

[joepatsfan]

Here's my mock with no trades:

Rd1: Stephon Tuitt
Rd2: Dominque Easley
Rd3: Telvin Smith
Rd4: Kevin Norwood
Rd4: David Yankey
Rd6: Aaron Lynch
Rd6: Tajh Boyd
Rd7: Marion Grice or Trey Burton

 

[ATippett56]

2014 New England Patriots Mock Draft - 5/6/14

Straight Up - No Screwing Around

Round 1 - Ra'Shede Hageman, DT - Minnesota (37)

Round 2 - Westin Richburg, OC - Colorado State (67)

Round 3 - Brock Vereen, SS - Minnesota (107)

Round 4 - Arthur Lynch, TE - Georgia (129)

Round 4 Compensatory - Brock Coyle, ILB - Montana (142)

Round 6 - Trey Millard, FB - Oklahoma (194)

Round 6 - Lorenzo Taliaferro, RB - Coastal Carolina (219)

Round 7 - Terrence Fede, DE - Marist (255)

Parenthesis - NFLDraftScout Overall Rankings dated 5/5/2014

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/prospectrankings/2014/all

Note: Multiple selections depends on availability

Collegiate UDFAs (potential diamonds in the rough):

Gator Hoskins, FB - Marshall (283)
Marion Grice, RB - Arizona State (276)
Alex Bayer, TE - Bowling Green (271)
Quincy Enunwa, WR - Nebraska (259)
Bryan Stork, OC - Florida State (264)
Spencer Long, OG - Nebraska (319)
Austin Wentworth, OT - Fresno State (290)
Colton Underwood, DE - Illinois State (300)
Lawrence Virgil, DE - Valdosta State (328)
Ryan Carrethers, DT - Arkansas State (267)
Beau Allen, DT - Wisconsin (389)
James Morris, ILB - Iowa (263)
Steele Divitto, ILB - Boston College (330)
Marquis Flowers, OLB - Arizona (262)
Ronald Powell, OLB - Florida (289)
Jeremy Deering, FS - Rutgers (268)
Nickoe Whitley, FS - Mississippi State (363)
Andre Hal, CB - Vanderbilt (279)
Deion Belue, CB - Alabama (329)

Unrestricted Free Agent Acquisitions:

Michael Hoomanawanui
Julian Edelman
Brandon LaFell
Ryan Wendell
Brandon Browner
Darrelle Revis
Patrick Chung (ugh!)

Salary Cap Casualties:

Isaac Sopoaga
Steve Gregory
Adrian Wilson

NFI List (to be "redshirted" for the 2014 NFL Season):

Trey Millard

 

[Wilfork#75]

This is my final Pats mock for the 2014 draft and hopefully I will get my final full 2 round mock finished up and posted in the next day or 2.

*Trade 1(29) to Atlanta for 2(37) + 4(103) + 6(182)*

Pats move back and grab a couple of extra picks in a deep draft. There are still a few options on the board at 29 I am comfortable with and I think I can still get one of them moving back into the early 2nd. Atlanta missed out on Clowney and Mack in the early first so they jump back into round 1 and grab a pass rusher.


2 (37 from Atl)- DT- Louis Nix III- ND (6’2” 331lbs)

Despite the NFL being a passing league I strongly believe to play defense in the NFL you still have to stop the run first and nobody in this draft does that better than Louis Nix. I love the versatility having a NT allows a defense and with Vince Wilfork ageing and coming off a major injury I think this is the perfect time to find his successor. I’ve said many times I think Nix is a top 10 talent and one that I wouldn’t want to pass up if we have a chance to get him. I truly believe he is the best NT prospect since Haloti Ngata and a much better football player than Dontari Poe was coming out. We have the makings of a potentially dominant secondary, now I look to solidify our defense up front to be able to stop the run with limited resources and free up our LBers to make plays.


2 (62)- DE- Kareem Martin- UNC (6’6” 271lbs)

I’ve been quite critical or Kareem Martin in the past because I didn’t feel his play matched up with his stats. But now I am completely sold on taking a shot at his enormous upside in the late 2nd round. His numbers are hard to ignore, but looking beyond his statistics his pass rushing metrics are excellent. In 2013 Martin created pressure every 8.33 snaps, a better rate than Clowney, Mack, Barr, Ealy, Ford, Attaochu and Lawrence. This is partly because of his versatility to also move inside and rush from the interior. He seems equally adept at creating pressure from the left, right or inside using a variety of pass rush moves. He did face weaker competition than a lot of the other pass rushers but he still did his job.

Martin combines elite size at 6’6” 272lbs and 35” arms and his athletic testing numbers compare quite favourably to other top pass rushers such as Chandler Jones, Robert Quinn, Aldon Smith and Jason Pierre Paul. Particularly impressive were his explosion numbers with a 35.5inch vertical and 129inch broad jump. In the end I think the potential is too hard to pass up with Martin even though I didn’t feel his tape matched up with the numbers. I can see him being another Michael Johnson or Greg Hardy type who has the prototype size and elite athleticism, but only flashed dominance in college and hadn’t quite put it together yet. If that is the case with Martin we could potentially get a steal at the end of the 2nd round.


*Trade 3(93) to Jacksonville for 4(114) + 5(144) + (159)*

Pats move down to add picks while Jacksonville moves up to add some impact. The Jags have a ton of picks and need to find some quality players to help turn that team around so they make a move up which would give them 5 picks in the top 105.


4(103 from Atl)- OG- David Yankey- Stanford (6’6” 315lbs)

Yankey seems to be falling lately and I would love to take advantage of that. He has had success playing both LT and LG for Stanford but I think his eventual position in the NFL will be RG. He seems to have the size that new OL coach Dave DeGuglielmo looks for at just under 6’6” and 315lbs. He’s got long arms at 34” and powerful hands that make him ideally suited for RG. He was quite adept at pulling as a LG last season at Stanford and he was the go to guy whenever they were in short yardage situations. I think he has quickly become of one the most underrated prospects in this draft and I would love to take him and give him a shot at winning the RG job from day 1.



*Trade 4(114 from Jax) to Seattle for 5(146) + 5(172)*

Pats move down at a small discount to add another pick. Seattle has a stacked team and an extra 5th round pick so they can afford to move up and add a more talented player.


4(130)- LB- Kevin Pierre-Louis- BC (6’1” 231lbs)

It seems everyone wants to add more athleticism and coverage ability to our LBers and KPL is my favourite option for that. I think he is a great blend of skills, athleticism, value and upside and could become a playmaker on passing downs for us.


4(140 comp)- OG- Brandon Thomas- Clemson (6’3” 317lbs)

I love taking chances on injured players and Thomas seems like a prime candidate. A likely 2nd or high 3rd rounder before he got hurt, we may be able to steal him with a 4th round compensation pick a put him on IR for the year to recover. I’ve said quite a few times that if Logan Mankins continues to not want to negotiate a re-structure of his contract then I think 2014 will be his last season. Thomas would give us a pretty solid option to take over at LG in 2015 after taking a year to recover and acclimatise to the system. I really like the idea of taking a shot at injured guys in such a deep draft because we can not only get talent at a discount, we have time to let them sit and heal while not taking up a roster spot. It’s almost like adding another rookie next year.


5(144 from Jax)- OL- Wesley Johnson- Vanderbilt (6’5” 297lbs)

3 O-lineman may seem like overkill but with Thomas an IR candidate for 2014 I think this could make sense. Johnson is an extremely versatile O-lineman with the ability to play all 5 spots. While he played mainly LT at Vandy (and did extremely well against Jadaveon Clowney) I think his best position in the NFL will be C. I think he could come in and compete with Wendell for the starting C position or be an extremely versatile backup. Either way I think he is great value here.


5(146 from Oak via Sea)- TE- Larry Webster- Bloomsburg (6’6” 252lbs)

I keep going back and forth on TE’s in this draft but unless Troy Niklas falls there aren’t any I love. That is until we get to the conversion project from Bloomsburg in Larry Webster. He’s been talked about quite a lot on here and I think he has as much upside as any TE in this draft. I would be happy to take him in the 5th round (even the 4th if necessary) and just take a shot at this talent. He is a lottery ticket but the reward is potentially huge. I am also assuming we sign Dustin Keller in the near future.


5(159 from Bal via Jax)- MLB- Max Bullough- Michigan State (6’4” 249lbs)

After adding a good athlete to our LBer group earlier now I just want to add a really good football player. Bullough has great fundamentals, leadership, intelligence and most of all instincts. I think he would be an excellent backup LBer from day 1 and fill some of the energy and aggression we lost with Spikes leaving.


5(172 from Sea)- RB- Rajion Neal- Tennessee (5’11” 220lbs)

Neal is my favourite RB in this class and I think he could be an excellent backup to both Ridley and Vereen because of his diverse skill set. He’s got the size to run between the tackles and averaged over 5ypc in the SEC. He is also excellent catching the ball and onlookers raved about that part of his game during his pro day. He is extremely versatile with the ability to run inside, outside, catch the ball out of the backfield and split out wide as a receiver. I think he can contribute early because unlike most rookie RB’s he is quite good at pass protection and is a very willing blocker.


6(182)- FB- Trey Millard- Oklahoma (6’2” 247lbs)

My first binky of this draft and I can’t let him go yet. Millard was the most versatile weapon in college football before getting hurt with his ability as a lead blocker, running as either a FB or single back and lining up as a TE or split wide as a receiver. The only comparison I can think of is Marcel Reece and I think Millard would thrive in our system. He may need a redshirt year to get healthy otherwise he may be competing with Devlin as our FB or for one of our TE spots. Either way I think he is versatile enough to add a lot of value and we can certainly find a roster spot for him. Oh, and did I forget to say that he was also Oklahoma’s best special teams player?


6(206)- S- Vinnie Sunseri- Alabama (5’11” 210lbs)

Being an Alabama fan and seeing so many talented defensive backs over the past few year, it surprised me that whenever they made a big play on defense it seemed Sunseri was involved. He may not be the most talented defensive back but he is smart, has good fundamentals and plays hard. He is also an excellent special teamer and at worst should compete with Nate Ebner in that role. I think he can add something on both special teams and defense though and as a 6th rounder I think he is a steal. He’s another guy coming off injury and may not contribute until 2015 but I don’t mind waiting.


7(244)- QB- Kenny Guiton- Ohio State (6’2” 204lbs)

It doesn’t seem like we will be trading Mallett so I wouldn't look to spend a high pick on a QB this year. Manx has sold be on Guiton as a guy we can develop and who could make an excellent backup QB. I don’t think he will ever be Brady’s successor but if he can learn the system and be a solid backup I don’t thank you could complain about that from a 7th rounder.


UDFA

SS- Nick Williams- North Alabama

RB- James Wilder Jr- FSU

RB- Damian Williams- Oklahoma

RB- Brandon Bigelow- Cal

WR- Jeremy Gallon- Michigan

WR/TE- Marcus Lucas- Missouri

TE- Jordan Najvar- Baylor

TE- Justin Jones- East Carolina

OG- Spencer Long- Nebraska

 

[Wilfork#75]

This is my final Pats mock for the 2014 draft and hopefully I will get my final full 2 round mock finished up and posted in the next day or 2.
*Trade 1(29) to Atlanta for 2(37) + 4(103) + 6(182)*

Pats move back and grab a couple of extra picks in a deep draft. There are still a few options on the board at 29 I am comfortable with and I think I can still get one of them moving back into the early 2nd. Atlanta missed out on Clowney and Mack in the early first so they jump back into round 1 and grab a pass rusher.


2 (37 from Atl)- DT- Louis Nix III- ND (6’2” 331lbs)

Despite the NFL being a passing league I strongly believe to play defense in the NFL you still have to stop the run first and nobody in this draft does that better than Louis Nix. I love the versatility having a NT allows a defense and with Vince Wilfork ageing and coming off a major injury I think this is the perfect time to find his successor. I’ve said many times I think Nix is a top 10 talent and one that I wouldn’t want to pass up if we have a chance to get him. I truly believe he is the best NT prospect since Haloti Ngata and a much better football player than Dontari Poe was coming out. We have the makings of a potentially dominant secondary, now I look to solidify our defense up front to be able to stop the run with limited resources and free up our LBers to make plays.


2 (62)- DE- Kareem Martin- UNC (6’6” 271lbs)

I’ve been quite critical or Kareem Martin in the past because I didn’t feel his play matched up with his stats. But now I am completely sold on taking a shot at his enormous upside in the late 2nd round. His numbers are hard to ignore, but looking beyond his statistics his pass rushing metrics are excellent. In 2013 Martin created pressure every 8.33 snaps, a better rate than Clowney, Mack, Barr, Ealy, Ford, Attaochu and Lawrence. This is partly because of his versatility to also move inside and rush from the interior. He seems equally adept at creating pressure from the left, right or inside using a variety of pass rush moves. He did face weaker competition than a lot of the other pass rushers but he still did his job.

Martin combines elite size at 6’6” 272lbs and 35” arms and his athletic testing numbers compare quite favourably to other top pass rushers such as Chandler Jones, Robert Quinn, Aldon Smith and Jason Pierre Paul. Particularly impressive were his explosion numbers with a 35.5inch vertical and 129inch broad jump. In the end I think the potential is too hard to pass up with Martin even though I didn’t feel his tape matched up with the numbers. I can see him being another Michael Johnson or Greg Hardy type who has the prototype size and elite athleticism, but only flashed dominance in college and hadn’t quite put it together yet. If that is the case with Martin we could potentially get a steal at the end of the 2nd round.


*Trade 3(93) to Jacksonville for 4(114) + 5(144) + (159)*


4(103 from Atl)- OG- David Yankey- Stanford (6’6” 315lbs)


*Trade 4(114 from Jax) to Seattle for 5(146) + 5(172)*


4(130)- LB- Kevin Pierre-Louis- BC (6’1” 231lbs)


4(140 comp)- OG- Brandon Thomas- Clemson (6’3” 317lbs)


5(144 from Jax)- OL- Wesley Johnson- Vanderbilt (6’5” 297lbs)


5(146 from Oak via Sea)- TE- Larry Webster- Bloomsburg (6’6” 252lbs)


5(159 from Bal via Jax)- MLB- Max Bullough- Michigan State (6’4” 249lbs)


6(182)- FB- Trey Millard- Oklahoma (6’2” 247lbs)


6(206)- S- Vinnie Sunseri- Alabama (5’11” 210lbs)

Notes

- I would have preferred to take a safer option early on at TE but outside of Niklas I’m not sold on the other top TE’s. Ebron is out of range and has trouble catching the ball. ASJ has character and injury concerns and has never lived up to the hype. Amaro isn’t a TE he is an oversized slot WR and I preferred the value of trading down over taling CJF in the 3rd. That left minimal options so I decided to go big with Webster. I would have also considered Logan Thomas as a TE but I think he will be over-drafted as a QB

- I didn’t really address defensive back because I think we are largely set. I wouldn’t have minded taking a SS high but with other needs and more talented players I didn’t think it was the right direction to go.

- If we don’t trade Mallett I wouldn’t spend a high pick on a QB. I strongly considered Aaron Murray because he can be redshirted for a year which allows us to groom a backup QB without taking up a roster spot but just couldn’t fit him in. Although I think on draft day a lot of these QB’s will slide much later than expected and we might be able to get a more highly rated guy in the 6th or 7th round. I’m also a big fan of Tajh Boyd as a backup QB but I think he will be over-drafted by a team like Oakland.

- Three primarily interior OL may seem like a lot but Thomas goes on IR for the year and Yankey and Johnson compete for starting spots. Worst case scenario is Wendell and Connolly win the C and RG jobs and you have a talented and versatile backup OL with Yankey, Johnson and Cannon. Long term I think Thomas could be our LG, Johnson C and Yankey RG.

- I’m a huge Rajion Neal fan and that is why I am comfortable with him as the only draft pick addressing the RB position. I think we could add a veteran (Michael Bush?) and a couple of UDFA RB’s to compete for a roster spot with Bolden. Long term I think Trey Millard could help fill the role of Blount as a big short yardage back.

- Yes this is a lot of draft picks but I certainly don’t think too many. I’m not looking to build a top 53 in May I’m trying to build the best roster for camp in order to get us to the top 53 for the season. There are 3 guys I would expect to go on IR and most of these guys are versatile enough to fill multiple roles.

- In such a deep draft I just couldn’t find the right spot for a WR. If we were to take one early my favourite would be Davante Adams from Fresno State because of his huge upside. If we took one in the mid/late rounds the two guys I really like are Devin Street from Pitt and Kevin Norwood from Alabama. Neither looks like a star but both seem to fit what the Pats do.

 

[manxman2601]

@Wilfork75

Very nice mock. I can get plenty comfortable with your first two picks, especially Martin who is a good Pats fit and I can see a Nix pick. I'm not a fan of Yankey and I'd go in a different direction with some of your later picks (Millard, Neal, Sunseri, Bullough), but other than that I really like it. Love the Guiton pick and KPL and would be very happy with Thomas and Johnson.

 

[captain stone]

1. I'm getting sickly nervous seeing so many mocks with Louis Nix in it. I want absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with him or his type of DT this year. I'd rather take a chance with Tim Jernigan or Dominique Easley at that spot instead of another unathletic lard-ass to compete with Vinnie & Kelly at the buffet line. Now if Bill hadn't re-signed both of these fogies, then I would be less opposed to Nix than I am now, though I still strongly believe that our DTs need to become more explosive, and having Nix, Vinnie & Kelly at the same time does not address that problem in the slightest.

 

[Kontradiction]

Do you like Swanson a lot? I am trying to get a read on him as a prospect, he was considered the top center in the draft on a lot of boards earlier in the draft process but now he has dropped to #119 on the NFL draft scout prospect board.

I love him. He's very able to hold his own against bigger DT's (like the ones he faced in the SEC) in pass protection and seeks contact when run blocking.

 

[Brady6]

I love him. He's very able to hold his own against bigger DT's (like the ones he faced in the SEC) in pass protection and seeks contact when run blocking.

Would you prefer him to Martin or Richburg?

 

[Kontradiction]

1. I'm getting sickly nervous seeing so many mocks with Louis Nix in it. I want absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with him or his type of DT this year. I'd rather take a chance with Tim Jernigan or Dominique Easley at that spot instead of another unathletic lard-ass to compete with Vinnie & Kelly at the buffet line. Now if Bill hadn't re-signed both of these fogies, then I would be less opposed to Nix than I am now, though I still strongly believe that our DTs need to become more explosive, and having Nix, Vinnie & Kelly at the same time does not address that problem in the slightest.

I'd ideally like both. But I also wouldn't be opposed to DE in the first, 3-tech in the second.

 

[Kontradiction]

Would you prefer him to Martin or Richburg?

I think Martin is probably going to be the best center in the draft, so I wouldn't prefer him to Martin. But to Richburg when you take draft position and stock into it? Sure.