Day 2 has come and gone and the Patriots made just two selections and no trades despite having 11 picks still in the basket. Mike Giradi reported yesterday that the Patriots were in talks to move up in the second round. To counter that Pete Schrager of Good Morning Football and the NFL Network said that multiple teams were looking to move up but that not many teams were willing to move down. That really wasn’t the case as teams did make three trades ahead of the Patriots. Most disappointing was the Atlanta trade of Picks 44 and 110 to Indianapolis for pick #38 in which Atlanta selected OT Matthew Bergeron from Syracuse. Phil Perry had stated earlier in the day that Bergeron was a target of the Patriots and he had received the seal of approval from Dante Scarnechia, the former O-line coach. Scar did work out some prospects and did some film reviews of potential prospects.
Then the Lions jumped ahead of the Patriots at pick #45 to select S Brian Branch from Alabama. That cost them #48 and #159. So there were trades to be made. Did teams just not want to trade with Bill Belichick and the Patriots? The Patriots did not receive fair compensation for pick #14 (1100 pts). They received #17 (950 pts) and 120 (68 pts) which was – 82 for the Pats. The trade should have been #17, and #80 for #14, #184, and #187. If anything Pittsburgh should have paid more to move up.
The two players I wanted out of day 2 were WR Jonathan Mingo (#39 to Carolina) and OT Tyler Steen (#65 to Philadelphia). I knew that both players were going to be picked well in advance of their PFF Rankings and that the Patriots would have to select them earlier than projected. I never thought that Mingo would go on pick 39 and Steen on pick 65. PFF had them at 83 and 107 respectively. Bill Belchicks inability to make trades (for whatever reason) disappointed me.
Don’t get me wrong, the players they did select are quality athletes. Keion White was listed in many mock drafts as a 1st round player. White looked pissed that he was finally drafted #46 by the Patriots. He is a quiet person and all business. I think this snub will motivate him. When compared to the Patriots’ standard for the DE position White exceeds the standards in almost every category (8 of. White had a RAS Score of 9.92. White started as a TE at Old Dominion and switched to DE before he transferred to Georgia Tech. He missed most of 2021 with injuries and when he came back for 4 games, playing at just 60 percent.
In his career, White started 33 of the 36 games he played in. His long arms, longer than most OTs, help him hold off blockers and set the edge. He had 19 TFL at Old Dominion in his 1st year playing DL. That is a school record. “I’m a very big business person,” White said. “I’m not too big into the glitz and glamour of football. I want to work. I want to win. I feel like that’s what the Patriots offer and that’s where we meet in the middle at.” The Patriots had no contact with White during the draft process. They selected him anyways. White didn’t look happy at being selected by the Patriots, but that may be a surprise more than anything. White was one of 17 prospects invited to the draft and spent the first night in the Green Room, but never heard his name called. He skipped being there another night but did not regret the experience. He was pleased that he was one of those 17 that got the full NFL draft experience.
Who the heck is Marte Mapu? He is a clone of Kyle Dugger. At 6’3, 221 lbs he still runs a 4.67 40. When he was drafted, the NFL announced him as a Linebacker. He has been climbing up the draft boards since the Senior Bowl. Mapu was a combine snub and the 1st player drafted didn’t participate in the combine. Unfortunately, Mapu tore a Pectoral muscle working out and was not able to have a Pro Day workout. The 40 time I got from NFL Draftscout’s estimate.
I knew of Marte from conducting multiple mock drafts and it was interesting seeing his progression up the draft board from a 7th-round project to his final rank of 125 by PFF. Was it a reach to take him at #76? I really don’t think so, especially as the Patriots list him as an LB. I don’t think he will be a Safety but more along that Hybrid role of SS/LB. He can cover and show that at the Senior Bowl practices. Mapu was unknown before those workouts and all the scouts had to go back and look at his video again (or for some the first time). He does not have a RAS score because he wasn’t invited to the combine and couldn’t work out at his Pro-Day. The Patriots had him in for one of their 30 allowed visits. This was probably for a medical checkout as well as an evaluation of how he processes info.
Pats fans are a little miffed that the Patriots have not selected any Offensive help yet. I will say that the players I liked were selected much higher than even I projected and I think the Patriots moved onto the Best Player Available which happened to be Defensive help. I think you will see them take Offensive players on Day 3.
What do I look for today? I am very surprised that mammoth Ohio State Right Tackle Dawand Jones has not been selected. PFF had him as the #31 ranked player overall and he is the top player left on their board. Both Evan Lazar, Patriots.com, and the 33rd Team have Dawand Jones as their #14 player out of their top 50. The 6’8” 378 lb giant would look really nice next to Michael Owenu. Nobody would be asking “Where’s the beef”.
Three other tackles are on my list. Blake Freeland OT BYU should go early in round 4. Nick Saldiveri a relatively unknown OT from Old Dominion is probably a 5th-round selection and finally Jake Witt, a D2 player from Northern Michigan. The 6’7” 306 lb tackle didn’t even allow a QB pressure all season. Witt has a 9.8 RAS. Dane Brugler of The Athletic states that Witt will get drafted. He is a former TE and that may be how the team could keep him on the roster as the 3rd TE.
Wide receivers are another area in which the Patriots need help. Cincinnati’s Tyler Scott had 55 catches for 904 yards (16.4 YPC) and is the #85 ranked player in PFF Big Board. I love Charlie Jones, WR Purdue. He is a pure slot receiver that put up 150 yards against Penn State and Joey Porter. Andrei Iosivas from that football factory Princeton is a world-class track athlete who reminds me of Chris Hogan. Late in the draft the diminutive Demario Douglas (5’8”) from Liberty and Ronnie Bell of Michigan are two guys that could help. Bell had a 6.62 3-cone drill.
QB Dorian Taylor-Robinson from UCLA was on their East-West Shrine team. Trey Dean S Florida was the Defensive MVP on their E/W team. Jarrod Clark, Coastal Carolina, is a local kid from Dorchester. He impressed at the Senior Bowl and is a true NT. I like Cory Trice CB from Purdue and I like adding another DB. UAB CB Starling Thomas V also played on the E/W team. You have to think they are taking a K and or punter.
I was shocked that San Francisco took K Jake Moody at the end of the 3rd round (#99). Moody played on the Pats E/W team and was expected to be drafted by the NE. Etan Evans a D2 kicker/punter from Wingate, P Adam Korsack, and P Mike Turk are possibilities. The last two players I’ll mention are QBs Clayton Tune (HOU) and Burlsworth Award winner Stetson Bennett. Tune is a big-arm QB and Bennett is the two-time National Championship MVP at just under 6’. The Patriots will bring in another QB, if just for camp.
They will take a TE today, I just have no idea who that will be.
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Merrimack Valley native and lifelong fan of the New England Patriots. My earliest memories of the Patriots were attending as a child with my dad, the off-season practice at Phillips Academy. I was at the Patriots game at Harvard Stadium in 1970 where Bob “Harpo” Gladieux was called out of the stands by the stadium announcer over the PA to play in the game. Analyzing the draft since ESPN first started to televise it in 1980 and former writer for the Lowell Sun Newspaper.
