MORSE: Patriots Mock Draft #3: Combine Edition
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The Compensation List was released on Tuesday.
Round 3 Add 6 additional selections at the end of the round.
Round 4 Add 4 additional selections. The Patriots selection would then be #111
Round 5 Add 8 additional selections. The Patriots selection would be 6+4 for 10 slots lower at #156
Round 6 Add 8 additional selections at the end of the round. The Patriots have no 6th Round Selection as of this writing.
Round 7 Add all the additional compensation picks to this point and you come up with an additional total of 26 picks. Here are the Patriots’ selections after Round 3.
Round 4 was 105 is now 111
Round 5 was 145 is now 156
Round 6 No Patriots Pick
Round 7 was 219 +26 and is now 245
Was 222 +26 and is now 248
Was 240 +26 and is now 266
As of this writing the Patriots have not signed a Left Tackle in Free Agency. They did beef up the Defense with DT Milton Williams, CB Carlton Davis, LB Robert Spillane and DT Khyiris Tonga. On Offense they have signed a RT in Morgan Moses, QB Josh Dobbs and WR Mack Hollins.
I used the PFF Mock Draft Simulator for Rounds 1-3 and then switched to the PFF Big Board for the remainder of the draft since PFF hasn’t updated their computer model with the compensation picks.
I am assuming that Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter are selected within the top three selections.
Pick 1-4 Armand Membou T Missouri – I am not sold on Will Campbel as a Left Tackle. His play this season didn’t impress me and I don’t like the short arms and short wingspan. I understand there are some big fans of his in the Front Office. Membou tested very well at the Combine. The 6’4” 332-pound Right Tackle has 33 ½ “ arms, ran a blistering 4.91 40-yard dash (2),34” Vertical Jump (4), 9’7” Broad Jump (1) and Bench Pressed 225# 31 times (2). Membou was also terrific in the field drills. The Patriots need help at Right Tackle too, so taking Membou is the smart play. Reports have surfaced that Membou may be taken as high as #5 by Jacksonville. “Overall, Membou is a young prospect (20-years-old) who is a loose, explosive mover with a dense, powerful build, good length, and a rugged demeanor that allows him to match up on an island in pass protection and deliver body blows as a finisher. There are rough edges with his aiming points and hands that lead to penetration and falling off of blocks that will need to get cleaned up. Still, his physical tools, pass protection skills and demeanor signal a year one starter with the runway to become an impact player at tackle or guard.” – Brandon Thorn Trench Warfare and Bleacher Report
“Overall, Membou projects as a sure-fire starter, contingent on a strong 2024 campaign. Once he establishes himself in the league, he’s poised to become a versatile lineman capable of seamlessly transitioning between positions for years to come.” – Draft Network. The signing of Morgan Moses is a temporary fix and allows Membou to learn the Pro game and not be required to start right away.
2-38 Josh Conerly T Oregon – The Patriots double down on the Oline when Conerly falls in their lap at #38. A terrific LT that also doesn’t have to start right away. The 6’5”, 311-pound Tackle ran a very good 5.05 40. Some may remember the one bad rep that Conerly had at the Senior Bowl where he got trucked by Marshall Edge Rusher Mike Green. In Conerly’s defense he was asked to play Right Tackle, which is not his position. Secondly, Green, a speed rusher, surprised Conerly with a Bull Rush that put him on his butt. Other than that, one play Conerly was very good all week. Conerly is just 21-years-old
3-69 Mason Taylor TE LSU – The nephew of Miami Defensive Ends coach and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Jason Taylor. The 6’5” 250-pound TE wowed Daniel Jeremiah when he ran the gauntlet drill. Taylor painted the 35-yard line and at full speed caught every ball thrown to him with ease. Last season he had 55 catches for 546 yards and a 9.9 YPC and 2 TDs. Taylor did not run the 40 at the Combine, choosing to put that off to his Pro Day. However, in the field drills he was magnificent. “Everything he does is smooth and natural,” an NFL Network commentator said of the record-setting pass-catcher. “He’s polished as a route-runner, understands how to work back to the quarterback. He tracks it well.” Taylor holds the LSU records for receptions and yards by a Tight End.
3-77 Jaylin Noel WR Iowa State – Noel was already on my radar after a great performance at the Senior Bowl practices where he blew everyone away. His performance at the combine was one of the top efforts. His 4.39 40 (10) was very fast, 41.50 Vertical Jump (2), 11’ 2” Broad Jump (1) 6.82 3-cone Drill (6) and Bench Pressed 225# 23 reps (1). Noel was considered a sleeper. Everyone knows his name now! Noel stands 5’10” 194-pounds and is a slot receiver. One knock against Noel is he has small hands at 8 ¾”. Noel finished his senior season for Iowa State with 80 catches, 1194 yards, and 8 TDs.
4- 111 JJ Peuges DT Mississippi – Peuges is a very interesting character. He stands 6’2 1/2” , 309-pounds and ran a 5.15 40-yard dash. Mississippi used him as a short yardage running back and he scored two TDs. After the on-field workouts for the Defensive Tackles concluded, Peuges had a separate workout at Fullback and caught the ball very well. His position versatility is what will attract the Patriots brass. To this point the Patriots have not picked a D Lineman. NFL.com gave him a 6.25 Prospect Grade which equated to an average starter.
5-155 Issac TeSlaa WR – One of my favorite players in the draft. TeSlaa is an under-the-radar player with great physical tools. He stands 6’4”, 214-pounds and ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and a 1.51 10-yard split which was Tied for 4th. These are excellent numbers for a player of his size. He was the #1 ranked WR tester at the Combine, with an Athletic score of 96 of a possible 100. His Relative Athletic Score (RAS) is 9.96 out of 10.0. The numbers were incredible with a 39.5” Vertical Jump (4T), 10’ 9” Broad Jump (6), 6.85 3-cone Drill, 4.05 Short Shuttle (1) and 17 reps on the bench Press (3T). He has very large 10” hands and 311/2” arms. I want my receivers to be under a 4.5 40 and have a 3-cone drill under 7. TeSlaa also shined in the pass catching drills with a nice adjustment to a deep ball that was underthrown and to his inside where he had to turn around in stride to make the catch. He only had 28 catches for 546 yards and 3 TDs in 2024 and 32 catches the year before in the SEC, after playing 3 seasons at DII Hillsdale College where he was the Great Midwest American Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. That season he caught 68 passes for 1325 yards and 13 TDs in 11 games.
7 -245 Raheim Sanders RB South Carolina – With the adjusted picks I thought the value would be at Runningback and took “Rocket” Sanders. Rocket’s 4.47 40-yard dash (at 217 pounds) is solid, but not spectacular. However, his nickname doesn’t come from his burst at the start of runs, but rather his long speed and the fact that he was rarely caught from behind. And on that note, Sanders’ two runs were the two fastest runs of the running back group at 23.55 mph and 23.48 mph. Sanders isn’t exactly quick, but he did show some good feet in the bag drills and solid hands in the receiving drills.
7-248 Dan Jackson S Georgia – Jackson was a Combine snub. He ran an impressive 4.44 40-yard dash at his Pro Day which should get him drafted. His projected 40 time was 4.58. Jackson was a walk on at Georgia and has been counted out his entire career. He was selected for the Senior bowl after receiving 3rd Team All SEC in 2024. At the Senior Bowl he was selected as the Practice Player of the Week for the American Team over much more heralded players. This vote was made by the players he played against all week. I watched a couple of plays he made in the game itself, and he is very instinctive. He read the play and didn’t hesitate to fly up from his deep safety position to make a critical open field tackle. Bottom line is that Jackson is a Football Player and there is always room on a team for a smart and heady player. He plays Special Teams and blocked a punt last season.
7-265 Nicholas Martin LB Oklahoma State – Martin is a smaller linebacker in the Mike Vrabel mold at just 5’11 1/2” and 221-pounds. In 2023 he had 149 Tackles and was named 1st Team All-Big 12. He was named a team captain for 2024 but played only 5 games due to a knee injury. You don’t have to worry about the knee because he ran a 4.53 40-yard dash (5), Vertical 38” (4), 10’3” BJ (4), and Bench Pressed 225# 26 times (T1). His overall 82 Athleticism Score ranked 5th amongst all linebackers at the combine. He may initially end up as a Special Teams player but with that speed and tackling ability I believe he will be a very good addition.
David Andrews Released
The rumor/report that David Andrews was about to be released came out on Monday. I am not surprised by this and that is why I listed Drew Dalman the former Falcons Center who signed with Chicago as one of the Free Agents I wanted the patriots to get.
Andrews was the consummate Pro. He came so far as a UDFA to a 2x Super Bowl winner. He was a leader and 8x team Captain. Andrews always faced the music in good times and bad. He was always present for the media after games. The center got the most out of his ability and he will be missed. I thought it was quite the testament that Robert Kraft felt that he had to send out a statement about Andrews when the press release occurred. Andrews had been with the Patriots since 2015, starting 121 games for the franchise.
“David Andrews’ career success is a shining example of what every NFL prospect should strive to achieve,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement released by the team.
Jonathan Jones and Deatrich Wise sign with Washington
Both players signed one-year contracts, Jones for $6.5M and Wise for $5M. I think Washington overpaid for both players. Being on the wrong side of 30 didn’t help. I didn’t expect them to be back.
Jacoby Brissett Signs with Arizona
His contract is two-years at $12.5M with $8M guaranteed. Not bad for a backup to Kyle Murray.
Dearth of Leadership
With Jon Jones, Deatrich Wise, and Jacoby Brissett leaving, and David Andrews being released there is a void of leadership on this team. I suspect that Drake Maye will take some of this on and newly acquired LB Robert Spillane was a Captain in Las Vegas. JuWhaun Bentley is a remaining Captain as is Joe Cardona. They are also the last two links to the Patriot’s last Super Bowl winning teams. Bentley (28) and the same age as Spillane, doesn’t fit the new scheme of the Defense that Vrabel and Terrell Williams want to run and could be another candidate for release. Cardona is 32 and on the wrong side of 30. Bentley and Spillane are both run stuffers and liabilities in the pass defense.
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Good article. The little I know on Membou is he seems to have a higher “ceiling” in terms of athletic talent than Will Campbell. But is he a candidate for a LT move. or is he best as a RT only? My guess is the Pats go with Will Campbell…and that is if Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are gone. There was a good article with Phil Perry interviewing Dante Scarnecia that the arm length issue (Will Campbell) isn’t a problem if the LT can thwart opponents from exploiting his short arms. In other words, for some players the short… Read more »
Membou continued to play at Right Tackle in 2024 for Missouri because they were able to acquire SMU Left Tackle Marcus Bryant in the transfer portal. Bryant was 1st Team All-ACC in 2023. Unfortunately, Membou got sick and didn’t compete in the Senior Bowl where the coaches made the lineman play some snaps at the opposite side they normally played. I feel better about Membou than I do about Campbell. If as I predict, Conerly is available in the 2nd that would be golden.
Thank you Mark for your continued contributions and insight. Love the mock. I also think a double dip on OT and an early TE pick are prudent. I read a scouting report on Membou months ago wherein the “Scout” raved about Membou’s technical skills and movement ranking them as high as he had seen. This was before I had ever heard or seen Membou’s name before and prior to him getting noticed by others and shooting up the mock draft boards. While I disagree with your take on Campbell I easily can see them taking Membou instead. Nice job!