{"id":40264,"date":"2022-04-08T12:00:17","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T16:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=40264"},"modified":"2022-04-08T12:11:50","modified_gmt":"2022-04-08T16:11:50","slug":"mock-draft-3-0-moving-around-the-board-sec-additions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2022\/04\/08\/mock-draft-3-0-moving-around-the-board-sec-additions\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots Mock Draft 3.0: Moving Around the Board, SEC Additions"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2022 NFL Draft is coming up in just a couple of weeks and the Patriots have made some of their typical (excluding 2021) moves, re-signing some of their own free agents and waiting for the initial free-agency frenzy to die down and making a couple of moves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this particular mock draft, we went with how we feel Bill Belichick will try to play the board, with a plethora of talent available in Rounds 2-4, the feeling is Belichick will try to slide back and get more picks in the middle rounds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So that is how we decided to proceed, as you\u2019ll see in how the draft played out on this particular draft board, and they all differ to a degree. But one interesting fact was that we drafted four members of the Georgia Bulldogs and seven players from the SEC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Patriots traded pick #21 to Tennessee for pick #26 and a 3rd round pick in 2023. They then traded #26 to Kansas City for picks #29 and #121. Later the team traded pick #127 to Buffalo for picks #130 and #231.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, here is our Mock Draft 3.0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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1st Round, #29 Overall \u2014\u00a0 Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Wyatt is considered a late 1st, early 2nd round pick and that was a good place to select him. We spoke about him on our last podcast, Wyatt is a very good athlete for an interior defensive lineman and is explosive at the snap. He moves laterally very well for a big man (6\u20193, 304), and can threaten the edge with a nice ability to bend or penetrate up the A gap and be a disruptor inside.<\/span><\/p>\n

He\u2019s a good run defender facing a single blocker but can be moved by double teams. He\u2019s an intriguing player that has his best football still ahead of him.\u00a0 Wyatt has the size, pass rush moves, and athleticism to develop into a consistent interior rusher in the NFL. He plays with a non-stop motor and will chase down players all over the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

2nd Round, #54 Overall\u00a0 \u2014 John Metchie III, WR, Alabama:<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Metchie is my personal draft binky here, as his value would be more geared to 2023 than this year, as he tore his ACL in the SEC Championship Game in December. Metchie had a very productive year with Mac Jones in 2020, catching 55 passes for 916 yards and 6 TDs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Metchie would be that slot\/\u201dZ\u201d WR who would open up all kinds of room in the passing game. He has outstanding separation skills on both vertical and horizontal routes, making defenders defend every blade of grass. With the trade for DeVante Parker, while getting a WR that can grow with Mac Jones is a need, it isn\u2019t a glaring one right now and Metchie will have time to get fully healthy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Derek Havens and I recorded a video podcast and here is a clip where we discussed Metchie and his fit with the Patriots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n