The Draft is beginning to take shape as we have the results in from the combine while we await Free Agency and the Pro Day workouts.\u00a0 It\u2019s time for Mock Draft #3.\u00a0 We now have the compensation selections awarded by the league.\u00a0 Everyone thought we were getting 3 compensation picks but only got two. \u00a0Then Bill Belichick unloaded Jonnu Smith to ATL for a 7th-round pick (#245).<\/p>\n
We are using PFF Mock Simulator today and making no trades.\u00a0 This will be what I call the Relative Athletic Score Draft.\u00a0 This is a cumulative rating of all their stats.\u00a0 Matt Groh and the staff seem to lean toward players with high RAS scores.<\/p>\n
As predicted in my Free Agency article the Patriots have signed their own Free Agent Jonathan Jones.\u00a0 I want them to move him to FS replacing Devin McCourty.\u00a0 That leaves the void at LCB.<\/p>\n
1st<\/sup> Round #14<\/strong> – Joey Porter CB Penn State<\/p>\n Porter had a 9.63 Relative Athletic Score (RAS).\u00a0 He is a shut-down CB. \u00a0He is the only CB that meets or exceeds all measurement criteria of the Patriots.\u00a0 His size (6\u20192\u201d) Weight (198 Lbs), wingspan (81\u201d 2nd<\/sup> only to Julius Brents), and Hand Size (10\u201d) speed (4.46) are excellent.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t run the 3-cone drill is my only blemish.\u00a0 One of the top 4 CBs coming out this year.\u00a0 Patriots pass on WR.<\/p>\n 2nd<\/sup> Round #46 <\/strong>Luke Musgrave TE Oregon State 6\u20196\u201d 251 lbs 4.61\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9.95 RAS (2nd<\/sup> only to Kuntz 10.0) \u00a0\u00a0Huge wingspan (79 7\/8\u201d) mismatch on LBs.\u00a0 Needs work as a blocker.\u00a0 Catches the ball well.\u00a0 Don’t be surprised if the Patriots deal this pick to get a veteran WR.<\/p>\n 3rd<\/sup> Round #76<\/strong> Blake Freeland OT BYU Athletic RAS 9.82 6\u20197\u201d 302 lbs\u00a0 No one questioned Freeland\u2019s athleticism coming into the combine and he confirmed it with the #1 testing scores for OT.\u00a0 However, can he withstand the NFL Grind at only 302 lbs?\u00a0 Will he be able to run block?<\/p>\n 4th<\/sup> Round #107<\/strong> \u00a0Nate \u201cTank\u201d Dell WR Houston \u00a05\u20198\u201d 165 lbs 4.49 40, 108 receptions on 154 targets, for 1300 yards receiving and 17 TDs. \u00a0Overall for his career 234 catches on 347 targets and 34 TDs.\u00a0 Has small hands with a tendency to drop the ball.\u00a0 Strictly a slot receiver.\u00a0 Did not perform the 3-cone drill at Combine.<\/p>\n 4th<\/sup> Round # 117<\/strong> Luke Schoonmaker TE Michigan Double down on TEs.\u00a0 RAS (9.75) \u00a0\u00a0Great size and speed. He can also block.\u00a0 No negatives in what the Patriots look for.<\/p>\n 6th<\/sup> Round #135<\/strong> Takorian Bennett CB Maryland \u00a0\u00a0RAS (9.58) his blistering 4.3 40 made the scouts go back and re-look at the game videos.\u00a0 The 5\u201910\u201d 188 lb cornerback also had a 40\u201d vertical jump.<\/p>\n 6th<\/sup> Round #183<\/strong> Jalen Redmond DT Oklahoma RAS (9.63) He stands 6\u20192\u201d 291 lbs and ran a 4.81 40.\u00a0 His RAS was tops for IDL. On the Bench Press he had 27 reps at 225#.\u00a0 He also has large hands that measure 101\/8<\/sup>\u201d.\u00a0 He had good pass-rush numbers but not a lot of tackles.\u00a0 Maybe just a situational pass rusher.<\/p>\n 6th<\/sup> #186 Eric Gray<\/strong> RB Oklahoma RAS ( ???) didn\u2019t run 40 or 3-cone.\u00a0 Had a 37.5\u201d Vertical leap (4th<\/sup> among RBs). Compiled 1,366 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns on 213 attempts, while he also caught 33 passes for 229 yards in his only year as a starter.\u00a0 Transfer from Tennessee.<\/p>\n 6th<\/sup> #191 Michael Turk<\/strong> P Oklahoma RAS (8.70)\u00a0 Turk may be the best athlete to ever punt in the NFL.\u00a0 He stands 6\u2019 223 Lbs and looks like an LB.\u00a0 He also ran a 4.83 40 and lifted 25 reps at 225#s.\u00a0 That\u2019s more than nearly all the players at the combine.\u00a0 Oh yeah, and he can punt!\u00a0 Turk averaged 46 yards a kick last year.\u00a0 Bill Belichick and the Patriots coaches had Turk on their East\/West Shrine game American team.\u00a0 They saw 1st<\/sup> hand his consistently good hang time and ball placement.\u00a0 He had a 67-yard punt with 4.9 second hang time.\u00a0 Turk also received individual coaching from Bill Belichick.<\/p>\n 6th<\/sup> Round #209<\/strong> Stetson Bennett QB Georgia\u00a0 RAS (7.76) Bennett\u2019s height and weight are his big drawback.\u00a0 However, Bennett is a winner, intelligent, and a very good athlete.\u00a0 On deep ball drills, he was hitting the receivers in stride.\u00a0 Dropping dimes in their on passes that were 60 yards in the air.\u00a0 His throws were better than all other QBs at the combine.\u00a0 At this point in the draft, it was worth taking him.\u00a0 We need a third QB and it would be like taking a QB at pick #199!<\/p>\n 7th<\/sup> Round #244<\/strong> (Acquired from ATL for Jonnu Smith)\u00a0 Daniel Scott FS California\u00a0 RAS (9.83) Scott the 6\u20191\u201d 208 lbs FS ran a 4.45 40, the 2nd<\/sup> fastest safeties at the combine. \u00a0He also added a 6.75 3-cone drill and a 391\/2<\/sup>\u201c vertical leap. Scott did the Broad Jump at 10\u2019 8\u201d and 4.17 Short Shuttle \u00a0\u00a0He lifted 22 times at 225# (very strong for a DB) and was a two-year starter at Cal. Some writers feel that Scott may have boosted his stock into a possible Day two selection.\u00a0 If he is still on the board at this point it will be a no-brainer to take Scott.<\/p>\n I am happy for McCourty.\u00a0 This was a tough decision but I think he is doing the right thing.\u00a0 He will always be a Patriot and I think we will see him around the ballclub.\u00a0 I expected this decision and suggested when the season ended that the Patriots re-sign Jonathan Jones and move him into McCourty\u2019s spot.\u00a0 Great news that the Patriots re-signed Jones.<\/p>\n “It is a rare group of players who win games at a historic rate, exude team culture, leads, win awards, and win championships, and then there is Devin McCourty. Devin did all of those things as a player and more. But, what I think of first when I think of Devin is the type of man he is, his character, his values, and how high he raised the bar for spreading goodness and justice in the community.”\u00a0 Bill Belichick<\/p>\n Last season, the Patriots were in single-high coverages at the third-highest rate in the NFL at 64.9 percent, trailing only Belichick disciple Josh Boyer in Miami (66.7%) and the Los Angeles Rams (65.3%), per NextGen Stats.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t believe the Patriots got some team to take Smith\u2019s contract.\u00a0 This is a salary cap dump and that’s why we only got a 7th-round pick.\u00a0 The Patriot will see a $3.668M savings against the cap in 2023 and $18.450M in 2024 per Miguel Benzan at PatsCap.\u00a0 That savings will cover the Jonathan Jones signing bonus in 2023 and the way the contract is structured they only have Jones on the books for $1.25M.<\/p>\n Smith ended up as one of the worst Free Agent signings in Patriots history.\u00a0 I was thrilled when the Patriots signed the up-and-coming Smith in 2021.\u00a0 He just never fit in.\u00a0 This is a great year for TEs in the draft and I would expect the Pats to sign a veteran in Free Agency for camp as well.<\/p>\n Raekwon McMillan<\/strong> re-signed as a depth move.\u00a0 The Patriots have to do better than what Raekwon McMillan provided last season.\u00a0 Right now it\u2019s a cheap move that provides camp depth.<\/p>\n Jake Bailey<\/strong> released \u2013 His goose was cooked as soon as he filed the grievance with the Players Association over his suspension at the end of last year.\u00a0 He was statistically the worst punter in the league.\u00a0 Granted he was playing hurt.\u00a0 I have never seen a player spiral down as fast as he did.<\/p>\n James Ferentz<\/strong> re-signed Why? Did the 33 soon-to-be 34-year-old OC has an offer from another team?\u00a0 I doubt it.\u00a0 He is an undersized (6\u20192\u201d barely 300 lbs) lineman that adds depth and knows the system.\u00a0 However, he was a street-free agent several years ago and nobody wanted him.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t know why they had to sign him now.\u00a0 His 1-year contract is for a vet minimum of $1.25M.\u00a0 We need to get better players than James Ferentz. \u00a0\u00a0Oh yeah, James’ dad is Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz one of Bill Belichicks close friends.<\/p>\n Carl Davis<\/strong> Re-signed … that is the report.\u00a0 Nothing can be official until Wednesday afternoon at 4.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s time for Mock Draft #3.\u00a0 We now have the compensation selections awarded by the league.\u00a0 Everyone thought we were getting 3 compensation picks but only got two. \u00a0Then Bill Belichick unloaded Jonnu Smith to ATL for a 7th-round pick (#245).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":45043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23217,23229],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2023-patriots-mock-drafts","category-2023-patriots-offseason"],"yoast_head":"\nDevin McCourty Retires <\/strong><\/h3>\n
Jonnu Smith Trade<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Roster Moves <\/strong><\/h3>\n