{"id":58514,"date":"2025-02-24T08:50:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T13:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=58514"},"modified":"2025-02-24T09:21:00","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T14:21:00","slug":"mock-draft-1-0-pre-free-agency-best-player-available","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/02\/24\/mock-draft-1-0-pre-free-agency-best-player-available\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots Mock Draft 1.0 Pre-Free Agency: Best Player Available"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is that time of year again. My favorite parts of the year are free agency and the NFL Draft. There are so many variables and so many different ways for things to play out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As soon as the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft Combine are over, I\u2019m ready for winter to be over, as I\u2019m most of you are too. I\u2019m being a bit of a hypocrite here, as I always say, \u201cYou can\u2019t look at the draft until free agency is nearly done.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But I think everyone is pretty excited for both this year. I hope that with the amount of cash the Patriots have in cap space this spring, they\u2019ll be able to fill a lot of holes they have throughout the roster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last Sunday, I pointed out the roster by position and gave my opinion on where they are in good shape and where they need some help, in some places a lot more than others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free agency has yet to occur, so for the purpose of this first Mock Draft, I\u2019m proceeding as if it had. Also, for this first one, I didn\u2019t include any trades. We know there will be some, perhaps several, but enough. Let\u2019s take a look at what we came up with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pick #4 Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was quite surprised to see Carter at #4. But in this case, I\u2019m not complaining. I was looking for the best player available, and here he was waiting for New England. Carter fills a position of need on the edge, where they need a much better pass rush. He is probably a Top 2-3 player.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daniel Jeremiah and Matt Miller think he\u2019s the best player in the draft, period. Miller said on \u201cX\u201d: \u201c<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For me, it&#8217;s Abdul Carter 1st overall and then there&#8217;s a gap to every other prospect in this class.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Strengths &#8211;<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lightning fast and aggressive at the point of attack.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tremendous spin move leaves tackles holding air.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great footwork and hand-fighting to keep blockers at bay.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No wasted movement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Burst off the line will keep OCs awake at night.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Weaknesses &#8211;<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use of hands is still a work in progress.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Has only played on the edge for one year.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can get pushed back by tackles in the running game<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Pick #38, Josh Connerly, OT, Oregon:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connerly improved down the stretch in 2024 and is considered a first-round talent in many circles. He\u2019s 6\u20194, 315, and could use some time in the strength and conditioning room, but he\u2019s very athletic. His pass blocking was excellent in 2024. He has all the tools to a special left tackle in the NFL.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Strengths &#8211;<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outstanding athlete.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pass protection excellent\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plays with excellent leverage in passing\/running games<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Weaknesses &#8211;<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Size isn\u2019t ideal<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Needs to finish better<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Needs more power, especially in the run game<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Pick #69, Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One thing we hear often about the Patriots skill position players is that they lack explosion. Well, meet Mr. Bond, Isaiah Bond. He is an explosive playmaker, who can turn a short pass in the flat or in a short zone and take it to the house. Burst, acceleration, and top end speed, he\u2019s got them all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He primarily plays outside, but I could see Josh McDaniels moving him around and into the slot at times. He has a varied route tree. He\u2019s not big, he\u2019s 5\u201911, 180, so his run blocking isn\u2019t going to wow you, but if you want a playmaker, an explosive wide receiver, he and Drake Maye should have some fun.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Strengths:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elite speed, absolute deep threat.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A dynamic athlete with an explosive burst and top-end speed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fluid and easy mover; clean route transitions for good separation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outstanding YAC player, transitions from receiver to runner easily.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Pick #77, Mason Taylor, TE, LSU:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk about great bloodlines? His father is HOFer Jason Taylor. Taylor has that clutch gene his father has, seems to play his best at crunch time. He\u2019s smart and was a two-time All-SEC Academic. He has great hands, and has a nose for where the chains are. He\u2019s a smooth mover, who runs well and at 6\u20195, 250, will show up in the red zone, boxing out defenders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Strengths &#8211;\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">68 percent of his receptions were 1st downs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Good speed and smooth-moving route runner\/separator.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outstanding soft and reliable hands, only one drop in 2024.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will find the gaps in zone coverage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Weaknesses &#8211;<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite good speed, wasn\u2019t a great deep threat<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Needs to improve overall strength, especially in the run game.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Needs better leverage when running routes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Pick #105, Kyle Kennard, Edge, South Carolina:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Gamecock? Well, who would have thought that? Another edge rusher? Yes, this guy may start out as a rotational pass rusher, but can become a three-down player. He\u2019s 6\u20194, 248, and was the Bronco Nagurski Award winner in 2024. He was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Consensus All-American. Had 11.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. First Team Academic All-American.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Strengths &#8211;\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Very twitchy, explosive burst, and beats tackles easily\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He has a refined pass rush toolbox already; he will be pro-ready.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High-motor player who goes all out on every play, plays to the whistle.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Weaknesses &#8211;<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Needs to be better at stack and shed consistently.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will occasionally lose containment responsibilities by getting too far upfield<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A tad light at 248 pounds, setting the edge is an issue at times. He needs to get stronger in the weight room.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Pick #145, Trevor Ettiene, RB, Georgia:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ettiene is the younger brother of Jaguars\u2019 Travis. Although Travis didn\u2019t get the workload of an every-down back, he has the skills to be one. He\u2019s 5\u20199 &#8220;and 209 pounds, with good but not great explosiveness. However, he has very good vision and is elusive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Etienne has excellent hands out of the backfield\u00a0 and will add YAC with his ability to evade would-be tacklers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Strengths &#8211;\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Runs with good bend and a low center of gravity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will make tacklers miss on sweeps and tosses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soft hands catch everything in their vicinity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stacks YAC with field vision and elusiveness.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Weaknesses &#8211;<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not the biggest runner, which could impact his effectiveness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not as explosive as his brother.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Had off-field issues early last year (DUI and other charges)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Pick #219, Elijah Roberts, DE, SMU:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this point of the draft, you\u2019re looking for good depth guys who have the potential to develop. Roberts is a DE\/Edge player who stands at 6\u20194, 278. The thing about him is his limited sample size.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After three years in Miami, where he got very limited playing time, he transferred to SMU, where he put together a strong season with 10 sacks. Against BC in a bowl game, he had seven QB hits and eight tackles.He can play down as a DE or upright as an edge player. Has great burst off the snap.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pick #222, Alijah Huzzie, CB, North Carolina:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huzzie played three years of excellent ball at East Tennessee before transferring to UNC for his final season. He\u2019s slightly undersized at 5\u201910, 194, and would play in the slot at the next level. With his size, he could get boxed out and has only average top-end speed. However, he has a great eye for route recognition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What makes him so intriguing, however, is his special teams abilities. He\u2019s an excellent punt returner with two return TDs. And as a rookie, that alone could earn you some reps and a roster spot.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Pick #240, Garrett Dellinger, OL, LSU:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dellinger played three years at left guard, but could also play center at the next level. At 6\u20194, 325, he has the frame but at times appears sluggish against pass rushers. He\u2019d be a developmental project, but at #240, you\u2019d expect that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">_______________<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTalent sets the floor; Character sets the ceiling.\u201d Bill Belichick<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow me on Twitter @SteveB7SFG or email me at<\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/patspub.patsfans.com\/stevebpatsfans@gmail.com\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stevebpatsfans@gmail.com<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listen to our<\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.blogtalkradio.com\/patriotsfourthandtwo\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patriots 4th and 2<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> podcasts on Apple and YouTube as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens, and myself from<\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/\"> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PatsFans.com<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> discuss the latest Patriots news and game analysis<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Matt Miller said on \u201cX\u201d: \u201cFor me, it&#8217;s Abdul Carter 1st overall and then there&#8217;s a gap to every other prospect in this class.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":57374,"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":[23637,23672,23494,10,907],"tags":[23638,23639,23678,23685,23684,23686,23680,23679,23682,23681,44,23683],"class_list":["post-58514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2025-patriots-draft","category-2025-patriots-free-agency","category-new-england-patriots","category-patriots-news","category-patriots-rumors","tag-2025-nfl-draft","tag-2025-patriots-draft","tag-abdul-carter","tag-alijah-huzzie","tag-elijah-roberts","tag-garrett-dellinger","tag-isaiah-bond","tag-josh-connerly","tag-kyle-kennard","tag-mason-taylor","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-trevor-ettiene"],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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