Patriots Mock Draft 1.0 – Early Free Agency Edition; Look at Needs At CB, Guard
 Marcus Peters has off-field issues but would be a great pickup for the Patriots at the end of the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. (USA TODAY Images) |
Will the Patriots take another gamble in Round 1 in 2015?
With Free Agency now over a week old, it is time take an early crack at looking at the draft from a Patriots perspective. There are still moves that can be and will be made in free agency and possibly on the trade front that may affect the way the team looks at the draft.
There is a fascinating tool to use for doing a mock draft made possible by the guys over at Fanspeak.com that we touted last year and is even more fun to use in 2015.
In their “On the Clock” simulator, you are the GM for any NFL team. You can choose how many rounds you’d like to draft for (1-7), and pick one of nine different big boards to choose from.
All of the big boards differ and the site has a random selection process that picks for the other 31 teams based upon the best player available and team needs that are constantly updated until it is your time to pick.
For this opening mock draft, I used the big board of Scott Carasik from Bleacher Report. He covers the Falcons for B/R, the NFL Draft for Pro Football Spot and does the Falcons podcast for Pro Football Central.
Here is our Patriots Mock Draft 1.0 – Early Free Agency Edition:
Round 1, Pick #32 – Marcus Peters, CB Washington:
With the loss of both starting cornerbacks, the Patriots secondary immediately goes from a position of strength to one with plenty of question marks. Peters is easily in the Top 3 of players at the position in 2015.
This pick is a bit of a gamble; Peters has sure-fire first round talent but comes with a big load of off-field baggage in Washington where he was dismissed from the Huskies in November after repeatedly clashing with coaches.
Peters is a big (6’0, 200), physical corner, with very good speed, ball skills (11 career INTs) and quick feet. He’s aggressive and has excellent play recognition, turning back for the ball in time to knock it away or intercept it. He's widely being compared to Aqib Talib in terms of size, physicality and style of play.
His technique can be sloppy at times and after clashes with coaches, will he take to coaching in the NFL? Bill Belichick has little tolerance for those who don’t. But he being available at the end of the first round is too tough an option to pass up.
Round 2, Pick #64 – A.J. Cann, OG South Carolina:
The Patriots need an upgrade in the interior offensive line; Dan Connolly is a free agent and will be 33 in September. Ryan Wendell played well after moving over from center but the team can use a dose of nastiness in the run game.
Cann has good size (6’4, 311) for the position, is reliable, coachable and was a team captain while being a four-year starter for the Gamecocks. Cann is a mauler, an absolute road grader in the run game and consistently drives opponents backwards in the running game.
Cann isn’t perfect in pass protection and his hand placement needs work. But these are issues that are easily corrected with good coaching and he’ll flourish here under the tutelage of Dave De Guglielmo.
Round 3, Pick #96 – Carl Davis, DT Iowa:
With the release and subsequent signing of Vince Wilfork, the Patriots will be missing the big man who has anchored down the middle of the Patriots defense for 11 years. The team has re-signed Sealver Siliga and Alan Branch and with second year player Dominique Easley expected to play a bigger role, could use another big body in the middle of the defense.
Davis is a big-bodied (6’5, 321) run-stuffer who anchored the line for the Hawkeyes. He has a good blend of size, strength and athleticism, played mainly 1-technique and doesn’t get swallowed up by double teams in the run game.
Davis doesn’t offer much in the pass rush department; he lacks a great deal of explosion off the snap. He’ll fit in well with the Patriots two-gap system as a run stuffer.
Round 4, Pick #98 – David Johnson, RB Northern Iowa:
With the loss of Shane Vereen in free agency to the Giants and Stevan Ridley a free agent, the Patriots could use another running back and specifically one who can catch the ball out of the backfield.
Johnson is a big back at 6’0, 225 who can be a three-down player with good production in the running game but especially in the passing game. A soft-handed receiver, he caught 141 passes in college and has good body control and vision. He’ll find space to create plays.
Johnson doesn’t have great speed and won’t make people miss but can run the ball between the tackles and be effective in the passing game. He’s a perfect running back by committee member.
Round 4, Pick #128 – Tre Jackson, OG Florida State:
Having picked up Cann earlier in Round 2, finding Jackson still available at the end of Round 4 was a surprise.
Jackson is another big (6’4, 323) road grader in the running game with the strength to win one-on-one battles in tight quarters. He’s got quick feet and can pull and get to the second level with surprising quickness for a big man.
He struggles somewhat in pass coverage and will need to improve against quick inside moves. With the new popularity of the A-gap blitzes, Jackson is vulnerable and will need good coaching at the next level to protect Tom Brady.
Round 6, Pick #162 – Nick Marshall, CB Auburn:
This is an intriguing pick, after taking Peters in Round 1, the Patriots double up again and take the athletically gifted by raw Marshall in Round 6.
Originally a CB at Georgia, Marshall was dismissed from the team due to an off-field incident. After a year at junior college, he returned to the SEC and was the QB at Auburn and led the War Eagles to the BCS National Championship Game.
Big for the position (6’2,205) and incredibly athletic, Marshall is learning a new position and may require a “Red-shirt” type season to learn the nuances of playing cornerback in the NFL. Has a potential red flag in a pair of off-field incidents (marijuana possession, theft) that may require a deeper background check.
Round 7, Pick #194 – Tre McBride, WR William & Mary:
The Patriots struggles with drafting WRs is well documented, but with the starting three in place with Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell and Danny Amendola, the Patriots aren’t in dire need of help. The team brought in Brandon Gibson and Kevin Dorsey, has been talking to free agent Stevie Johnson and still has Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce returning for a third year.
McBride is a solidly built, 6’1, 205 lb wide receiver, that is a smooth route runner and is a good sized target that excels in run and catch situations….which translates into yards after catch. He is a good special teams player as well, returning both kickoffs (23.1 ypr) and punts (11.1 ypr), in his college career. He’s tough, polished and smart. He was recruited to Harvard for academics. So picking up the Patriots offense shouldn’t be an issue for McBride.
McBride didn’t play against top-notch competition in the FCS and may need an extra year to prepare for NFL competition. But with the depth the Patriots have, he’d be an interesting guy to watch this summer.
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