New England Patriots Possible Target in the 2015 NFL Draft – Zack Hodges, OLB Harvard
 Zack Hodges, here at the Senior Bowl could be an intriguing option as an edge rusher in the mid-to-later rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft. (USA TODAY Images) |
As the 2015 NFL Draft draws closer we’ll profile some of the players that may be on the Patriots radar. Some of these players have already been linked to New England as possible targets others, we feel would be a great fit.
Check out our earlier 2015 NFL Draft profiles on PatsFans.com:
DE/OLB Nate Orchard from Utah
WR Tyrell Williams from Western Oregon
DT Jordan Phillips from Oklahoma
DT Carl Davis from Iowa
RB David Johnson from Northern Iowa
CB Steven Nelson from Oregon State
The Patriots are trying to deal with losing their starting corners in free agency. The biggest problem is, there is no way to replace a Darrelle Revis. So, they’ll search for the best pieces available to the secondary and more importantly in 2015; beef up the front seven to improve their pass rush.
The Patriots pass rush was inconsistent in 2014; they frequently registered sacks because of the blanket coverage as much as the QB pressure. They’ll like to get some pressure from the interior DL to help out the edge rushers. Dominique Easley, the teams’ top draft choice from 2014 should be healthier this season from the knee woes that limited him in his rookie campaign. The Pats will look to add another piece thru the draft to go with Easley and Chris Jones to bring pressure inside.
Outside the team has a good pair of bookend defensive ends in Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich. They’ve played too many snaps and have worn down. In free agency the team brought in the talented Jabaal Sheard from Cleveland. They’re also hoping to see more from third year DE Michael Buchanan and Zach Moore. Adding some more versatile pieces to the pass rush remains a priority.
Zack Hodges from Harvard is a small school stud who could be a sleeper in the draft this season and be a guy who can make an impact. When one considers Harvard and the Ivy League, the vision of churning out doctors and lawyers comes to mind rather than NFL edge rushers. But this young man may be the exception.
Trying to judge an edge rusher from the college ranks and predicting how he’ll make the jump to the pros is never an easy one. It gets harder when the player plays in a small school conference.
In Hodges case, you have to look for a mix of tape and measurables. The tape shows that while playing against lesser competition in the Ivy League, Hodges dominated the opposition. That is what the tape shows and what you’d expect. The Crimson moved him all over the formation as an OLB, ILB, DE and even into the interior of the line in a type of NASCAR package to disrupt the flow of the opposing offenses and bring pressure on the QB.
But the interesting thing about him was the fact that he didn’t rely on his superior speed and athleticism to win one-on-one battles but a variety of different pass rush moves including a nice spin move to the inside.
Hodges lacks the ideal length for a 4-3 DE at 6’2 but does have long arms which helped his swim move. He played for the Crimson at around 235 which at the next level would limit him to being a 4-3 OLB. But he beefed up for the NFL Combine and weighed in at 250 pounds. He ran a 4.68 in the 40 at the combine which was eighth among the edge rushers, while getting a nice 33.5 vertical.
He has a nice burst with quick acceleration off the line, not elite level speed but fast enough if he refines his technique at the next level. Has good knee bend and hip flexibility that is required to turn the edge. Plays with a non-stop motor and is relentless when getting after the quarterback. His hand use needs coaching up but his vision on the field is very good. And he keeps his pad level low. Admittedly said he needs to work on double-teams and chips.
He is a good but not a great run defender, sets the edge well and shows excellent tackling technique, wrapping up the ball carrier. When operating in space as a linebacker, he’s clearly a work in progress and is still a tad stiff in coverage.
In 2014 for Harvard, Hodges played in all 10 games and logged in 8.5 sacks, with 10 tackles for loss. In 2013 he was the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year.
Pros:
- Versatile, can line up anywhere, DE, OLB or ILB
- Nice burst at the snap, one step to instant top speed
- Relentless motor, never stops
Cons
- Lacks ideal length and bulk for the NFL, needs to spend some time in the weight room
- Can be over-aggressive at times and wear himself down
- Still a developmental guy may need a year or two before hitting his ceiling
Where Can the Patriots get him: Hodges will probably still be in the board in the 4th round of the draft and if the Patriots are interested he’d be an interesting selection.
The question would be where Hodges would fit in the Patriots defense. As we’ve frequently stated, Bill Belichick loves players who are versatile and can do different things. In the Patriots sub-packages he could be an extra DE with his hand down or line up as an OLB and bring pressure off the edge.
He’ll need to work on his coverage skills, but he’s certainly athletic enough to be able to handle it when called upon. In the Patriots 4-2-5 looks he could be an interesting option to bring the A-gap blitz with his burst and acceleration.
Here’s a look at some of Hodge’s highlight films:
Interesting fact: A double major at Harvard taking Government and Philosophy, not many sack masters in the NFL were philosophers as well…perhaps it is time.
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