New England Patriots Possible Target in the 2015 NFL Draft – A.J. Cann, G South Carolina
 A.J. Cann is one of the top guards available in the 2015 NFL Draft and would provide an immediate upgrade to the Patriots offensive line.(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
OLB Zack Hodges from Harvard
CB Ronald Darby from FSU
WR Devin Funchess from Michigan
The Patriots have a couple of pressing needs heading into the 2015 season and one of them is in the interior offensive line. There was precious little depth behind starting guards Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell last season. Rookie center Bryan Stork stepped in and played very well, which allowed Wendell to move over to guard from center, where he performed well in 2014.
But the team could use a dose of youth and physicality inside and with Connolly about to be 33 and a free agent, the time is now.
The team had free agent OL Stefen Wisniewski in for a visit on Monday. Wisniewski has been the starting center for the Oakland Raiders for the past three years. But in his rookie season, he played all 16 games at left guard, earning AFC Rookie of the Week for Week 3 of the 2011 season. If the team lands him, it will go a long way in alleviating the need and push the need for a guard to a lower priority in the draft.
A.J. Cann from South Carolina would be an ideal choice to beef up the guard position if the Patriots look to address this need early in the draft. A four-year starter with 51 starts for the Gamecocks, Cann played left guard for his entire stay in Columbia.
Good but not great size at 6’3, 313, Cann is a mauler, a road-grader in the running game. He uses a mixture of power and athleticism to push defenders back. Cann can also utilize his hands aggressively and effectively, sealing off defenders.
Cann is a tenacious blocker and will play to the whistle, he has good instincts, takes well to coaching and was voted as a permanent captain by his teammates.
He’s a good but not a great pass blocker and has struggled at times with speed rushers but it was far from a red flag. He faced some of the very best defensive players in the strong SEC and was voted to All SEC honors in 2014.
Pros:
- Strong, powerful and able to push defenders back
- Very good hand use, pops defenders back and will latch on
- Good use of his length to keep defenders away and plays to the whistle
Cons
- Not especially quick off the snap, lumbers a bit
- Can improve his pass blocking, tends to lunge in space
Where Can the Patriots get him:
Cann is considered one of the top guard prospects in the draft and is a borderline first round prospect who will definitely go by round two. The Patriots sent retired OL coach Dante Scarnecchia down to Columbia for the Gamecocks Pro-Day to work out Cann.
If the Patriots choose to address the OL in the first round with the #32 pick, then it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to see them take Cann. If they choose to trade out of Round 1 and pick up an early 2nd round pick, then he may still be available early on Day 2.
It will be interesting to see if the Patriots will sign Wisniewski because that may affect their decision to address the position early in the draft. But Wisniewski is being widely courted and should he decide to go elsewhere, Cann may be the Patriots man.
He would be a Day 1 starter at left guard and would improve their run game blocking immediately next to Stork, giving them two good, young interior offensive linemen. His pass blocking skills already good, will improve with coaching by Dave DeGuglielmo. He's good at directing pressure away from the middle and would keep the pressure out of Tom Brady's face in the A-gap.
Having watched nearly all the Gamecocks games during his tenure in South Carolina, Cann is the real deal. Against some of the best defenses in the country, he was a constant bull, pushing defenders back in the running game. He would do much the same in a Patriots uniform.
Here is an excellent break down of Cann’s abilities by Phil Savage:
And a nice spotlight on Cann by the SC Gamecocks and Cann in his own words:
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