New England Patriots Possible Target in the 2015 NFL Draft – Jeremy Langford, RB Michigan State
 Running back Jeremy Langford from Michigan State could be a nice addition in the middle rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft. (USA Today, Image) |
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
OG A.J. Cann from South Carolina
RB Mike Davis from South Carolina
ILB Benadrick McKinney from Mississippi State
OLB Hau’oli Kikaha from Washington
T Jeremiah Poutasi from Utah
OLB Kyle Emanuel from North Dakota State
RB Jay Ajayi from Boise State
WR Jamison Crowder from Duke
CB Kevin Johnson from Wake Forest
DT Eddie Goldman from Florida State
LB Shaq Thompson from Washington
OG Tre Jackson from Florida State
CB Marcus Peters from Washington
CB Eric Rowe from Utah
The Patriots have lost two of their best running backs in Free Agency and may still target a running back earlier rather than later in the 2015 NFL Draft. With Shane Vereen signing with the Giants and Stevan Ridley now a tattooed member of the Jets, the team lost some big production in both the running game and passing game out of the backfield.
The Patriots currently have LaGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray, Brandon Bolden, James White, Tyler Gaffney and Dion Lewis on the roster. The team signed pass catching Travaris Cadet from the New Orleans Saints to help ease the loss of Vereen and he, second-year player White, Bolden and Lewis will compete for reps as the third down back.
But in the middle rounds of the draft, they could still add a quality running back and not only help ease the loss of Ridley carrying the ball on early downs but by adding something on third down as well. Besides Blount, there are some question marks as the big body running back. Bolden has been mainly a core special teamer and just a spot starter thus far in his career. Gray had that one bright shining moment in Indianapolis, and then promptly was banished to bench, barely seeing the field down the stretch.
The team is very high on Gaffney but he’s yet to take the field after suffering an injury in his rookie season. While the potential is there to once again use a running back by committee, the team may opt to draft a work horse type back in Day 2-3 of the draft.
Jeremy Langford from Michigan State was a two-year starter for the Spartans and finished his college career with 10-straight 100-yard games. Langford is one of those workhorse type backs who gets better as the game goes on and runs low with a very good pad level and solid power.
Possessing good size at 6’0, 211, Langford ran an impressive 4.42 at the NFL Combine but doesn’t play quite as fast as his timed speed. He ran for 1522 yards and 22 touchdowns with a 5.9 yard average as a senior. His production in the passing game was only a pedestrian 11 catches for 62 yards, but did catch 28 as a junior.
His vision improved in his senior year and he was able to hit holes and see openings better to extend plays. But Langford doesn’t always show the ability to break tackles inside after contact.
Pros:
- Runs low to the ground with excellent pad level
- Good vision and balance
- Very good pass blocker and may be an underrated receiver
Cons:
- Not a great between the tackles runner
- Isn’t an elusive runner and will lower his shoulder rather than try to evade tacklers
- Still looks to bounce outside too much
Where can the Patriots can get him?: The Patriots may opt to look at a player like Langford in Rounds 4-6 in the NFL Draft. He’s a no-nonsense type runner who will get what the offensive line can give him but he does get stronger as the game goes on.
He may be best suited to a role as change of pace guy in a running back by committee, which is a perfect fit for the Patriots. He’s already a very good pass blocker and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield may be a hidden talent. Both Rob Rang and Dane Brugler from NFLDraftScout.com both reported that during his Pro Day at Lansing, he showed impressive skills catching the ball and that scouts in attendance were impressed.
He can be a solid rotational guy who can carve out a niche as a bigger bodied runner and receiver in New England if the Patriots are interested.
Here is a highlight film of Langford at Michigan State:
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