After the wildest and priciest free agency frenzy in team history, one owner Robert Kraft admitted was due in large part to some draft miscues, Patriots coaches are out on the pre-draft trail, scouting prospects in hopes of further improving their team. And this has been no ordinary Pro Day season, and not just because Pro Days are substituting for the combine. Bill Belichick himself has been present for several showcases this week, which as caught one and many a football eye.
This isn’t the first time Belichick has been out scouting prospects in-person. Was only three years ago he was working out some prospects like Bradley Chubb before the 2018 NFL Draft. And while BB saw an array of impressive prospects at Miami and Alabama, others across the country helped their cause at their respective Pro Days, too. Here are five offensive players who caught our eye this week and could become impact players in Foxboro.
JUSTIN FIELDS
It was the throw against no defense heard ‘round the world
THE Ohio State QB already staged one of the best pre-draft showcases ever with a six TD pass beatdown of Clemson in the College Football Championship Semi-Final. But then he flat out went off at his Pro Day. Scouts went wild for his athletic ability, with Fields clocking in at a ridiculous 4.44 40 yard dash. FOR A QUARTERBACK. Not only is that elite wide receiver speed, that would make Fields the fastest player on the Patriots offense. And considering that we know Cam Newton is a fan and could serve as a pro level mentor, Fields seems a solid choice for the Patriots. If they think San Francisco won’t take him at No. 3 overall, and have the stones and ammo to trade up with Atlanta to No. 4. Because someone with this talent won’t last longer. Patriots front office consultant Eliot Wolf was in attendance and can testify to the day Fields had.
KELLEN MOND
Worthy of more than just “Should the Patriots want the discount version of Justin Fields” consideration, Mond showed he too can make an impressive long throw against his body.
And Mond showed off more, as he matched Cam Newton’s Pro Day 40 yard dash time of 4.59. Sure, much hyped Brady-clone Mac Jones is the buzzier prospect, and was fine at Alabama Pro Day, in front of Belichick & McDaniels no less. But if the Pats are comfortable with the Newton/Stidham battle for 2021 then the Texas A&M prospect might be a value grab for them. Mond is a four year starter in the SEC, meaning he has plenty of experience at a highly competitive level heading to the pros. Even with all that experience he might be a bit rough around the edges, but definitely opened some eyes and entered the QB prospect/Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft conversation. Some have comped him even asa fit to the Patriots offensive system. Perhaps another apt pupil who could develop and learn from McDaniels while behind Newton?
JA’MARR CHASE
LSU continues to be every bit the pro-ready wide receiver factory Alabama has been the past decade. Last year rookie Justin Jefferson lit the NFL on fire, and this year there’s another Bayou speedster set to torch pro defenses as he did those at the collegiate level. And while Chase opted out of his Junior season his wildly impressive Pro Day, which surprised even himself, should have easily allayed any concerns that he deserves to be the first wide receiver who hears his name called April 29th. He won’t last past the fifth selection for a possible reunion with his college QB. If New England is feeling frisky and wants to turn heads, trading up for elite receiver talent, then perhaps this is the answer. Or maybe ...
KYLE PITTS
OK, why on Earth would Bill Belichick draft a tight end after the spending spree he just went on, dropping top dollar on both Jonnu Smith AND Hunter Henry? Because a prospect at this position with his skill set comes around maybe once in a generation. Pitts is the definition of matchup nightmare, showcasing size, speed and skills rarely seen in any prospect. Basically he projects to be everything they thought N’Keal Harry was going to be, and and faster, at a different position. In addition to his 40 being off the charts for his position, Pitts catches everything thrown his way. Kadarius Toney might be the Florida pass catcher more likely to be in the Pats draft range at 15 overall. But Pitts is a unicorn. His talent is so rare even football savants like ESPN’s Bill Barnwell have made a case that a TE rich team like San Francisco trading up to #3 only to take Pitts wouldn’t be crazy. In a world where we’re all trying to guess what would be “the most Belichick” thing in the 2021 NFL Draft, would there be anything more Belichick than trading up for a tight end?
LANDON DICKERSON
An offensive lineman, really? Well, when that lineman played in the NFL South, aka the SEC, for a Belichick confidante like Nick Saban, has positional versatility at Guard and Center AND pulls this off just three months after ACL surgery?
OK, a stunt meant to upstage a teammate’s post Pro Day workout interview won’t do much more than help you go viral. But any team with concerns over the progress of Dickerson’s rehab probably felt better after the cartwheel display. Most were floored to see someone his size pull that off. That he’s but three months removed from ACL reconstruction (unfortunately his second ACL overall), AND a Rimington Award winner for best center in college football? Perhaps the Pats could be tempted to dip their toes back into the SEC lineman waters, even with the O-Line depth currently signed. Dickerson is a specimen to say the least, and Trent Brown and Isaiah Wynn could be elsewhere come 2022. Just saying stranger things have happened in Foxboro.