NFL Free Agency is in full swing. And so is Pre-Draft Season, which includes pro days aplenty from some of the nation’s top college football programs. And whenever the Patriots front office attends people take note. And let others know.
Attending the University of Georgia football pro day today, on behalf of the New England Patriots, are none other than head coach Bill Belichick, senior football advisor Matt Patricia and director of player personnel Matt Groh. That’s a solid lineup of pre-draft football braintrust coming from Foxborough for arguably one of the top pro days in the country. Then again, the Pats aren’t the only team well represented with coaches and scouts at Georgia.
It’s not uncommon for Belichick to attend a number of pro days and pre-draft workouts to scout future NFL talent, lead some drills or even work a few players out himself, like he did in 2018 with NC State’s Bradley Chubb, a player he loved but knew he wouldn’t be able to draft (Chubb went fifth overall to Denver in 2018). Last year Belichick made waves attending Mac Jones’ pro day at Alabama, a day that reportedly didn’t go spectacularly, and, well, that ended up working out pretty well after all.
The Georgia Bulldogs, the college football national champions, are expected to have a number of players selected over the first few rounds (link - https://ugawire.usatoday.com/lists/nine-georgia-bulldogs-go-in-first-three-rounds-of-2022-nfl-mock-draft/), with at least three defensive players (LB Nakobe Dean, Edge Travon Walker and DL Jordan Davis) in the first round. All three would be a fit on the Patriots. Who knows which of those three, or any performing today, Belichick and crew might have their eye on.