Over the month of April WEEI.com will offer up a total of 28 prospects who could be potential Patriots selections in the 2021 NFL Draft. While the top five projected overall prospects – QB Trevor Lawrence, QB Zach Wilson, WR Ja’Marr Chase, TE Kyle Pitts and OT Penei Sewell – won’t be included, all other players at all positions will be considered potential targets for Bill Belichick and his staff. Today has a look at an intriguing interior offensive lineman from Alabama.
Landon Dickerson
IOL Alabama
6-5, 333
Resume: Dickerson was an All-State Tackle at South Caldwell (Hudson, N.C.) High School. … Rated as the No. 4 tackle in the country in his recruiting class, Dickerson chose Florida State over the likes of Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee. … He started all 13 games he played over three injury-limited seasons with the Seminoles from 2016-18, with starts at every position except center. He was the first true freshman at FSU to start a home opener since 1982. … After battling a torn ACL and then ankle issues while earning his FSU degree, Dickerson transferred to Alabama for the 2019 season. … He immediately started all 13 games for the Tide, earning Second Team All-SEC honors with action at center and right guard. … Capped his career this past fall with unanimous All-American Honors as well as winning the Rimington Award as the best center in all of college football. … In his five-year college career at FSU and then Alabama, Dickerson started 37 of the 38 games he played spread across center (20 starts), right guard (11), left guard (4), left tackle (1) and right tackle (1). … Saw action in the fourth quarter of the National Championship Game as a reserve despite a torn ACL suffered in the SEC Championship Game.
Pre-Draft Buzz: Dickerson suffered a pair of torn ACLs in his college career, among other injuries that will require significant attention from teams in the scouting process. …The Athletic’s draft guide calls Dickerson an “old-school, nasty competitor” and quotes one scout as saying, “He’s a foxhole type, the kind of guy you hate to play against but love to play with.” … The Ringer compares Dickerson to Broncos 2019 second-round pick Dalton Risner, saying “he plays with a sumo wrestler’s leverage and is a brick wall at the point of attack. He plays with a nasty temperament on the field, looking to dole out punishment to opponents who cross his path.” … NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah sent Dickerson to the Packers at No. 29 in his mock draft. … NFL.com’s player profile had one NFL executive saying this about Dickerson: “I love him. I know some people around the league think he's still under the radar, but I doubt that. He reminds me of Mountain from 'Game of Thrones'. Just big and strong and tough.” … Considered by many to be the second best interior line prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Why Dickerson fits the Patriots’ needs: Dickerson is a big, versatile, mean offensive lineman with high level play in the top system in the country for Nick Saban. If a team like the Patriots can get past or get comfortable with the fact that Dickerson had four season-ending injuries during his college career they will focus on the fact that he’s truly an elite interior offensive line prospect with Pro Bowl potential at the next level. New England has some interior depth on the line right now, but Belichick always emphasizes that rosters and depth are a tenuous situation at best. It probably wouldn’t be at No. 15, but there is no doubt that there is a lot to Dickerson’s game and resume that would make him a candidate to become a Patriot, even if it wouldn’t fill the quarterback or wide receiver needs that so many fans lathered up about.