1 – With the NFL Draft now less than two weeks away, the hopeful hype is building toward the big night for all 32 teams across the league.
Last week, two true NFL Draft insiders put forth a couple projection nuggets that should do nothing but excite Patriots fan.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper updated his mock draft with New England landing Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez at No. 14 overall. That would be a potential ideal selection for Bill Belichick’s team, filling arguably the Patriots biggest need with arguably the best cover prospect in this year’s draft class.
Elsewhere on Twitter, Senior Bowl Director and former Patriots scout Jim Nagy, weighed in on the wide receiver position as the draft draws near. While fans in New England and across the league are salivating at the crop of pass catchers led by Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Boston College’s Zay Flowers, USC’s Jordan Addison and TCU’s Quentin Johnston, Nagy isn’t so sure the NFL feels as strongly about the group. In fact on Twitter Nagy revealed that “numerous teams” he’s talked to have only Smith-Njigba with a first-round grade.
Two reactions to that. First, there are generally fewer prospects with first-round grades than there are picks in the first round. That means while teams may only have say 20 players graded with a first-round value, 32 (or in the case of this year, 31) will still be selected in the opening round.
So it’s possible that receivers with a second-round grade will be taken in the first round.
But, more importantly from this perspective, there is the chance that the Patriots could take a truly elite talent like Gonzalez at No.
14 and still get a top wide receiver option, say a guy like Flowers with an immense upside, later in the draft.
If the Patriots could get Gonzalez with their first pick and then get Flowers either with a trade into the latter part of the first round or early on Day 2 of the draft it would potentially be a franchise altering talent grab. And it might just be the perfect Patriots draft.
2 – Speaking of the perfect draft night, 93.7 WEEI will broadcast live Patriots draft coverage from 6-midnight. The Rich Keefe Show will feature the 6 Rings boys, yours truly and Nick “Fitzy” Stevens, and a cast of thousands (or at least a chosen few!), bringing New England reaction to not only whatever Belichick, Matt Groh & Co. do but for each pick and trade along the wondrous way. WEEI will be your best source of local Patriots coverage and analysis all draft night long on April 27.
3 – It was no surprise that the Patriots signed a veteran quarterback this week, adding Trace McSorley to a depth chart that had included just Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe since Brian Hoyer’s strange release earlier this spring. McSorley is the former Penn State star who entered the NFL as a sixth-round pick with the Ravens in 2019. He’s played in nine NFL games in his time with the Ravens and Cardinals, making his only start last year in Arizona.
He’s completed 45 of his 83 professional pass attempts with one touchdown and five interceptions.
McSorley was recruited to Penn State by new Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who moved on to become head coach of the Texans before the quarterback’s arrival in Happy Valley. McSorley may be best known for the song about his playing career by Matt Fresh that has been viewed more than 7.7 million times on YouTube.
4 – While McSorley adds another necessary arm to the Patriots’ QB depth chart – teams carry at least three passers in the offseason and through training camp – it by no means eliminates the potential for New England to take a quarterback with one of its current 11 selections on draft weekend. Since Belichick landed in Foxborough in 2001, the Patriots have taken a quarterback in 13 of the last 23 drafts, including four of the last five years. For whatever it’s worth – nothing! – the fifth round is the only in which the Patriots haven’t drafted a quarterback under Belichick’s watch.
If the Patriots were to consider a possible mid- or late-round quarterback draft selection once again, some names to keep an eye on would be BYU’s Jaren Hall, Fresno State’s Jake Haener, Houston’s Clayton Tune or UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
5 – Fan voting to the select the 2023 inductee into the Patriots Hall of Fame is now up and running on Patriots.com. Fans can choose from a trio of worthy finalists that includes former head coach Bill Parcells, former All-Pro guard Logan Mankins and former All-Pro linebacker Mike Vrabel.
While it’s a shameful that wide receiver Wes Welker doesn’t get the respect he deserves from the Hall selection committee that picks to the group of finalists each year, from the trio offered the vote here goes to Mankins. The six-time All-Pro was arguably the best guard in football for a large portion of this career as a former first-round pick out of Fresno State.
Beyond his obvious play on the field, Mankins was tough, reliable and a true leader in every sense of the word. Not only should Mankins be in the Patriots Hall of Fame, he deserves legitimate consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
6 – Patriots Pro Bowl push rusher Matthew Judon continues to display his versatile abilities that probably appeal to weekend warriors everywhere. New England’s sack master took part in the longest drive challenge at the Pro Bowl this winter in Las Vegas and this week showed off his fishing skills as one of a number of big name NFL players taking part in the Sport Fishing Champions’ “The Catch” event in Miami. Despite complaining about a cramp in his left hand while reeling in a big fish, Judon got the job done. “Man, this ain’t easy,” Judon said while celebrating his catch.
7 – Patriots players will be converging on Gillette Stadium this week as Monday marks the first phase of New England’s voluntary offseason program. The first phase of the program is all strength and conditioning based, before coaches can join the players on the field for three weeks of workouts leading into Phase 3 action that includes Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and mandatory mini-camp in June.