Players comps can be hit or miss, more often miss in the NFL. They flourish like temporary claims of Irish heritage come mid-March, evaluators and analysts always looking to label someone as “the next______”. These are byproducts not just of the modern world of click here first journalism, but also NFL Draft season, which begins right around the time of the Combine, blossoms during the draft, and then continues throughout OTAs and Training Camp.
But when one player speaks highly of another, and position and body type and playing style all come together to conjure images of someone else? Well, you just can’t help but fall into the trap. And hope there’s a reward in the process.
Speaking at the Combine on Thursday in Indianapolis, Oklahoma guard Marquis Hayes offered some praise about his former teammate, Patriots linebacker Ronnie Perkins, who he had some practice battles with on the Sooners.
“He’s a D-End and I’m a guard, but when he’d slide into three tech a little bit, I kind of got a glimpse of what he’s gonna do.”
“For sure.” replied Hayes when asked if Perkins gave him some problems. He also went on to call Perkins, selected 96th overall by the Patriots in the 2021 NFL Draft as “a different breed”. This is encouraging praise about the young LB/Edge defender, who was a Patriots “red shirt” his rookie season, inactive for all regular and postseason contests. Fans and media alike saw very little of Perkins, but heard of his pass rushing prowess and ability. Perhaps
Now, at no point did Hayes compare Perkins to any current NFL players. But one that comes to mind, and someone that Perkins was comped to coming out of the draft, was former Patriot, and current Detroit Lion, Trey Flowers.
The comp does make sense, given they play the same spot, were high motor pass rushers who could rush inside and out, and neither was a first round phenom (Perkins is a shade taler, Flowers a bit more stout). Perkins had 16.5 sacks in college, Flowers 18, though Perkins played only three seasons for the Sooners, and was suspended for part of the 2020 season.
It’s worth noting Flowers, too, did not play his rookie season with the Patriots. After flashing in the 2015 preseason (remember his preseason sack of Aaron Rodgers?) an injury shelved him for the season. In 2016 Flowers emerged as an integral and versatile piece of the Patriots defense, culminating in a spectacular two and a half sack performance in Super Bowl 51. Flowers went on to have two more solid seasons in Foxboro before getting a massive free agent deal with the Lions in 2019.
The best case scenario for Perkins is that he stays healthy in 2022, taking advantage of an opportunity for pass rushers to step up on the Patriots defense. Though the Patriots have a number of linebackers, Matt Judon is the only certified pass rushing threat. There’s uncertainty with some veterans, like Dont’a Hightower (UFA) and Kyle Van Noy (signed but with a salary cap number over seven million). Other young pass rushing linebackers who’ve shown promise like Chase Winovich, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings have yet to break through.
Opportunity will certainly knock for Perkins. But will he answer? Especially to the name of another. Maybe he’ll be the next Trey Flowers or Matt Judon, or Kyle Van Noy. Maybe he’ll remind us of another in time (hopefully not Shawn Crable ... there’s your Flashback Friday name, Pats fans). With prospects emerging at the combine, the draft looming and the Pats wanting to get younger and faster on defense, the time is nigh for Perkins to show us why he reminds some of Flowers, and then be a different breed, carving out his own legacy in New England.