2012 NFL Draft: What Mike Mayock's Conference Call Means for AFC East Teams

When Mike Mayock talks about the NFL draft, the world stops to listen.

That's why, when Twitter got hit with a slew of updates from his conference call, this blogger stopped to take notes. He gave us a few nuggets about the AFC East, as reported by several team beat writers around the league.

Here's what I came across.

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Mike Mayock: Lot of big WRs in this class. Something to watch will be how well they run at combine.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) February 15, 2012

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Just yesterday, I "mocked" two wide receivers to AFC East teams in the second round. Both of them were big, and both of them had question marks in terms of their 40-yard dash. While some scouts may put a little too much stock into the 40-yard dash, there's no denying its importance, especially in the pass-happy NFL where separation is key for quarterbacks to hit their receivers in stride on deep balls.

In that regard, Mayock agrees that the Patriots could be in the market for a wide receiver.

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Mayock on Pats offense: WR obvious need. Welker and 2TE exceptional, but vertical WR could really help them.

— SC_DougFarrar (@SC_DougFarrar) February 15, 2012"

The Patriots have classically used the 3-cone drill as one of the primary tools for evaluating talent at the position, but it's clear that they lack the long speed in the offense that other teams have. 

This could be the year where the Patriots break the mold, as noted by Mike Freeman of CBSsports.com.

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The Super Bowl was close, but the difference in athleticism wasn't. The Giants' speed and explosiveness was demonstrated at critical moments. Mario Manningham is the Giants' third wide receiver but he's still more explosive than any of the receivers on the Patriots and it showed on one historic play. Exemplary tight ends like the ones on the Patriots are obviously good to have but it's the speed on the outside that makes a difference in a game.

I'm told Belichick knows he's been getting away with all of this and wants to try and change things beginning this offseason by adding a fast wide receiver and more speed across the roster. We'll see if he can.

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So, it looks like Mayock and Freeman are in agreement that, while the tight ends and Welker are great pieces, a deep threat would really complete the picture. And if Freeman's sources are correct, that's something the Patriots will address this year.

Something else the Patriots need to address? You guessed it: The defense.

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Mike Mayock: "Bill [Belichick] is a master of letting the board come to him. ... Has to be all about defense."

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) February 15, 2012"

With an offense that ranked in the top five in total yards and a defense that ranked second-worst in that category, it's plain to see why he says that. What, exactly, does he see as the biggest need for the team?

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I ask Mayock ifhe sees CB or S being more important for the Patriots. He says, best available player: "They need help everywhere"

— Ian R. Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 15, 2012"

So there's that.

Anywhere the Patriots can improve would be a plus, and it shouldn't be that hard to do with two first-round picks. 

But it wasn't all about the Patriots. Dolphins fans curious about Matt Flynn got some answers from Mayock, too.

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Wonders if Flynn is the "residue of wonderful wide receivers" and what will happen when the league gets a book on him.

— SC_DougFarrar (@SC_DougFarrar) February 15, 2012"

The Packers weren't far off from becoming the highest-scoring offense in NFL history, so it's not hard to see where Mayock is coming from. Dolphins fans are anxious to finally get an answer at quarterback, but perhaps going for the best available quarterback in free agency isn't the best option.

Unfortunately, they won't have much of a chance to land the best quarterbacks in the draft unless they trade up. If they're unable to do so, though, it may not necessarily be a bad thing.

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Mayock says Tannehill could be a 1st round riser like we saw last year. "He's everything you want. He's a big strong, fast kid."

— Dan Kadar (@MockingTheDraft) February 15, 2012"

It may seem like the Dolphins are settling on yet another second-rate quarterback, but don't forget that Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, a 2011 second-rounder, was put on par with the first overall pick, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

While many questions still remain about the draft, pundits will continue to leave us little nuggets of information along the trail to April 26.

Follow @ErikFrenz