New England Patriots Mock Draft Roundup
When it comes to mock drafts, opinions are like noses: Everyone has one.
You can replace "noses" with another (NSFW) body part, but the fact remains, there are a lot of people with a lot of different thoughts on what teams should do with their picks in the 2015 NFL draft.
When it comes to the New England Patriots, though, most of those opinions and thoughts will end up being wrong. It's almost impossible to predict what the Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick will do in the draft, as they seemingly take glee in proving all the pundits and experts wrong every April.
The Patriots hold the 32nd pick in the draft this year, giving them seemingly even more options on how to prove people wrong. They could use the pick on any number of prospects ranked in the 20-45 range, which Patriots director of personnel Nick Caserio says is a spot that will have a lot of good football players. They could also trade, either up or down, to get better value.
Here's a look around the Web at some opinions of what the Patriots could do with their picks.
Mel Kiper, ESPN: Eric Rowe, S, Utah
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"Bill Belichick can use a versatile talent in the secondary (maybe more than one), and Rowe gives him just that. I'd actually take a hard look at Devin Smith or Eddie Goldman if available here, but Rowe hits a need as the type of player my coach maximizes."
My Slant
There seems to be a bit of a disconnect here between Mel Kiper and some other draft analysts. Both NFL.com's Lance Zierlein and CBSSports.com's Rob Rang have listed Utah's Eric Rowe as a cornerback, but Kiper believes Rowe will be a safety in the NFL.
Rowe has played both positions in his career, and after posting some impressive numbers at the scouting combine, he has the athleticism to play anywhere the Patriots would want him—he finished among the top five cornerbacks in every workout in which he participated.
Even with all that athleticism, there are concerns over whether he can match up one-on-one in man coverage with NFL receivers—Zierlein quotes an AFC director of college scouting as saying Rowe is "a Tampa-2 guy or maybe fitting with a defense similar to Seattle's where he has a good free safety helping over the top." As it turns out, with Devin McCourty at free safety, he would have more than enough help over the top in the Patriots defense.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke
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"The Patriots don't care about flash, and Tomlinson is one of the safest players in the draft."
My Slant
Guard is one of the biggest needs for the Patriots headed into the 2015 draft. The Patriots have enlisted former offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia to assist in their scouting and evaluation of offensive linemen in this year's class. The stars seem to be aligned for the Patriots to pick up Duke guard Laken Tomlinson at the end of the first round.
The Patriots would love to have a 6'3", 323-pound guard with Tomlinson's toughness and tenacity in the middle of their offensive line; they have lacked that kind of physical presence in the past, and NFL.com's Lance Zierlein hints at some big upside based on Tomlinson's physicality:
"Tomlinson has treated defenders like a squat rep at times, but getting defenders centered and jacked will be tougher in the NFL. His lack of athleticism is a major concern and will cause problems winning initial engagements as defenders will get into him first. What Tomlinson lacks in second-level ability he makes up for in straight-ahead power and an ability to stalemate power players. His success in the NFL could be predicated on scheme and landing spot.
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Tomlinson has earned a second-round grade from both NFL.com and CBSSports.com, but a selection at the end of the first round would not be a reach if the Patriots view him as a long-term answer at a position of need.
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Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama
4 of 6"This just in: Bill Belichick has an affinity for Nick Saban-coached players. Collins is a card-carrying tough guy and Belichick's type of safety."
My Slant
Alabama's Landon Collins is the consensus top safety available in the 2015 class. At 6'0" and 228 pounds, he has the muscular build that teams love to see in their in-the-box hard-hitting safeties. He also has the long speed (4.53-second 40-yard dash) to make up lost ground in a hurry.
CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler and Rob Rang compare Collins to Denver Broncos safety T.J. Ward for his "aggression, physicality and knack for creating big plays," though they are also critical of Collins' coverage deficiencies, saying he will need to "be complemented with other speedier options in the secondary."
Luckily for Collins, Devin McCourty is in the fold and is more than capable of covering up holes in the secondary when his teammates are caught out of position. When looking at the Patriots roster, though, their need at strong safety is not as strong as their need at other positions. Duron Harmon and Patrick Chung were a formidable pair last year, with Chung acting as the primary strong safety while Harmon contributed on passing downs.
Notwithstanding Belichick's love for the Alabama pipeline, Collins would be a solid fit for what the Patriots need at safety. That being said, safety is not one of the more pressing needs on their docket.
Doug Farrar, Sports Illustrated: Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut
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"So...after winning the Super Bowl, the Patriots lost Darrelle Revis (opposing quarterback rating allowed: 72.6), essentially replacing him with former Eagles burn victim Bradley Fletcher (opposing quarterback rating allowed: 107.6, with nine touchdowns allowed). Losing Brandon Browner as well puts Bill Belichick in a bit of a pinch. Jones aced all the tests at the combine, but his real value lies in his press ability and his work against the run. Those are required attributes for Belichick, who calls as much man defense as any coach in the league.
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My Slant
First of all, thank you, Doug, for providing more than one sentence of analysis on your mock draft pick. Second, thank you for paying attention.
There's a strong case to be made for Connecticut cornerback Byron Jones' fit with the Patriots, and several mock drafters have projected him to the Patriots, but it's a little surprising that this bandwagon hasn't gained more steam. Beyond his impressive athletic traits (Jones finished among the top five cornerbacks in every workout he participated in at the scouting combine), Jones also has the versatility to play corner or safety and can contribute on special teams.
The only point of contention with Farrar's take is his perception of Belichick's desire to run man coverage. Yes, that's been his modus operandi in recent years, but the Patriots were primarily a zone-coverage team for the better part of five years from 2008 to 2012 before the arrival of Aqib Talib.
Mike Tanier, Bleacher Report: Jalen Collins, CB, LSU
6 of 6"Collins reportedly failed several drug tests at LSU; couple the allegations with the fact that Collins was never a full-time starter for the Bayou Bengals, and you get an easy-to-pass-on defender in a draft full of good-not-great cornerback prospects. Belichick, meanwhile, sees tall, long-armed talent available for cheap.
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My Slant
Saying the Patriots are on uncertain ground at cornerback is about as astute as saying oxygen is a necessary element to human life. LSU's Jalen Collins is one of the better cornerback prospects available in this year's class, but there's some disagreement: He ranks ninth on CBSSports.com's rankings and second on NFL.com's rankings.
At 6'1" and 203 pounds with 32 ⅛" arms, Collins has the size that defensive coaches will love in their defensive backs. Now, if only he knew exactly how to use it; CBSSports.com's Brandon Thorn says Collins "doesn't deliver much power or jolt when in press man coverage and gives easy releases too often," and NFL.com's Lance Zierlein says Collins "needs to improve patience in press coverage rather than opening up too early."
That being said, he has coachable traits. Belichick will love his 6.77-second three-cone drill, a reflection of Collins' change-of-direction ability. He also ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash, which was not among the top five cornerbacks at the combine but is a respectable time.
The Patriots have a lot of bodies at cornerback but not a lot of answers. Collins would bring the Patriots one step closer to the certainty they seek in the secondary.
Unless otherwise noted, all scouting combine information and draft notes provided by CBSSports.com and NFL.com.
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