Constructing the perfect NFL Draft for the New England Patriots
It’s flown under the radar a bit — what with seemingly extraneous reports proliferating about Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady considering retirement — but the New England Patriots have overhauled much of their team. Gone are the likes of Malcolm Butler, Dion Lewis, Danny Amendola, Brandin Cooks, Martellus Bennett, Nate Solder and Cameron Fleming.
The Pats have added a couple key guys, taken swings on others. Key additions include Jordan Matthews, Jason McCourty, Danny Shelton, Jeremy Hill and Adrian Clayborn. But with so many guys gone, this team will certainly be inextricably different from the last, which lost in the Super Bowl.
The receiving corps looks to have taken a hit, though Julian Edelman’s return from injury could surely offset some of that loss. But where New England seems likely to truly feel the pain is the offensive line, with Solder and Fleming’s departures leaving Brady’s edges vulnerable. Additionally, the defensive backfield is aging and riddled with questions, while shoddy tackling throughout the defense cost New England the Super Bowl.
Now, with Brady set to embark upon his age-41 season, the Patriots can be less certain than ever that the star will patch all their holes on his own. To contend for a Super Bowl, New England will have to turn to the draft to find key contributors, as well as bringing in the guy who may finally be Brady’s successor.
But what does a perfect draft for the Patriots look like (without taking too many leaps to assume players will be available)? One that gives them a chance to compete and gives Brady his backup? Lucky for the Patriots, I’ve compiled their perfect draft.
23rd pick (round 1) — Kolton Miller, Offensive Tackle from UCLA
At 6-foot-9 and 309 pounds, Miller profiles as a clear left tackle, although his arm length is concerningly only at the 50th percentile of offensive tackles, according to MockDraftable.
What should make Miller enticing for the Patriots, other than obviously meeting one of the team’s biggest needs, is how similarly his physical profile is to Solder’s. Solder, who the Patriots drafted in 2011, is one of the 10 most similar offensive lineman prospects to Miller in MockDraftable’s database.
Miller is definitely a bit raw, and ideally, he’d have a bigger adjustment period than he’s likely to get if the Patriots draft him. I expect Notre Dame’s Mike McGlinchey to already be gone by this point, however, leaving Miller as the Pats’ best option.
But New England shouldn’t feel too upset about settling, as Miller’s incredible athleticism — he’s in the 87th percentile or better among offensive tackles in vertical leap, 40-yard dash, broad jump, 3-cone drill and the 20-yard shuttle — gives him the chance to give the Patriots a truly special building block going forward.
31st pick (r. 1) — Trade to Browns for 35th pick (r. 2), 2019 3rd round pick
No one loves early second round picks more than Bill Belichick. By trading back just four spots, New England can also net what’s likely to be an early 3rd round pick next year. This also makes up for the Patriots having actually traded their own 2019 3rd rounder to the Browns in the Danny Shelton trade.
35th pick (r. 2) via Browns — Ronnie Harrison, Safety from Alabama
With that Browns pick, the Patriots can add a crucial depth piece at safety. This is especially important for a New England squad that spends so much time with three safeties on the field.
Harrison, who played free safety for the Crimson Tide, is extremely versatile. Don’t be surprised to see him break up an over-the-middle pass with big, sometimes flag-inducing hits and stuff the running back on back-to-back plays. But where he truly shines is with the ball in the air. Harrison’s instincts and closing speed make him a solid last line of defense, and a great coaching infrastructure in New England should ensure Harrison doesn’t miss tackles due to his over-aggressiveness. He projects as a definite starter going forward.
43rd pick (r. 2) — Mason Rudolph, Quarterback from Oklahoma State
Many have linked New England to Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta or even Washington State’s Luke Falk with the 63rd pick, but I think the Pats should go with Rudolph. Rudolph started for three years at Oklahoma State and put up some massive numbers, especially in his final season. The Pokes’ signal-caller threw for 4,904 yards, 37 touchdowns and only nine interceptions.
Rudolph is an extremely polarizing prospect. First, the good. His accuracy on short and intermediate throws, especially in the middle of the field, is exactly what you look for. More and more pro teams are making short passes in space the core of their offense. Additionally, Rudolph shows terrific poise in the face of pressure. Rudolph’s passer rating under pressure was a whopping 39.5 points above the NCAA average, while he was 32.5 points better than average against the blitz, according to Pro Football Focus. This is a credit to his ability to keep his eyes down field even as he’s getting hit.
Another key strength of Rudolph’s is his talent for the deep ball. Rather than rocketing it down field, Rudolph puts touch on the ball and gives receivers a chance to track it.
That same ability is seen as a shortcoming by some. Rudolph’s passing velocity is one of the slowest among this year’s crop of top quarterbacks. Where this is actually especially significant is in intermediate throws to the sidelines, where a ball thrown slightly too slowly is fodder for a pick-six. The biggest criticism facing Rudolph, however, is the benefits his offensive scheme provided him. The majority of the time, the Cowboys’ offense was designed so that he could throw right to his open first option. The track record for quarterbacks from such friendly offensive systems is iffy, though the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff seems to be a counterexample.
Sitting behind Brady should give Rudolph a chance to address both of these shortcomings. Air raid quarterbacks often struggle when thrown right into the fire, but Rudolph will have at least a year to develop and learn from the progressions master in Brady, not to mention the fact that he’s more experienced as a deep passer than the likes of Falk. As for Rudolph’s arm strength, the main problem seems to come from his lower body. Rudolph is too upright of a thrower and, with some practice time, can improve at putting his hips behind his throws, like a boxer learning to punch harder.
63rd pick (r. 2) — Uchenna Nwosu, Outside Linebacker from USC
Despite adding Clayborn, the Patriots always need more pass rushers. Their complete inability to even breathe on Nick Foles cost them this past Super Bowl, and Nwosu is exactly the type of player who can remedy that.
He wreaked havoc for the Trojans in his final season with the team, deflecting 13 passes at the line of scrimmage while recording 9.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. Nwosu will start his career as a terrific option in passing situations. He’s fast right off the snap and can get to the quarterback before he’s even finished his dropback. Nwosu doesn’t have a full utility belt of moves, but that speed can get him around the edge and his tree trunk legs help him dig right past and beneath tackles who manage to get their hands on him.
While he lacks the versatility that would have made him an early first rounder, Nwosu will go to the NFL instantly prepared to make an impact. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him shore up his ability as a run defender and improve a questionable motor within a few years, making Nwosu a high-ceiling play.
95th pick (r. 3) — Kalen Ballage, Running Back from Arizona State
I’m not going to pretend this pick isn’t at least 20 percent about the time Ballage scored eight touchdowns in a game, which he did in 2016 against Texas Tech. But also, Ballage scored eight touchdowns in a game! Come on!
More importantly (I guess) is Ballage’s versatile skillset out of the backfield. He’s excellent as a pass catcher, getting into open spaces and rarely dropping the ball, and no one throws to running backs more than the Patriots. Plus, he’s big enough — at 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds — to become an effective pass blocker on third downs if New England’s coaching staff can actually get him to commit to it.
While his vision is sorely lacking as a runner, Ballage makes up for it with his 4.4-speed and his strength, while also being a viable option in the slot and as a kick returner. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Patriots use him almost exclusively in those roles. He definitely gives New England the versatile playmaker they’ll be looking for after losing Lewis and Amendola.
Fine, fine, before we move on, here’s his eight-touchdown game.
198th pick (r. 6) — David Wells, Tight End from San Diego State
The Pats don’t have another pick until late in the sixth round (which is why I would also be okay if they picked up a fourth rounder in that trade with the Browns). But it’s okay, with pick 198, they’re right in the Brady zone.
Here, they can take a swing for a tight end to slot in alongside and behind Rob “I may quit at any moment to party and wrestle” Gronkowski. In Wells, the Patriots can get a tight end who profiles similarly to Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst, likely second round picks in this year’s draft.
Though his athletic profile would indicate a threat in the passing game, the Aztecs primarily utilized him as a run blocker and boy did he excel, routinely clearing lanes for Rashaad Penny. Putting him on the field with Gronkowski in running situations gives the Patriots the equivalent of seven excellent blockers. Plus the Pats’ current backup, Dwayne Allen, is also a great blocker.
Combining Wells’ blocking with even a modicum of the pass catching prowess his speed, size and leaping ability belie would give New England an under-the-radar candidate to start whenever Gronkowski leaves or gets hurt.
210th pick (r. 6) — Braxton Berrios, Wide Receiver from Miami
Something about the way Berrios plays just screams Patriots. Hmmm. What could it be?
What could it possibly be about this tiny, white slot receiver who runs crisp routes and has no regard for his own safety?
Well, I guess we’ll never know. Let’s just move on.
219th pick (r. 7) — Damon Webb, Safety from Ohio State
In Webb, New England can wrap up its draft with another option in the defensive backfield. He’s a firm tackler and has great instincts, though he lacks the athleticism to really make use of those instincts as a safety. In fact, a kicker is the third-most similar to him athletically according to MockDraftable.
Unfortunately, if Webb were a few inches taller than his current 5-foot-11, he’d make sense as an option at linebacker. Instead, he likely fits best as a Pats’ special teamer who can thrive as a gunner and in kickoff coverage, while giving the team a safety option that knows what to do in case of injury-driven emergency. You can’t ask for much more in the seventh round.
