Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Can Tet McMillan or Travis Hunter Transform New England Patriots Receiving Corps? Mock Draft Tuesday

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

Can the New England Patriots' draft strategy reshape their future? With new quarterback Drake Maye at the helm, the Patriots are eyeing offensive reinforcements. This episode dives into listener-submitted NFL mock drafts, spotlighting potential picks like wide receiver Tet McMillan and offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. Host Mike D’Abate and guest expert Thomas Murphy dissect these drafts, weighing the merits of prioritizing the offensive line versus acquiring top-tier receivers. They explore the impact of players like Travis Hunter and Josh Conerly Jr., offering insights into the Patriots' evolving strategy. #nfl #newenglandpatriots Find Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFm... Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-... And follow host Mike D’Abate on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest ne ws about the New England Patriots and talking with fans — @mdabateNFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNFL at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. UpworkVisit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free to connect with top talent and grow your business today! FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

If free agency was for the New England Patriots defense, well that would mean the 2025 NFL draft has to be for their offense, right? Stick around, you're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you Foxboro faithful. Thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England

Patriots coverage. I'm your host Mike Debate and I cover your New England Patriots for the Locked On Podcast Network. So reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on X at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. While you're out there showing some love to Locked On Patriots social media style, follow our account on X at L-O underscore Patriots.

And of course you can catch me where the skies are blue over on blue sky at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L dot B-Sky dot social. And of course today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can get $200 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. Pets fans with the first wave of free agency now having fallen upon the shores of NFL Nation, we here at Lockdown Patriots are excited, we are ecstatic to welcome back Mock Draft Tuesday here on the pod. Yeah, I know. We usually go on Monday.

Still going to continue to go on Monday from here on in, but we had some technical problems yesterday. We upgraded our audio. We are back today. So a big thanks and a big tip of the cap to all of you out there who are continuing to hang in there with us and for joining us today. And because the Pats are putting a pretty obvious focus on the defense when it comes to upgrading this roster, at least in free agency, we are going to bring you three mock drafts that have a little offensive flair behind them today.

From locking down some offensive line talent to finally giving Drake May some pass catching weapons, you'll find it here today on Locked On Patriots. And I say we, because as you all know, it wouldn't be mock draft day. It wouldn't be mock draft Monday, it wouldn't be mock draft Tuesday, it wouldn't be mock draft Sunday, whatever mock draft day you want to come up with. Just wouldn't be the case unless our guest today was in the very chair that he built right here on the pod and that

is my good friend the monster master of disaster the green king of sting the legendary thomas murphy thank you for joining me today in friendship don't murph oh again and again and again man our friendship never ends bud and i'm here for you let's go absolutely and you know and this absolutely proves it to not only suffer through a show in which we had several communicative miscues, several technical problems, and then to come back and to actually sit in the chair and still have the same enthusiasm. Man is the great one, folks. There is a reason why he is goaded here on Lockdown Patriots. And you know what? We missed Mach Draft Day so much, Murph. Let's not waste any more time on bringing it back. We're already a day behind, so let's give our everydayers exactly what they want. And we start with the first feature draft this

season to include a receiver taken by the Pats as their primary pick. Now, you and I have both been very vocal. We believe that the Patriots should invest as much capital, whether it be draft or whether it be free agency into upgrading the offensive line before they do anything else. You need a quarterback looking pretty upright, neat and ready to throw in order for him to reach the targets that a lot of the fans want to see this team pick up. I still believe that's the prudent way. I'm pretty sure I think we're in agreement on that,

knowing you the way that I do, but with Cooper cup in Seattle and T Higgins staying now in Cincinnati with lucrative deals, the free agent and the trade markets just don't have as many number one options as they did before. So our first submission today from our old friend and valued every day or Mr. John cost provides his first submission of 2025. And John is trader John, uh, to start everything off. He does not have the Patriots sticking at number four actually has them

trading down with the J E T S New York jets, sending the fourth overall pick to New York for the number seven overall choice and number 42 in the second round. And with that number seven pick, he selects Arizona wide out, Ted McMillan, a popular choice over the course of the last couple of days. He had himself a day at Arizona's pro day on Monday, folks. We're going to get back to that one in just a moment, but John wasn't done dealing just yet.

He sent the Pat's pair of second rounders to the Miami Dolphins to secure the number 13 overall pick. And with that 13th pick, bringing back Luther Burden, the third out of Missouri. So the Patriots already getting a couple of explosive playmakers to start off this draft. Murph, he did not neglect the offensive line. No. I'd like to think that John is channeling his inner Sonny Weaver Jr. Here when he goes about this because he's given his picks away and he's just about to ask for David Putney just because he feels like it.

But he's sending the first rounder in 2026 to the Philadelphia Eagles, comes away with Philly's first rounder this year at number 32, essentially closing out the first round and picking up the third rounder at number 96. In that number 32 overall pick, he uses it to draft Oregon tackle Josh Connerly. So we'll go into the string of picks that John goes ahead and makes after Connerly because there are some interesting prospects here that I think could make decent pros, especially with the Patriots, but let's start right off the bat up front. Obviously, Tet Macmillan is someone

that continues to move up draft boards. A lot of people were concerned a little bit about maybe him not having the top level NFL speed to compete with some of the top receivers in this league, but at his pro day, according to most reports, he ran anywhere from a 4.48 to a 4.53. So these are times right now that I think will spell pretty

well for a guy of his size. That's not game breaking speed, but I think it's better than a lot of people expect it out of Tet. That's 6'4", 219 pounds. So my question to you, Don Murph, is looking at Tet Macmillan, looking at the Patriots needs and knowing what they still need on the offensive line, is there an argument to be made that number seven here from John is the prudent way to go in getting Drake May his weapon? You know, if the rest of the draft, you know, falls the way John has done here.

By the way, John, would you like a job? I know a couple of empty desks that you could fill at one Patriots place right now. He's good. This is good. You got a gift. You. You're very good, you. Definitely.

A little arm twist in there, and we're right back in the game. No, I don't think that Tet McMillan is a reach here. I believe he's definitely the number one wide receiver in this class. Is it as strong as other classes? No, but you know John went right at it and decided that you know I'm done screwing around. I'm gonna to go out and I'm going to get the weapons that Drake May needs that everybody in this town has been clamoring for. And he did that with his first two picks. Let's get this out of the way right now.

Techman Millen is not Nikhil Harry. He's not. Thank you. All right. We've heard that time and time again. Oh, another in the kill. No, that's not who this guy is. Is his speed blinding? No. Would you call him quick? I don't know if you'd call him quick either. But this is a guy that has some of the best hands in this draft class possibly, which could translate to best hands in the league,

you know, something that we've heard before and, you know, found out was not the case. Some of us knew that wasn't the case already. But no, I don't. I like this pick here, but I like it because of what John was able to do later in the first and second round. Yeah, without question. And we're going to get to that in just a moment because I don't want to step on your toes because of what John was able to do later in the first and second round. Yeah, without question. And we're going to get to that in just a moment because I don't want to step on your toes or steal your thunder here.

But I know you've got some interesting thoughts on both Burden and on Connerly coming up. But look, I think you make very good points on McMillan. I'm glad that you mentioned about Nikhil Harry because you get this a lot. And so do I. We were talking about this offline last night about people thinking that a contested catch machine automatically gives people that squeamishness, that this is going to be the same type of receiver. Ted McMillan is not that, folks. He's an All-American at Arizona. Led the Big 12 with 1,319 yards, eight touchdowns on 84 catches. This kid can play and there's no question about it. If the Patriots are looking for a weapon for Drake May,

this kid would fit the bill. The question is, have they done enough on the offensive line in free agency, maybe by the trade market? Maybe they're planning on using additional draft capital to bring in the type of lineman that they want? Those are all questions that are going to have to be answered. But if you're going with Tett McMillan here at number seven, I think this is great value.

I think you could make the argument for Ted at number four. The fact that John was able to trade down here and get him at seven, I think is good value when you pick up an extra pick as a result. So, so far so good for John Cost. I think he's batting one for one. And trading with the Dolphins, he sends the second rounders over, picks up an additional first rounder. Now, this one was interesting.

He gets the number 13 overall pick and he picks up Luther Burden III out of Missouri. Murph, we've talked about Luther Burden here before. This kid, I believe, may be one of the more underrated prospects in this draft. Clearly a top level type receiver. Hey, how's the talent I should say to be a top level type of receiver. We won't know that until he comes into camp and we see how he translates to the pro game. But my concern is that at number 13 here, you have a much bigger need at the tackle position.

I think getting Burdon at number 13, maybe a little bit of a reach. I think he's someone that you might've been able to get toward the later teens, maybe from the earlier twenties, if you wanted to trade down a little bit. Yeah, without a doubt. I think Burden is a, um, a top 20 pick, definitely a first round pick, but you know, after, you know, to double down this way, I think is really fantastic. I think it was, it was great work. Burden is, is somebody that, that I've loved for a long time.

And he reminds me of Kaderius Tony. Um, you know, it's, it's. If he gets here, I think it's going to be a fantastic, um, fit in this, uh, in this scheme, in this, uh, Brady McDaniel's offense, you know, he, he creates separation as, as quickly as anybody I've seen for a long time. The Yak, good God, give me the Yak. I love the Yak. His deep ball ability is unreal. He tracks a ball like no one else. I mean, no one else in this draft. it's just a fantastic thing to watch. He's compact, he's powerful, he's also a fine special teamer and this young man is a dynamo and I really love this pick. With these two first picks the Patriots

would be set at a position of need, at a position that is cost effective because you're not finding this anywhere. These guys are not out there in free agency. We went over that at the onset. Nobody is letting go of the number ones anymore until they're past their prime. So no, I applaud both these picks. Uh, Burton is, uh, is one of the guys that I'm crushing on in this draft. And I really do hope that, uh, something like this can go down. That third trade nets them the number 32 overall pick in the first round.

So they take over for the Philadelphia Eagles and they bring in Josh Connerly Jr. Now, ironically on Tuesday, as we speak, Elliott Wolf is in Oregon. He is attending the Pro Day where Josh Connerly is assumedly working out. We don't have those stats yet at the time we're recording this, but we expect them to be released on Tuesday evening. Again, Murph, Josh Connerly is someone that I think would fit very well into the Patriots' scheme. I think he has the ability to be a starter. The question is, do you believe he'll be there at number 32 in the first round?

I don't. I really don't. I think that you would have to get up just a little bit more into the mid-20s, you know, early 20s to grab Connerly. This position is to grab Connerly, this position is, is everybody's caught up. All right. Everybody understands that, that, you know, what we've been preaching for years, that you build an offense from the inside out. And, um, and Connerly skillset is so in demand, you know, just a fine starting caliber left tackle, you know, it just doesn't happen. You know, you can go back and take a look

at what happened here last year. When the run on left tackles just, you know, ended, and then all of a sudden we're trying to draft right tackles and move them over to the left side. It don't work. It doesn't work. It's very rare that somebody can switch sides and excel after playing so much right tackle.

Connerly is a legitimate left tackle. He's a legitimate guy that will start for you for 10 years. Once you get this kid, you're not going to let him go. Is he going to be an all-pro? I don't think so, but I've been wrong before. He could be a pro bowler, you know, you never know. And, um, but no, this, what he could, what he does in past pro is, is really special and I would love to see this.

I've been saying it for over two years now that, uh, that this kid has, has it. And, um, and I want them here. Yeah, absolutely. And I think a lot of Patriots Nation would love to have Josh Connerly along this offensive line and helping out because there are several holes that need to be filled. Now obviously the void of David Andrews, the void of a left tackle, Patriots still have a lot of holes to fill there. A lot of depth pieces I think need to be added in order

for this line to be properly stocked heading into 2025. So again, the realism you may ask why I asked the question about if he was going to be there at 32, obviously John is playing the board the way it lies. Yeah. Nobody's faulting him for that. But my point is if we don't believe he's realistically a pick at 32, he's not going to be there at 38 folks. So if you're going to address the line and you want to go wide receiver the way John did in the top 10 at the very least maybe even at number four you're gonna have to trade up in the first round and you're gonna have to

surrender some capital. You're gonna have to pay for it and I don't mind. Yeah. I really don't mind. I don't mind paying for it. I want to chip in. I want starters out of this draft that are gonna come in here help from the get-go. I could care less if they pick anybody outside of the third round, trade up as much as you can. And yes, they call this draft really, really deep. I'm not sure how deep it is for the Patriots because the Patriots have so many starting holes to fill. Three fifths of their offensive line need to come out of this draft. Absolutely, without any question.

And again, when you're dealing from a position of need, the draft can be a great resource and can also be an unforgiving place if you have too many holes to fill and you've left yourself too many voids to fill. Have the Patriots done that? Well, the jury is still out on that. We'll find out in just a little over a month when these teams arrive in

Green Bay for the NFL draft, but Murph to wrap up John's hall here, uh, that, uh, that he submitted, uh, as you can see at round three, number 69, running back, Dylan Sampson comes in out of the Tennessee volunteers, hometown guy that I know a lot of Patriots fans would love to see. More of a right tackle than a left tackle. Ozzy could work out. You know, but Tate Ratledge, let's talk about Tate for a minute. Tate is that that's a steal right here.

Tate Ratledge is going to end up being a 10 year starter. Again, I love this pick. Yeah, absolutely. I love Tate Ratledge as well. And we've said several times here on these airwaves, and a tip of the cap to our good friend Andrew Carraway, who is a Georgia Bulldog. These guys manufacture offensive linemen down there, and they do a very good job of getting guys that are NFL ready. So Tate coming in to help shore up the guard position, that interior, I'm loving this one.

At round four, number 106, Deion Walker comes in from the University of Kentucky. At number 144 in the fifth round, Ja Joyner out of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. And of course, the last pick that you're seeing here on the screen is round six, number 189 at center, Jake Majors, the center out of Texas. As you can see here, folks, John does execute another trade. He sends off the sixth rounder at number 189 and a seventh rounder. And the Patriots get three seventh rounders in return. In the interest of time, we're going to cap John's draft at Jake Majors.

Murph, when you look at the rest of this hall and you look at what John did overall, what stands out to you and how would you grade John Cost's submission here for mock draft Tuesday on Lockdown Patriots? I love the way he went out and got what he wanted. You know, he saw needs that the Patriots had and went off the scale. I probably would have gone a different way after getting Ted at seven at 13. But Luther Burden, the third, I mean, you really have a difficult time passing up on a talent like that. I would have liked to have known who was still on the board there.

Was my man Calvin Banks still on the board there? I would have liked to have known if Josh Simmons was there. Cause I would have really liked to dice roll there and then see what you're able to do there at 32. But no, this is a phenomenal draft, even down to Jake Majors. Okay. Then he got it, what? 185? Oh my God.

189. 189. 189. I love it. I love it. I think Jake Majors has a future. I'm not sure if it's going to be as a starter but definitely a rotational guy. This was a fabulous draft. I'm gonna have to give this

draft an A. Absolutely. I'm right there with you at this point and look there is a method to Murph in my madness when we Say that we're going to disallow or not going to pay too much attention to trades before the free agency period opens Right because this is exactly what you want to do with trades when it comes to mock drafting and John played this perfectly You zero in on positions that you really want to target You find an area in the draft where you believe this target is going to slip or going to fall or needs to be taken and that's where you take it. If you need to trade down multiple times to do it, and I think John has shown here Murph that you can do it when you've got the capital to work with and you've filled some of the holes that they've filled via free agency,

you can take chances like this. So tip of the cap John very well done I'm right there with you. I'm gonna grade this one in a as well. But yeah, this was a Jimmy Johnson type Effort. Yeah, absolutely You know, this is this is you know, the the stuff that Jimmy did to get his scale out there and and John just just John just killed it He truly did so great great job, John. And bottom line, Murph, we are not done yet. We're just scratching the surface here on Locked On Patriots because our next submission also includes using high level

draft capital to get Drake Mason weapons, also places a pretty good premium on the offensive line, and maybe goes a little higher for center than we would have thought the Patriots would go a couple of weeks ago. We're gonna get Murph's thoughts on the receiver, the lineman, and the rest of the hall from our good friend Roy Johnson when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. A proud part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day.

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It's fans thank you once again for joining us here today on mock draft Tuesday here on the lock on Patriots podcast Of course, we were expecting mock draft Monday Technical problems prevented us from being able to reach you, but a sincere thank you to all of you out there in Patriots Nation for hanging in there with us and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. It's mock draft day, so you didn't think I would even attempt to do a mock draft show without our good friend Thomas Murphy. I never would, folks, because we can't do one. There's no man that can equal what he does. Murphy, our next submission, which comes to us by email by the way folks, don't forget

all you faithful out there. You can submit your mock drafts via email at LockedOnPatriots at gmail.com. So our good friend Roy Johnson had an interesting submission for us. And I wanted to break this down because this one makes sense in so many ways considering what the Patriots have been through in the past week and Right off the bat number four Patriots standing Pat going with Colorado cornerback slash wide receiver Travis Hunter This is a popular pick Murph. I'm gonna get into why this is so poignant today, especially of all days going to get into why this is so poignant today, especially of all days. Uh, but at number 38, the Patriots taking Josh Connerly Jr.

offensive tackle out of Oregon. We discussed here that maybe a reach to try to find Connerly at number 38. Um, at number 69, Jared Wilson of Georgia comes to town. This is the interesting one. I can't wait to give you the ball and let you run with this one, my friend. At number 77, Edge, Russia, South Carolina, Kyle Canard, number 106, Virginia Safety, Jonas Sanker, the tight end position address for the first time today.

Hi, Claire. Check out Jalen Conyers, tight end out of Texas Tech at number 144. At number 217, Antoine Wells Jr., wide receiver out of Ole Miss, comes to town, first-patch receiver, pure receiver, taken in Royce Hall here, Ty Hamilton, defensive tackle out of Ohio State at number 220, and of course, Collin Oliver

at number 238, a linebacker out of Oklahoma State. Now, Murph, I wanna give you the opportunity to run as much and as hard as you'd like to when it comes to these offensive linemen, but I want to begin by talking about Hunter because this is not the first time that we've seen Travis Hunter at number four on drafts that were submitted to us. We featured a few on here so far. If I'm being honest, this is the guy that I've been intrigued by since the start of draft season.

That prospect of a two-way player in the modern day NFL, really just fascinating to me. I think we'd all love to see what this kid can do. At the time when people were submitting these drafts, we believed that he was going to fill not just one, but two major holes on the perimeter at the cornerback position and of course at wide receiver. But since that time, the Patriots have entered free agency, they filled one of those holes in the form of Carlton Davis, new perimeter corner, he's going to be the in to Christian Gonzalez Yang, so to speak, when it comes to this year at the cornerback position. So Hunter is now being mentioned, just as a potential cornerback but also a primary receiver and a lot of high level NFL draft pundits saying that Travis Hunter could very well be the

Patriots target at number four. Now he does have the resume to support that. 96 catches, 1258 yards, 15 touchdowns last season. No question. This kid's got the quickness. We talked about Ted McMillan in the previous segment, maybe not so much of a quick step, Travis Hunter's got it. Um, he's got the body control to be an explosive dynamic playmaker in any area of the field. I love the way this guy can make defenders miss and he can

do it in a number of ways. So before we start to critique Roy's work here, Bud, is this enough in your estimation to make Hunter the pick at number four? Yeah, I do. I've hemmed it hard over this and, you know, again, it depends on how the rest of the draft falls. He might be too tasty for the people at One Patriot's place to pass up. You know, they're premium wide receivers are at a premium. Premium defensive backs, cornerbacks are at a premium. This kid is boat. Yeah. All right. And to take him here, now don't forget, now take into account that Carlton Davis and Gonzalez's contracts are up in the same year. All right. You're going to have to replace one of them. We're looking at with Gonzalez a $30 million a year player or the Patriots going to want

to do that. This pick allows them to, you know, maybe move on, maybe trade, maybe, you know, get a couple of more seasons out of this class and allowing him to play defensive backs. See, this kid is such a great defensive back. That's where I want him. I know. That's where I really want him. I know. That's how good he is, folks. Yes, he's electrifying with the ball in his hand,

but if you can convince him to play defensive back primarily, okay, and believe me, folks, you need more than two. You do. You need more than two. And this kid's good enough to, he could play anywhere you want him to on the defensive, on, in the defensive backfield. They, you know, if they could convince him to play primarily defensive back and then, you know, eight to 10 plays as a wide receiver I'm all for this. I really am I've said before that You know you build from the the the inside out Well, you build the defense from the outside in and this would just make that defense that much stronger

And you could use this kid. I'm not saying as a gadget play. That's that's somebody that comes in for two plays a game this kid, I'm not saying as a gadget play, that's somebody that comes in for two plays a game, three plays a game. I'm talking 10 to 15 plays on offense to go along with the 40 that you play on defense and let's just go out and have fun and watch this kid play football. Yeah, absolutely. I'm so glad that you mentioned his prowess on the defensive side of the ball because I don't want that to be lost. This kid is a dynamic cornerback and he's also someone that's very versatile.

Murph hits it right on the head, folks. He can play in so many different alignments and anywhere you need him to be on the field. So Travis Hunter can be who you need him to be. And he's also a rookie. He's also someone that has yet to go to the puppet show and see the strings the way Christian Gonzalez, right? Carlton Davis had. So there is a chance that that trio could end up being a dominant trio for a number

of years in the NFL. I think the Patriots already have one of the best cornerback tandems in the game. You had Travis Hunter into that mix. All of a sudden, that is a deadly trio in that defensive backfield. But what he brings to the Patriots offense, once again, a potentially dynamic, explosive playmaker, something the Pats have not had in quite a while. And his knowledge of route running, his knowledge of how defenders defend against the pass, is something that is so important for a receiver in this league.

So he has the chance to be a generational talent here, folks. Maybe he will be, maybe he won't be, but he has the chance to do it. Right. I think there's too much talent in Travis Hunter right now for the Patriots to pass on him. If he's there at four, I think you grab them with both hands and you figure out a way to use him on offense and on defense. And I think this Patriots team is smart enough to do it, but

yeah, it really is, man. It's just like, you know, what tires am I going to put on my Porsche? Murph Roy's draft gets more interesting by the minute, because once he moves on from Travis Hunter here, you're looking at Josh Connerly at number 38 and then Jared Wilson at number 69. I know we talked a lot about Connerly before. We believe he's going to be gone by this time, but let's play devil's advocate for a moment. Assuming he's there at number 38 and the Patriots take him, how smart is it for the Pats then

to come back at number 69 and grab Jared Wilson here? Because I do believe he's going to be there at 69. Is this a worth it pick for the Patriots? And is Wilson someone who could be capable of filling the shoes left behind by David Andrews? No. He's not. David Andrews was the consummate professional in both Pass Pro and as a blocker in the run game. Wilson is not there as a blocker in the run game yet. Now don't get me wrong. I love Kirby Smart. I love what he's able to do with our finds in lineman. I love the growth that this kid has made over his, his career.

But I had him, you know, just inside or just outside the top 100 in this draft. And you're grabbing him here at the Gronk pick and, uh, and don't get me wrong. I mean, like we said, three fifths of the, uh, of this offensive line, you know, needs to be addressed right now. All right. Unless, you know, I'm right and Colestrange can snap. I like the pick. I want him in a Patriots uniform. I want, I want all of the Georgia Bulldogs that you can get me. I really do. That's the respect that I have for this program, especially what they do on the lines. It's just a bit too soon. He will be there and I will not throw televisions through the wall if he gets picked there.

It's a good pick. It's just not a great pick I think you could have gotten him a bit later and And this this has been a pretty good draft right here. He has so far so good I think Roy is definitely checking off the boxes definitely when it comes to an explosive playmaker and two top linemen that have the chance to come in and start You look at what he starts doing from 77 on, definitely a mix of offense and defense, trying to I think find the right balance of depth pieces to come in and compliment who I believe

will be the starters. Kyle Canard I think is someone that could end up challenging for potentially a spot starter too at the edge. I think he's got the talent to do it. Sanker, I think is primarily more of a depth piece when it comes to what the Patriots would want him for at the safety position. I need a free safety here, people. Sanker is not a free safety.

Go out and find a free safety, please. Yeah, it's true. I mean, considering what you're getting from Marcus X now and that. He's my kind of player. Don't get me wrong. He's my kind of player, but he's me wrong. He's my kind of player, but he's not a free. I need a free safety. Yeah, absolutely. And I think the Patriots need a free safety in this area as well. Conyers at the tight end position. Wells coming in.

Depth piece within the wide receivers group. Ty Hamilton there from Ohio State. Great upside there. That's a fantastic grab. And Oliver you know you take care a little depth there at the linebacker position. It's grade time now Roy Johnson's submission here from Travis Hunter to Colin Oliver how would you grade this overall haul? This is a solid B draft okay it really is you know we said at Nausium you have to take the guys that are there. I just don't think Connerly is going to be there at 38. Travis Hunter is just so intriguing. I understand why you went there.

Kennard is a fantastic pick there at 77. Kyle Kennard. I'm sure Mike's going to have Steve on later during the week and Steve will jump right into Kyle Kennard and what he's been able to do with South Carolina there This is a great draft. It's a solid B draft. Yeah without any question. I agree with you I'm actually gonna go be plus on this because okay, I look at Travis Hunter as a receiver The more I like the pick and I didn't think that would be the case a week ago. I was starting to Break my draft crush on Travis Hunter a little bit, thinking

that maybe he was more of a cornerback. And when the Patriots brought in Carlton Davis, you almost start thinking to yourself, okay, hello, Will Campbell, or maybe Kelvin Banks. Come back to that in just a moment. Uh, but bottom line, I think when you look at what Hunter brings to the table as a receiver and that stop start ability that really, maybe I never gave him adequate credit for. And I know a lot of you out there have, I'm saying me personally, maybe I didn't give him enough credit for how good he is at that.

Yeah, I think he could come in and be a top level receiver for this team and also help to bolster a group that already has a great amount of talent in it. So right now, I think so far both John and Roy have given us excellent drafts to go through, but we are not done yet because our good friend, Matt Urban, one of our mock draft all-stars here on Locked on Patriots, got one in in the nick of time and this one may be Murph's favorite of them all. And there's a reason for that. Is it? We're going to talk about that in just a moment when we wrap up our discussion and wrap up Mock Draft Tuesday right here with our good friend Thomas Murphy on the Locked On Patriots

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It's your team, every day. ["Locked On"] Pat's fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked On. Patriots, as we bring you mock draft Tuesday here on Locked On. One day behind, but we brought out the big guns for this one because you're such great every dayers

and you hung in there with us through technical difficulties. And far two out of three of our mock drafts have been interesting and I think very poignant for the New England Patriots and of course joining me here today to help break it all down is the man who mock draft Monday, mock draft Tuesday, whatever mock draft that you want to throw in there was created for our good friend, the legendary Thomas Murphy of diehardbostonsportsfans.com. Our good friend, Matt Urban may have pulled off the Murph Hall of the year. I think this is something that Murph would love, but it is a dizzying array of trades getting there Murph.

So take your headache medication, take a deep breath cause we're going to go into trade mode here. Like you can't imagine, but where we end up may put a smile on your face. Matt Urban does not have the Patriots staying, Pat, at number four without any question. He has the New England Patriots trading the number four overall pick and the number 145 pick in the fifth round to the new Orleans saints and getting back a pretty good hall, all 2025 picks. He gets the number nine pick in round one, the number 40 pick in round two,

the number one 30 pick in round four and number one 85 in the sixth round. So Patriots picking up quite a hall there. You might say not a bad day at the office so far for Matt Urban, but he wasn't done yet. No, you got to push, you got to push that trade. It's not enough to nudge it. You take, you take the reins off of Matt and here we go. Absolutely.

You got to push it off the cliff and you got to laugh on its way down. And that's exactly what Matt did right here. And I mean that in a good way, Matt, he takes the number nine pick, sends it to the San Francisco 49ers, turns it into the number 11 overall he takes the number nine pick, sends it to the San Francisco 49ers, turns it into the number 11 overall pick and the number 99 pick in the third round. So Patriots now picking for the first time at number 11 and he has them doing what Murph has said to do all along at tackle Kelvin Banks, Jr. out of Texas.

Murph, before we get into the subsequent picks that Matt makes here, you've said before Kelvin Banks is the pick. One week into free agency, do you still believe this is the case and why? Yep, he's definitely the pick. Banks is better, okay? The tape is better.

The numbers are better. In 2024, Banks was clearly the better offensive tackle The better left tackle and he's my number one offensive tackle over over Campbell Banks had an 86 overall PFF grade and a 79.9 True pass set. All right true pass Set Pro Grade against Campbell 74 and 71. Alright, that's the, that's not a tiny little number there folks. It's not. Banks is the man. Now while you look at the two of them, there's, you know, Campbell's just a tad bit taller, but he's also

slider and, um, and I, I just, I just think, you know, thanks is quicker. Uh, his technique is better. Uh, you know, in space, he's better. You know, it's, it's, it's the only thing against him is, is the fact that he's just six, four, just six, four. All right. So I'll get him some, I'll get him some, you know, some lifts for his, for his spikes. All right.

Is that going to make you happy? He's got the arm length. He's, he's got the, he's got the, he's got the strength. He has the, the ability to get outside and set that edge that we need to spring guys in that manner. He doesn't give up sacks. He doesn't give up pressures. I don't see how anybody can look at the tape of these two men and not think not saying Connerly is trash.

That's not what I'm doing people. Banks is just the better pick and it's nothing to do with being safe. It's got nothing to do with arm length or anything of that matter. You know how old they are, nothing. He's just the better prospect and I really don't understand. I could care less about 40 times. Honestly, people, we're talking about 40 times with guys that are six foot six, six, six, four and weigh 300 pounds. We don't care. I don't care how well he gets down the, how fast he gets down the field to throw a block. I don't care.

All I need is that first 10 yards. That's it. Banks is the man. Yes, this is my favorite draft of the year so far. I had a feeling it would be. And look, I think you make a lot of interesting points. And over the weekend, I had an opportunity to talk with a scout who was talking about players that he can't wait to see in the NFL. Guys with high ceilings that maybe are not getting as much credit as they deserve heading into the home stretch now as we start to round in the form and we start to formulate our ideas for exactly what these teams are going to do in the draft.

Kelvin Banks was on that list and it surprised me because Kelvin is considered a top level draftee. He's going to be someone that goes in the top 15 and no one is going to bat an eyelash. But at the same time, he also believes that this kid may have greater potential than where he's gonna go. He may even be a top five type prospect according to the scout. And look, I know a lot of people are falling in love with Will Campbell and there's a lot to love there as well.

Campbell is an exciting prospect. But when you look at the pro level readiness of both players I agree with Murph in this case the more I watch Calvin Banks the more I really do like this pick So very well done so far by Matt Urban turn the trade machine on he really really had a lot of fun with it But then he gets down to business business that he conducted. I thought was done very well second round number 38 North Dakota State tackle Gray Zabel. Again, a lot to love about this prospect. My only question is Murph, do you believe number 38, second round,

is too much of a pipe dream at this point for the Patriots to expect Gray to be there when they would want to take him in the second round? Maybe a little bit, not too, not too much. It's encouraging. Yeah. I really, I really liked the way that this draft fell for Matty. And I think it might fall exactly that way. There are a lot of people, and this man has played guard, that think that Zabel's

true calling will be as a guard or even as a center. So yes, I do. I love this. Matt took care of two of the three-fifths of the issues that the Patriots have on the offensive line with these picks. And I do. I think he's going to be a starting caliber tackle in this league. But with Banks there, kick him inside, man, and see what happens. Yeah, he can eat this much red meat. I do believe he has the skill set to go inside and excel at the guard position. And we all know that we need a left guard. Um, granted, you know, nobody wants to go into the season, uh, with two rookies, possibly three on your offensive line.

But these are, are, are two really good picks that I think will, um, definitely pan out, um, Zabel could end up being a starter midway through the season, even changing positions. Great insight on Zabel and definitely, I think encouraging insight for a lot of our Patriots fans out there that are looking to maybe this draft as a blueprint for the Pats. Yeah, you can address the tackle in the interior positions for the offensive line in this fashion. Gaining Kelvin Banks and Gray Zabel, you're doing something right and I think so far Matt is onto something here. This next pick, the Patriots pick up another second rounder don't forget now this is in

Matt urban land this is not what the Patriots currently have folks but in that scenario he's got Jayden Higgins Iowa statewide receiver coming to town with the 40th overall pick I like this pick and I like it a lot more than I think maybe some in our position do, maybe even yourself. I love this kid's ability to go up and make the big play. He clearly has no problem in doing that. Anyone who saw the senior bowl a couple of months ago saw the contested grab he made in the end zone. Oklahoma State running back Olly Gordon, he was a pass and it ends up in the hands of Jaden Higgins because of the play that he made on the ball, folks. Six-four, clearly has the size to be an outside receiver,

but again, versatility to kind of play where you need him to play. He has that chance to be that contested catch weapon. And again, you think of contested catches and Patriots fans start to shudder when you think about Nikhil Harry. This kid is also not Nikhil Harry 2.0. There's a lot more here to like,

1183 yards for Iowa State last year, nine touchdowns, he ran the 40 in 4.47, so again, not blazing speed, but for a guy his size, very quick to move down the field, with a little bit of coaching, and maybe with some McDaniels tutelage. I think Jaden Higgins could be a solid prospect here. I like this pick for the Patriots at number 40.

So do I. Is he going to be a number one? No, he's not. But this kid finds the soft spot in zone coverage. His hands are phenomenal. Phenomenal. All right. He just reaches out and snatches balls.

You've seen him do it without those gloves and with them, but without them. Higgins is a guy that can play any position. He can play the X, Y, and Z. He's smarter than your average wide receiver, I love it. You know, and what he does after the catch at his size is really a beautiful thing, folks. Go take a look at this kid's tape. The Yak ability is there. And for somebody this size, it looks a little slow

and a little plodding, but hey, man, guys aren't grabbing them and bringing them down. Right. Absolutely. Marv, it's grading time. When you look at the haul that Matt put out here, what is your grade for Matt Urban this week? A plus. A plus.

Taking care of business on the offensive line early in this draft and the way that Matt did sprung him up to an A and then going to grab Ashton Gillette Alright where he did I love Ashton. I love me some Gillette man. He's one of the most intriguing kids in this draft The scheme fit is gonna be is gonna happen here. He has a unique athletic profile. I think he was on the Athletics Bruce Feldman's Freaks list. You know, I mean like not down there at the bottom, right there in the middle, top 50 guy. I love him.

He might have a little issue with some of the the bigger stronger tackles that allow him you know but no this kid is is fantastic i love that pick i love this draft matt i mean i take the hat off never mind tipping it if i weren't wearing these i would i'd take the hat off and you guys all know how you know what great hair i have um this was a fabulous draft. If things ended up this way, I would, man. I would be dancing in the streets. You know what? That alone should be worth the price of admission, folks. Send in the best drafts you possibly can because we want to see Murph dancing in the streets of Connecticut. I agree with you. This is a solid A draft for me from start to finish. I love the way

he worked the trade wire, looking at what you want and going out there and getting it and making it happen. That's what Matt Urban did here. Mason Taylor, I think, is an underrated prospect at tight end. This is a guy that could come in and really be a solid addition to that team. You mentioned Ashton along the edge and what he's done for Louisville. I like that pick. Kaiser is someone we've heard the name several times here on Lockdown Patriots before. He can come in and add depth at the linebacker position. Jake Majors to me is someone that I think is very intriguing when you look at what he could bring to the table from the Texas Longhorns in terms of depth. And Brady Cook, once again, you know, quarterback named Brady, they do great things here in New England Murph. Who knows, maybe at this point, you know, if Joe Milton is

indeed traded, you're going to need a body to run that scout team. You're going to need someone to run that practice squad. Maybe Brady Cook is that guy, or maybe he gets the third spot in the NFL roster for the New England Patriots. All different kinds of things can happen when you're the GM. And that is why we love opening up mock draft Monday mock draft Tuesday this week to all of you Every dayers all of you occasional listeners and those of you joining us for the first time Send in your great work week after week because Murph and I love to break it down and we love to share our favorites with you

Here on locked on Patriots So a tip of the cap to John Cost to Roy Johnson and to Matt Urban for their great submissions But the biggest tip of the cap goes to my good friend, Thomas Murphy, who is here, always here for the wisdom, the counsel, the wit, the grit, and the insight when it comes to mock draft money that only you can provide, my friend. And of course, throughout the rest of the week, more draft coverage coming your way, more free agency coverage as we continue to get to know the new Patriots from some of the local experts you can find only here on the Locked On Podcast Network. So stay tuned folks, the best is yet to come. In the meantime, on behalf of my good friend Thomas Murphy,

I'm Mike Debate, reminding all of you to stay safe, to stay well, to be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day everyone and we'll see you back here again tomorrow on Lucked on Patriots.