Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots April 23, 2019 - WR Boards, Mock Draft Roundup

Episode Date: April 23, 2019

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The I'm going to use the big button. Hey there everybody, welcome on into a Tuesday installment of the Locked on Patriots podcast. Mark Schofield back in the big chair for today, April 23rd, 2019. We are just basically just two days away now, Getting closer and closer to the 2019 NFL Draft. As you can tell, the bump music still, a little final countdown by Europe. Why? Well, this is the final countdown. Maybe before this week is over, I'll tell you all. Funny story about that song.

Not just a Joe Bluth reference, but something beyond that. Anyway, it is a Tuesday show. We're going to do a tiny little bit of tape stuff. What we're going to do today, wide receivers. We're going to look at X receivers, Z receivers, slot receivers. We're going to talk some overlap between those positions and sort of rank those as

I think the Patriots might sort of view these players. If you want to hear more on these players, though, I would invite you to the Locked On Patriots Slack channel. We have a channel dedicated to the wide receiver position. Dave Archibald has put together some scouting reports. We've got people talking about this position all the time. It's a position that a lot of people talk about.

And so I would, again, invite you to join the Locked on Patriots Slack. Add Mark Schofield on Twitter. Mark.Schofield at InsideThePylon.com for the old invite. Also, we're going to do our final mock draft roundup of this draft season. Updated piece over at I believe it was CBS Boston looking at where

people are projecting the Patriots and to pick and who they're going to pick. So, I figure we'll run through that. Tomorrow, we're going to do some defensive guys, some edge, some interior defensive linemen, Rankins. And then close it out with sort of a final top five at each position, I think. We're going to do some defensive guys, some edge, some interior defensive linemen rankings, and then close it out with sort of a final top five at each position, I think. We're going to run through that at the end. Rankings that are sure to be wrong.

But before we do anything, your usual reminder to follow me on Twitter at Mark Schofield. Check out the work at places like InsideThePylon.com, Pro Football Weekly, The Score, Matt Waldman's Rookie Scouting Portfolio, and of course that trio of SB Nation websites. Big Blue View where I help cover the Giants. Bleeding Green Nation where I'm a co-host of the QB Scosio with the one and only Michael J. Kist and of course Pat's Pulpit where I've got

some pieces going up right now on some of the quarterbacks in this group including a piece I just submitted on Will Greer so look for that. We've got a piece over at Big Blue View talking about Dwayne Haskins we're going to have some stuff all this week over at Pro Football Weekly, my final QB Situations pieces in the AFC South and the AFC West. Look for a quarterback-only mock over at Pro Football Weekly. It's going to be a long week. And so let's not hesitate. Let's get into it. I'm going to start with the X receivers. Now, when you think about the three wide receiver

positions, and again, with the Patriots, there is some overlap between, say, slot and Z or flanker. There's now sort of the growing position of a big slot. We'll talk about a couple of guys that might fit that mold. But when you're talking about an X guy, you're talking about a guy that will typically be a line near the boundary. He's going to be on the outside, whether you're on a slot or a traditional pro formation. He's going to probably face the team's best corner if that corner travels. He's going to face a lot of press coverage. You're sort of going to be looking sort of at a guy that can be effective in the downfield vertical route type passing game. And so that's kind of what you have in

mind for an ex-receiver. Now, the other thing you want to keep in mind was with the Patriots, there is that aspect where they do ask them to do a couple of different things. They ask them to travel and move around a bit. And so for a Patriots ex-receiver, you're probably going to want to see some versatility, but that ability to be press, stress the defense down the field. Now, we will start with DK Metcalf, and I think the agility drills, the change of direction, the stuff like that might still scare some people off. Again,

his three-cone was like Tom Brady territory. The launch speed, his ability as a vertical receiver is still going to attract teams to him, and if he's there at 32, I think the Patriots might consider him. DK Metcalf is probably the top of that X class. Then I like Kelvin Harmon. You heard me make the case for him on the Locked On Draft podcast where I picked him at 32. Some people might prefer

better X receivers, but I like Kelvin Harmon. I think he's very, very capable of beating the press. I think that's probably one of his strengths as a receiver, and you need that, and you need that in an X receiver. And so I would be perfectly fine with Kelvin Harmon at 32, and he runs a pretty varied route tree, and so I like that. I think the Patriots would like that. Number three, JJ As, saying a white side.

I think he's more of an ex-contestant catch red zone type guy. So that's kind of what has me a bit wary on him. But you're going to hear that with a lot of these ex-type guys. And so if they're ranking exes, I go him. Then Myles Boykin, I think the Patriots are going to like him. He's getting some late buzz into this process. When I sort of look at Myles Boykin, I think the Patriots are going to like him. He's getting some late buzz into this process. When I sort of look at Myles Boykin, I think you're looking at a player that can do a couple of different things pretty well.

And maybe some of the sort of late buzz here isn't getting people truly excited, but I think there's enough here to like about him. And so I look at Myles Boykin, I think he's a player that has a hand catch technique that's good. Still learning the route tree, but I think that's coming. I think that he can win outside of his frame. The testing was great at the combine and places like that. Maybe it doesn't show up on tape at times, but I like him. And I think the Patriots will like him too.

Then you get into the guys that people really sort of like. You've got Hakeem Butler and Keneal Harry. I look at those guys, and I like what they do. I can see some of the stuff that they do on tape. But, for example, with Butler, and maybe this is part of my own sort of thinking and philosophy, and maybe it's a flaw with me, but I see a Jaleel Strawn type of player,

a guy that is a contested catch guy, a guy that can win in a phone booth, a guy that was going to win those 50-50 throws. I think he probably comes off the board in the first round. I like his fit in Baltimore, for example, and I've mocked him there, but I think there's a limitation there. And I mentioned Jaleel Strawn. There's a player that I really like. I said, oh, look, he can win with a limitation there. And I mentioned Julio Strong. There's a

player that I really liked. I said, oh, look, he can win with his hands. He can win at the catch point. And sometimes the problem with catch point type guys is if they can't separate in college, they might not separate in the NFL. And when you're going up against corners and safeties that are bigger and stronger and faster than you've seen before, those contested catches aren't contested anymore. They're losses for the wide receiver. And so that's my pause with him. Harry, I think, is an interesting player. Some great flashes with him.

But there are times when he loses against the press. He gets rerouted rather easily at times. That might be tough. And Benjamin Solak pointed this out when he wrote him up a bit. He necessitates that his quarterback trust him enough to throw jump balls. When you get into the quarterback-receiver relationship and you start talking circle of trust, it's a big ask for Tom Brady.

We know his circle of trust. So it might be a situation where by the time a player like Harry works himself into the Brady circle of trust, Brady's decided to hang him up. And so I'm not so sure that pick makes sense. And then finally, this is a bit of a wild card. Anthony Ratliff-Williams. I'm putting him here sort of as an X.

You know, 6'1", 205. You know, he's still learning the position. He can still beat press, make some catches in a crowd does well to extend his hands seems to be learning the position has developed nicely you got the hand technique and the footwork to beat the press that he showed last year as opposed to the year prior i think he could play all three positions because of his size i could see him sort of as a big slot or even a slot type guy but But I'm going to put him here as an X. I think he could really refine his footwork and his routes and become a nice X receiver as well.

So I'm going to put him here. Intriguing type of player. Maybe a day three selection for the Patriots. And so that's kind of the X spot. Up next, we're going to talk some slots, some big slots, as well as the Z receiver, the flanker position. And a little bit later, our final mock draft from Roundup. That's all ahead on this Tuesday installment of Locked on Patriots. We're leaving together

But still it's farewell And maybe we'll come back To earth or to death I guess there is no one to blame Mark Schofield back here now with the sweet, sweet strains of a little final countdown from Europe as we are getting closer and closer and closer to the 2019 NFL Draft, which means you have to be following and listening to Locked On NFL Draft. Trevor Sykema, Benjamin Solak, they are rolling through up until the draft. Those guys over at the Draft Network, they are also going to be in Nashville

for the draft doing a live stream. You can check that out if you're into the more fantasy realm allow me to recommend Matt Waldman Sigmund Blum myself and other cast of characters on first round Thursday night

we will be doing a live show I'll be part of that as I have in the past couple of years always fun to be with those guys working through all the picks having some jokes having some laughs making fun of people all good times so you can check that out I'll be sure to tweet that out when it happens the past couple of years. Always fun to be with those guys. Working through all the picks, having some jokes, having some laughs, making fun of people.

All good times. So you can check that out. I'll be sure to tweet that out when it happens. Let's talk Zs and slots now. And when you think about the Z receiver position and you think about the slot receiver position,

there will naturally be some overlap. For example, say a team's going 21 personnel. Two running backs, one tight end, two wide receivers, sort of the standard pro formation of days gone by.

If you use a slot, your Z, who's usually aligned outside the tight end in a pro formation, he comes inside and he will be running out of the slot inside the X receiver. And so you need the skill set for both the boundary type guy that might not face press coverage all the time, but might face it as opposed to being in a slot. And so the Z receiver is going to have some overlap slot receiver. You're typically operated on the inside, whether it's 11 personnel, 12 personnel, 21 personnel. But in the Patriots offense, you might get moved, shifted, flexed motion to the boundary. So there is some overlap. And for that reason, you might see me say, or you might hear me say, oh, look, there's a guy here that I think is a

great Z and the Patriots might end up drafting that player. And he operates primarily as a slot. Why? Because there is that overlap of skill sets. Let's start now with the Z type guys, the flanker type guys. And I think there are two sort of near the top of the board. Deebo Samuel and A.J. Brown. I'll go A.J. Brown one, Deebo Samuel two. I loved Deebo down at the Senior Bowl, but I think A.J. Brown is a pretty nice

wide receiver prospect in the Lockdown Patriots Slack channel. Dave Archibald sort of described him as sort of like the safest, most all-around type receiver in this class. I think there's a case for that. Now, he might not have a huge ceiling, but he's a very nice floor-type player. Does that make you a round one receiver? I don't know.

Does Debo become a round one receiver? I don't know. Maybe if you're looking at X versus Z, maybe X guys get valued round one. Z. I don't know. Maybe if you're looking at X versus Z, maybe X guys get valued round one. Z guys quite don't. But either of those guys, I would be extremely happy seeing in New England. Probably more at pick 56 than 32. But we'll go

round one, Debo two at the Z spot. At three, Paris Campbell. And I know sort of the testing and the numbers and the things like that sort of make the big draw there. But when I watch him, when I look at him, I see a player that can move really well. And that's obviously a big part of the position.

Got great releases. The route tree isn't huge, but he does a lot near the line of scrimmage, and that's kind of big for a Patriots offense. I think when you watch him as well, the athleticism just jumps off tape. His hands get better. He's developing better over the past couple of years.

With his elite lawn speed, you could see him in some packages in New England where they take those deep shots. They go Yankee, for example, and he's running that deep route over the top of the defense. Again, that sort of needs somebody to just take the top off the defense that Patriots fans have always clamored for, and that never really happens because that's not the offense they run.

But at times, they do that stuff, and I think he would be a nice fit for them. So we'll go Paris Campbell at three. At four, Maycall Hardeman. Actually, no, take that back. I read that wrong. I'm reading the wrong column. Stanley Morgan Jr. at the Z spot. And I really

like this player. He was tremendous on film. He was basically their passing game for the most part at Nebraska. I think every time they showed him off coverage, they'd throw him the ball, he would pick up yardage after the catch. Every time they went press,

he was able to beat. Great separation. Great hands. I'm very high on him. I know the people in the Lockdown Patriots Slack channel are as well. And so, if he makes his way to New England, I'm extremely happy with that. Then at five, Andy Isabella.

Some people say he's a pure slot. I think he's got Z potential. He played in the boundary at UMass. I believe that he can be a multifaceted type receiver. He can even do some X type stuff. Some questions about his hands. There are a lot of people who think, I know, for example, Greg Gabriel, that you've got to really put the football on him to get him to catch the football.

So maybe that's a question mark, but I think there's some schematic and usage versatility with him. So Andy Isabella there, the next guy, the receiver for UMass. Up next, at the sixth spot, we are going to go with Emmanuel Hall.

I've talked about him a lot. I've mocked him to the Patriots at times. I think he could play as an X. You know, looking at that Missouri offense, he was primarily a boundary-type guy. Now, I do think that his probably NFL position is more of a slot-type guy. Now, there are some issues at the catch point. There are some drop issues.

But he's got separation. He's got yak ability. He's got great cuts, great movement. If you're worried about the hands and you're worried about the drops and you might drop him down a bit, I'm not as much. I think when you get him playing with Tom Brady,

I think it would work out perfectly. So there we go. I'm a big fan. Emmanuel Hall. Closing out perfectly. And so, there we go. I'm a big fan. Emmanuel Hall. Closing out the Z receiver spot, we'll go Jalen Hurd at 7. Very intrigued. I think he's another player that could find his way to New England. The Patriots seem to be very interested in him.

They took a meeting with him. Got some still learning to do at the position. You know, very raw player. He was a running back at Tennessee for a number of years. He wasn't used a ton in the past game but once they moved into wide receiver he sort of figured it out at Baylor good athleticism good footwork you would expect that from a former running back good fluidity can high point the football can really sort of sell you on some routes he's a pretty good route

runner for somebody that's just learning the position and so if you're looking at for say they double dip at the wide receiver spot they go early say on day two with a guy like a 56 or 64 and then they come back maybe late day two or very early on day three jalen heard might be the double dip type guy they take second a guy that they wouldn't need right away just maybe use them in a limited package or anything like that, and then sort of develop him long-term. And so that's Jalen Hurd. And then finally, to sort of close things out here, Terry McLaurin, loved him down at the Senior Bowl.

I think some question marks have sort of grown over the past couple of weeks since the Senior Bowl. Well, there might be some limitations here, but I do think they'll kind of like him. Let's run through the slot, guys, quickly. I think slot one on this draft is Hollywood Brown, Marquise Brown. When they used him in the slot, his yardage was ridiculous. If you listen to the QB Scosio, you can go over Bleeding Green Nation. Michael Kist has done some great stuff on how incredibly productive he was out of the

slot last year for Oklahoma. And so I think he's a perfect slot receiver. Again, the size will be an issue. It might limit him playing on the boundary, but for the slot so I think he's a perfect slot receiver. Again, the size will be an issue. It might limit him playing on the boundary, but for the slot, I think that's ideal. Then you look at the rest of the slot type guys, pure slots, Hunter Renfro. I think he's, a lot of people are saying,

look, he might find his way into England because he fits the Patriots mold and a slot receiver. Just always seem to be open. I've said that a lot about a lot of other former Patriots, current Patriots. And so I think they'd like him. Michael Hardeman, I think he's another pure slot guy that the Patriots would

appreciate. Greg Dorch from Wake Forest. I know he's probably near the bottom of a lot of draft boards, but I think he's a pure slot receiver. There's a lot of value there. And number five, I keep coming back to Penny Hart. I just loved what he did down at Mobile. Maybe there are concerns, the test and the offense and things like that, but if they're going to draft a slot guy to learn and develop rather than someone who's going to play right away, I think Penny Hart has a lot of value to him. So that's a look at the rest of the receivers who've gone through the X's, the Z's, the slots. Some of these guys, there's some overlap. Like for example, Jalen Hurd, he could be a big slot

type guy. You look at Debo, he could be a big slot type guy. You look at Debo, he could be a big slot type guy. You look at, I think, Paris Campbell could probably bring some of that. A.J. Brown could probably bring some of that too. These are guys that have some overlap, and that is big in the Patriots offense. Up next, our final mock draft roundup. Then, tomorrow,

top five at each position. Then we've got a special show planned for Thursday, and that is right into the draft. So busy week here. Over at Locked on Patriots. The Final Countdown Mark Schofield, Europe. Final Countdown getting closer here to the 2019 NFL Draft. And let's do our final mock draft roundup, spitting through what the so-called experts,

of which I consider myself one of the so-called experts, think the Patriots are going to do. We've got some new drafts, some final mocks, and things like that from a various array of writers that I want to get through here. This is over a piece from CBS Boston that I'm cribbing this from.

Ryan Wilson at CBS Sports at 32. The aforementioned A.J. Brown describes him as a big slot guy who played alongside D.K. Metcalf. Tough effort for the catch. Big playability. Will give Tom as a big slot guy who played alongside D.K. Metcalf. Tough after the catch, big playability. Will give Tom Brady a big catch radius player in the middle of the field in this new post-Gronk era. At 56, Jay Sternberger, a player that I've mocked a couple of times at the Patriots at 56.

Latest name in a deep tight end class, not the blocker that Honkinson, Smith, or Gronk might be, but he's every bit as dynamic when it comes to stretching the field. Then he's got Zach Allen dynamic when it comes to stretching the field. Then you get Zach Allen at 64 to Boston College. I like Zach Allen. I think he's more a round three type guy. 64, I know, is the last pick of the second round. I get it.

You know, he's basically that kind of guy. But if the Patriots like him, I could see it. I'd rather them go edge different ways, but if they went, you know, if a man who has gone there at 64, I'd like a man who's versatility. I could see this.

Blake Cashman at 73, really working his way up boards now. Cleen Saunders at 97. I like that. I do like Saunders, especially if they haven't gone de-tackle. There we go. Ryan Finley, 101,

described as the best anticipation thrower in this class great feel for identifying options based on defense processes information quickly what you need to do because of your lack of an elite arm strength interesting right up there kingsley kiki we talked about him on the monday show defensive lineman from texas a&m he has him at 134 205 saviorn smith corner from alabama 239 tommyweeney, tight end, Boston College. 243, Greg Dorsch, wide receiver from Wake Forest. We just got done talking about him. 246, Mike Weber, running back, Ohio State.

252, Trace McSorley, quarterback, Penn State. If they go the sort of QB convert type guy, give me Easton Stick over Trace McSorley. That's all I'm going to say about that. Will Brinson at 32, Paris Campbell. I don't know about that. I like Paris Campbell, but at 32 it's Rich. Pete Prisco does the same thing.

Pete Prisco writes, this is a team that needs deep speed in the worst way. They have to get faster. Campbell is the fastest receiver in this draft. Well, I mean, I guess if that's the criteria, that that makes sense I wouldn't do Paris Campbell at 32 though I think you can get a better receiver for this offense at 32 than Paris Campbell I think you could wait and if you want Paris Campbell he might be there at 56 and so that's the route I'd go Peter King his mock Jeffrey Simmons defensive tackle Mississippi State here's what he writes I don't think this is the likely Patriots pick but I don't know who is and I wanted to get this His mock. Jeffrey Simmons, defensive tackle, Mississippi State. Here's what he writes.

I don't think this is a likely Patriots pick, but I don't know who is, and I wanted to get this player in the first round. Well, there you go. The second-best defensive tackle in the draft. Still tearing his ACL early this year. Won't be available to play until 2020. Got some personal rehab to do after a past physical altercation with a woman. Simmons could have the kind of impact Jalen Smith had for the Cowboys after a serious knee injury in his last college game

and the team that picks him will have to only wait one year for Simmons, not the two seasons Dallas afforded Smith to get physically right. We'll see if a team near the bottom of round one or the top of round two takes a shot on Simmons. This is a player that I've said I've tried to steal everybody in case this happens, it wouldn't

stun me if the Patriots actually did pick Jeffrey Simmons at 32 Albert Breer Joe Juan Williams defensive back, Vanderbilt this one's a bit of a head scratcher I think it's a bit early for him I mean he's a good corner

I think he's more a day 2 corner you look at this cornerback class and I think there are a couple of day one guys, Grady Williams, maybe Byron Murphy. But after that, it kind of dips into more the day two realm. And so it's an interesting selection. Let's just put it that way. At 32, it's an interesting selection.

Like, for example, Trevor Sikama over at thedraftnetwork.com just did his final big board, and Williams is player 123 on his board. Now, to be fair, I have often said throughout this draft process that, oh, you want a name for who the Patriots might select? Give me Vanderbilt's third-string safety. Now, I've said it kind of as a joke, you want a name for who the Patriots might select, give me Vanderbilt's third-string safety. Now, I've said it kind of as a joke,

but this wouldn't be outside their own possibility. Maybe Albert Breyer is onto something. Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz over at USA Today, A.J. Brown from Mississippi. We've talked about him some here. Dan Kedar over at SB Nation, no offense, the tight end from Iowa. He says, after the top 15 or so, it can

be hard to find a great spot for Fant. That could benefit the Patriots. In fact, with 12 picks, he's the one player you could see them actually move up on. They probably won't because the Patriots never trade up, but he makes sense. WalterFootball.com, they go the Paris Campbell route. Chad Rudro over at NFL.com, he

goes Irv smith as part of a trade the patriots trade down sit at 36 and they draft irv smith and zach allen at 56 then joe one williams at 64 see that makes a little bit more sense to me if you're going to draft him 64 or even 73 at 73 chad rudro has will greer 97 kinsley kiki defensive lineman from a&m 101 jamal davis edge from Akron. And then running through the rest of his draft, Gary Jens, the wide receiver from West Virginia at 134. Jalen Hurd

at 205 in the sixth round. Rodney Anderson, running back from Oklahoma at 239. Therese Hall, linebacker, Missouri at 243. Saquon Hampton, safety from Rutgers, 246. And Nick Allegretti, the center from Illinois at 252. We've got Kuyper and McShea still here. They're still saying Daniel Jones at 32,

Khalid Warren at 56, and then Draymond Jones, defensive tackle from Iowa State, at 64. Riley Ridley, a wide receiver we haven't talked much about. I'm not a huge fan of his. Let's just put it that way. But he has him at 73. Sean Bunton, the corner from Central Michigan, at 97.

And then Michael Hardeman, another receiver we just mentioned, at 73. Sean Bunt in the corner from Central Michigan at 97. And then Maycall Hardeman, another receiver we just mentioned, a 101. More of a slot type guy, as we said. Electric with the football in his hands and a player that can help in the return game. What's going to help me right now? Rest in the voice for a bit because we've got a long week ahead of us. That will do it for today's show. I will be back tomorrow.

Tomorrow what we're going to do, we're going to go through the edge and the defensive line type guys quickly. We'll have top fives in each position and that's going to take a while as well. And then for Thursday, a special show as we get ready for the draft. That's all ahead this week. But until then, keep it locked right here to me, Mark Schofield and Mark Tompkins. The final countdown The final countdown