Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Locked On Patriots April 26, 2018 - Secondary and Specialists

Episode Date: April 26, 2018

Mark Schofield goes through the draft board with options for New England at CB, S, K and even P.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good morning and welcome into Lockdown Patriots for Thursday, April 26, 2018. The date doesn't matter. The time doesn't matter. Where you're listening to the show from, well, I guess that kind of matters. But more than anything else, what matters is it is finally here. It is draft day tonight. The first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Patriots on the clock twice at 23 and 31.

Mark Schofield here in the big chair as I've been all week long, as I will be until the draft is over. Plans for the draft are going to be as follows. For the first round, however many picks they make, that's how many shows you're going to get. If they make a pick at 23, I will hop on the mic with some instant analysis for you. And if they make a pick again at 31, the same thing. So two picks, two shows. So maybe you're rooting for a trade-up, one pick, one show. Get me out of your lives. Maybe, maybe not. Also, I'll be here with you throughout the weekend.

I'll do shows on Friday, recapping rounds two and three, and then a show Saturday, recapping the entire draft. We'll have some recap shows later in the week as well. Brian Phillips from Pat's Pulpit. He'll be joining us early next week to break down the draft. As always, follow the work over at InsideThePylon.com. Follow me on Twitter at Mark Schofield. Follow the work over at Pro Football Weekly. My

final pre-draft piece is up. Why economics, need, and development not being linear are three reasons you might see six quarterbacks in the first round. Also, you can follow the YouTube videos over at YouTube.com slash InsideThe pylon. Loaded show today. Going to hop right to it. We got to get corners and

safeties evaluated and talked about throughout the draft. We'll talk briefly about some specialist options, maybe some late day three guys at the kicker and punter spots. Who knows? Belichick does do some weird things. Before we do, I want to mention briefly, we've talked about mock drafts a little bit on this show. I was lucky enough to be a part of two pretty cool mocks. One was with my good friends Trevor Sikama and John Ledyard over at Locked On NFL Draft, which you should be listening to this draft season

where I was able to be part of their mock draft where they had different guests on to make picks. Made picks at 23 and 31. The guy I drafted at 31 is somebody we'll talk about, Isaiah Oliver, the corner from Colorado. Pick I made at 23, Connor Williams, offensive tackle from Texas. Was able to take advantage of some players

falling down boards, so you get perhaps one of the better offensive tackles, offensive linemen in this draft class. Was also part of Sportsnet 650 out in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their live Twitter mark, which was done yesterday, Wednesday afternoon, was able to be on for one of the two picks that the Patriots had there. And pick 23, Jair Alexander. This was a Twitter poll draft that they did where listeners could make the picks

based on a Twitter poll and analysts like myself would come on and chat with Sat and John about the picks that were made. So some of the options at 23 were Leighton Van Der Esch, Mike Hughes, and Billy Price, the offensive guard slash center from Ohio State. But the listeners voted. They went with J Jair Alexander a fit that I'm happy about as we're going to get to also a 31 Leighton Vander Esch was still there as well also I'm on with those guys Satin John Sportsnet 650 out in Vancouver every Thursday afternoon about 1 Eastern if you want to check that out sportsnet650.ca or you can see me tweeting about it I'll be back on with them today talking about some draft stuff

as I am every Thursday with them. But let's get into it. Okay. Corners and safeties. With two picks in the first round, there are some guys that might get pushed down the boards. Seen a lot of mocks with guys like this fall and the guys that I would consider at 23 or 31

depending on if they're there, depending on how the board looks. There are three of them that I would consider at 23 or 31, depending on if they're there, depending on how the board looks, there are three of them that I really like for the New England Patriots at the corner spot. Jair Alexander, Isaiah Oliver, and Mike Hughes. I think those guys all really fit what the Patriots want to do at the cornerback spot. Like with so many positions, it's not a glaring need.

You've got Eric Rowe. You've got Stephon Gilmore. You bring in Jason McCourty. You've got Eric Rowe. You've got Stephon Gilmore. You bring in Jason McCourty. You've got three corners right there. And, of course, there are other guys on the roster that have played the corner spot for you that you've relied on, that you relied on in the Super Bowl while Malcolm Butler was watching from the sideline. For example, Jonathan Jones, who's done some nice things. Cyrus Jones hasn't really panned out, but okay.

He's still on the roster. You've always got the flexibility with Devin McCourty. You've dropped him down in the box, used him more like a corner at times, especially against some other dangerous type receivers. But I still think that you cannot have too many corners. You need guys that can cover. You're going to lose guys to injuries, so you have to be ready for that.

That's issue number one. Number two, McCourty's a little bit older, so you might be looking to move on from him at some point. And if you can get one of these guys, Jair Alexander, Isaiah Oliver, Mike Hughes, maybe Oliver and Hughes are more of a pick 31 than 23. I like Alexander at 23. I think he's what you need in sort of a cover corner in the National Football League. Can give you press man coverage, can give you off man coverage.

Alexander, I think, would be great at 23. The other guys are sticky corner types as well. I think you could pretty much plug and play both of those guys early in their career. Hughes does have some sort of off-the-field concerns that you'll have to address. You'll have to think through. But as far as on the field, he's a sticky man cover guy. And that's what you want in a corner. And, you know, a name that when I did the mock, for example, with the guys over at Locked On Draft, a name that was on the board, a name that we liked at Inside the Pylon in our draft guide,

Josh Jackson from Iowa. But the issue with him is people are really sort of projecting him to a zone coverage team. A lot of zone stuff at Iowa. I look at him and I think even if he's on the board at 23, I think he's more of a guy that if you're New England, I think you pass on him given how much man coverage you play.

That's one of his weak areas. He didn't do it a ton. I think if you're the Carolina Panthers, he'd be a great fit, but I'm not so sure about him fitting in with the New England Patriots and what they do defensively. Hughes had some really nice things to him. A little bit of a lack of height there.

Sub-optimal height is 5'10", not as long as some of the other guys in here. But there's definitely things to like about him. Excellent speed, change of direction, and route anticipation. He's a guy that you put him on somebody, he's going to cover him. He sometimes gets burned by double moves, but that's when you're sort of nitpicking there. Jair Alexander, we had him at CB4 at Inside the Pylon, but I love him. So I'm higher on him than I think we were over at ITP.

I like his feisting attitude, his feistiness at the corner spot. You need that at the corner spot. Lead athleticism when he tested, 4.3840, 6.713 cone. I like Alexander. I'm happy with him at 23. If they go safety, Justin Reed, I think, is the guy that makes the most sense. You know, either at 23 if he's there or at 31.

I know they've got three safeties right now with McCourty, with Harmon, with Chun. You know, you've got Jordan Richards as well who they relied on this past season. But Reed, I think, sort of fits the new NFL. You know, he's played some linebacker. He's played some free safety. He's played some linebacker. He's played some free safety. He's played some strong safety. So I think that that's a guy that the Patriots, I just got to believe that they love him. So those are some options and a guy that maybe,

even though he's rated highly by some, probably doesn't make the best fit for New England in the first round at corner or safety. Up ahead, we're going to talk more day two stuff, some guys that you consider for the New England Patriots at those areas of the draft. That's ahead with me, Mark Schofield, and Locked On Patriots. Mark Schofield back with you now, working our way through the secondary options for the New England Patriots in the 2018 NFL Draft. Looking at those round two picks right now. Names I'm going to throw out here at the cornerback spot Carlton Davis from Auburn and the safety spot because they

are white from West Virginia let's start with Davis another you know nice sized corner it comes in at 6-1 get long arms too similar to Isaiah Oliver from Colorado who you know I mentioned in the first round you know Oliver's got you know 33 I believe that see the numbers right here. 33-and-a-half-inch arms. Then when you look at Carlton Davis, he's at 32-and-three-quarters inches. Good length to him, good size to him. Very seasoned corner, obviously playing in the SEC.

Good size, good line of scrimmage skills. He gives you the ability to press and jam with the line of scrimmage. Maybe he doesn't have the lawn speed of some of the other guys, 4.53 in the 40, but a good 10-yard split on 1.59. Maybe he's not the best sort of guy to start out as somebody that's going to really track down with deep, speedy receivers. But again, when you're looking at somebody to bring in and sort of be a CB3 type early in his career,

then potentially transition to more of a CB2 or CB1, get at him in the second round. I like Carlton Davis there. I like his size. I like his length. I think that fits with what corners need to have in today's National Football League. And then the safety spot, Kazir White from West Virginia, who I talked a little bit about, you know, after the Senior Bowl, got a chance to see him down there see him down at Mobile see what he was all about the strengths and the weaknesses to his game

also got a chance to talk to Matt Bowen about him you know Matt Bowen former NFL safety himself player that you know got a chance to pull him aside and pick his brain a little bit about because they're white and you know we talked scheme a little bit with Josh Jackson and with white you know he can give you some free safety stuff. He can give you some center field stuff. But he's a little bit better sort of down in the box. You know, he's more of a big thumping, block-destroying, box safety. That's how my friend Matty Brown at theinsidethepylon.com draft guide described him.

He's best in underneath zones. Not really as athletic and twitchy to sort of keep up with quick athletes and man-to-man situations, but he spent most of his time down in the box. And if you're looking for a Patrick Chun replacement, I think he sort of fits that role. There were times when he had to sort of stay over the top and cover two looks, deep third zone and cover three looks, so he can give you that stuff. Probably not the best sort of cover one type safety, but if you're going to go cover three type stuff,

he could do that. But again, as a Patrick Chun replacement, I think he'd be good at some point. I think you can drop him down to the box, do some of the things that Patrick Chun does as well. Moving ahead to round three, Darius Phillips and Jesse Bates. Jesse Bates is safety. He was really sort of moving up draft boards here as well. He might go a little bit higher. I think some people are higher on him

than maybe we were over at ITP, but I think third round would be good for him. When we studied him over at ITP, we looked at him as a free safety with both man and zone coverage skills. He can play in a two-deep safety system. He can play in a three-deep safety system. You can drop him down in the box enough at times, you know, because you're going to have to do that with how teams use motion. You can't just be one or the other. You have to at least have the ability to, when the defense shifts strength with motion at the last second,

you've got to be able to come down and at least handle it down in the box or at least come up or drop back, excuse me, and play sort of cover one. With Bates, it's a question mark, but he at least has shown at times that he can do that on tape. So I think that's a possibility for him to have that flexibility in terms of dropping down or coming back and playing deeper. His best fit is probably more of a cover two scheme, but the Patriots do some of that as well.

And so I think when you look in here, pick 95, Jesse Bates makes some sense. And then Darius Phillips is the corner we're going to talk about here. Phillips probably a third round type of pick. Phillips out of Western Michigan. Again, an undersized player, so he's probably more of around type of pick. Phillips out of Western Michigan. Again, an undersized player, so he's probably more of a slot-type guy. So this isn't more of a McCourty-Gilmore replacement. This is more of a potential Eric Rowe-type replacement.

Comes in at 5'9", 193. He was an outside corner in a 4-2-5 scheme, but his body type and his size is going to move him inside. But he could do that role, and he could start early in his career as sort of a slot guy. And he's a kickoff and punt return specialist. He has dynamic ability as a returner, which is a little bit surprising given sort of his launch speed, 40-yard dash of 4.54. But as a returner, made some big plays for Western Michigan, showed good short area burst both in coverage as well as a returner on punt kick returns,

showed good vision, agility, and explosiveness to hit the hole. And so he fits a couple of different roles for you because he comes in as a potential slot corner, and he gives you something that you're losing in Danny Amendola in the punt return game. And so looking at that pick at 95, I sort of like Darius Phillips. Pretty good at man coverage. Has sort of enough speed to stay with streak and wide receivers. Can break well on late break and routes.

Good eye discipline, concentration, and body control. So Darius Phillips from Western Michigan, a potential Patriots draft pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. Up next, we're going to close this out with a look at some day three guys in the backfield of the secondary, as well as some potential specialists to keep an eye on in case Bill Belichick does something a little crazy on draft day. That's ahead with me, Mark Schofield, and Locked on Patriots. Mark Schofield back with you now, closing it out here, looking at some Day 3,

later round on Day 3 options for the New England Patriots in those picks in the 6th and the 7th round. At cornerback, we're going to look at Anthony Averitt, who I've been talking about a lot from Alabama. Again, coming into and out of the Senior Bowl. We're also going to talk about Teron Johnson,

Weber State, feisty type playmaker. And at the safety spot, we're going to talk about Damon Webb from Ohio State. Let's start with the corners now. When we talk about Teron Johnson, Kyle Morgan was our lead scout on him over at Inside the Pylon, described him as a feisty playmaker with the versatility to play man in zone, inside and out. Might not have the ideal frame or lawn speed the teams look for in a corner.

5'11", 192. So there's a question about the frame there. And the speed, again, 4.50, 40-yard dash, three-cone of 7.03. So that's a question mark for the New England Patriots. You might expect to see something a little bit better in terms of a three-cone. I'll throw another name into the mix. Holton Hill, a corner from Texas. Very good athlete with very good quickness

and change of direction, speed, excellent acceleration, and good balance. That's from Michael Nuttall over at Inside the Pylon. And finally, the other name I mentioned. Anthony Averitt, 5'11", 183, out of Alabama. Enough lawn speed to handle life in the National Football League. Has to work on toughness, play strength, and ball skills to play in the NFL on a consistent basis.

But he clocks in at a 4.3640-yard dash. When I talked about him after the senior role, I thought because of his size and things like that, he might project more as a guy that's going to have to kick inside and be a slot-type guy in the NFL. But with speed like that, plus his ability to jam at the line of scrimmage, he can use both one or both hands to get a jam on a receiver. He could play on the outside. Those are some guys that I think later in the rounds, 6 and 7, might make some sense for the New England Patriots.

And finally, Damon Webb. We're going to talk about his safety right now. Later rounds, round six, round seven, he's somebody that we got a chance to study. Over at Inside the Pylon, Matty Brown broke him down for us. Matty Brown, a secondary coach for his university over in England.

He's also got a good video on him as well over at InsideThePylon.com, our YouTube page. Excuse me. I take that all back. It was Ryan Ducarm who broke him down. That's what happens when you start scrolling and you don't get to the page you need to get to in time.

But it was Ryan Ducarm who studied him. Ryan, also a brilliant defensive back mind for us. Over at InsideThePylon, it's his video that I was referencing on our YouTube page. Ryan described Damon Webb as a recent convert from corner, but already shows free safety range and a special ability to play the run crashing from downhill. His size precludes a box roll, and he must improve his discipline against play action. So there's a bit of a schematic limitation to him.

But he has the ability to sort of play free safety at the top of the defense there, show good range on the back end to read the quarterback's eyes, and break laterally on the football. He's a rare tackler in space and traffic, and that's something important in the National Football League. It's something that has plagued the Patriots at times. His strengths are tackle and run defense from deep in the field his range his athleticism and his football intelligence For a scheme fit He's a free safety that probably isn't best suited for playing life in the box Has any experience to play in both single or two high dominant schemes, but as a single safety

He shouldn't be rotated into the box in a hybrid linebacker type role So you wonder about you know dropping him down into the box if you have to based on motion or shifting. He also has experience playing in the slot. It's nickel corner, has good man coverage ability to survive there while being able to match up well with tight ends and man coverage. And that's sort of Devin McCourty-esque. That's kind of how the Patriots use him. And so maybe Damon Webb makes some sense for the Patriots in the later rounds. Finally, let's close this out with a quick look at kickers and punters. Because yes, who knows, Bill Belichick might do something like that, bring in some competition for either Steven Gostowski or Ryan Allen.

We'll start with kickers. Daniel Carlson is probably the top kicker in this group. 23 of 31 in 2017. He had two misses in the 40-yard range, two misses in the 50s. two misses in the 40-yard range, two misses in the 50s. One was in the 30-yard range. He was four of eight in the 50-yard range with a lawn of 54.

Somebody that you might hear come off the board maybe in the fifth or sixth round. He was 28 of 32 in 2016, including four field goals from over 50 yards. His lawn for the year was 53 back in 2016, and he connected from that distance twice. He was four of seven in the 50-yard range and a perfect six for six in the 40-yard range. He was also Auburn's kicker as a sophomore where he made all four of his extra points. Finally, the other kicker I'm thinking about, keep in mind,

Eddie Pinero from Florida. Another potential mid-round pick, maybe around 5'6", perhaps. 17 of 18 in 2017. His longest was about 50 yards. He was an internet legend. A video of him making a 77-yard field goal went viral. He started over the junior college ranks. He was recruited heavily out of junior college.

He chose Florida over Alabama and Miami. In 2016, he kicked for the Gators, connected on 21 of 25 field goal attempts with lawns of 54, which he hit twice, as well as 53. Now we're going to look at punters. And when you think punters and you think Bill Belichick, the first thing you might wonder about is, are any of these guys left-footed? But the bigger thing to keep in mind here, there are two punters that are actually really, really, really good in this class. There's Johnny Townsend from Florida, who's probably punter two in this group.

Averaged 47.5 yards per punt during the 2017 season with a lot of 70. In the 2016-17 season, he was excellent when he was a junior, averaged 47.9 yards per punt with a lot of 62. And he almost thought about declaring early, but he came back for his senior year. He was second in the FBS with that 47.5 gross average during the 2017-18 season, had 27 punts inside the 20 with five touchbacks, forced 13 fair catches. But he's only punter two because we actually had a punter that was the MVP of a bowl game. That's Michael Dixon from Texas who was the MVP of his bowl game.

He was the MVP of the Texas Bowl. He's a punter from Australia, but in that Texas-Missouri game, his team won 33-16, but he declared early for the NFL draft after a game in which he punted 11 times for 452 yards, the fourth time he broke the 400-yard mark in a season. Ten of his punts were dropped inside the 15-yard line. Four of them were inside the five, with a 48-yarder in the third quarter that pinned the Tigers at the 2-yard line. He had zero touchbacks.

And his performance in the Texas Bowl had people losing their minds on Twitter. And his coach after that game basically said, I've never seen a punter affect the game the way he did tonight and I'm glad he's on our team. Both of these guys might come off the board as early as the fourth round. And it's crazy to think about a punter in that way, but they've shown their potential to just change games. Dixon won the Ray Guy Award in 2017

as the best punter in the nation. He averaged 47.4 yards per punt on the year with a lawn of 76. As a sophomore a year ago, he averaged 47.4 yards per punt with a lawn of 76. As a sophomore a year ago, he averaged 47.4 yards per punt with a lawn of 74. Very powerful legs. So Dixon, Townsend, those are two punters to watch

in the NFL draft. And that's right. How many shows you're dropping punter takes? Locked on Patriots is doing it. What else is Locked on Patriots doing? We will be back as many times as necessary To cover the NFL draft

The Patriots on the clock In just a matter of hours And we'll be here breaking it all down So until then Keep it locked right here to me, Mark Schofield And Locked on Patriot.