Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Mock Draft Mondays of March: Patriots Draft and Free Agent Talk - 3/23/2020

Episode Date: March 23, 2020

It’s Mock Draft Monday. The Patriots have a need at quarterback and host Mike D’Abate takes a look at whether the Patriots might look at the position. He also compares his thoughts to that of the experts at TheDraftNetwork.com, as well as the listeners of Locked On Patriots. Mike also gives his evaluations on New England’s latest free agent acquisitions.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, you are now locked in to the Locked On Patriots Podcast. I'm going to show you how to make a beautiful and beautiful flower. I'm going to use a small flower pot. I'm going to use a small pot Hello to all of you Foxborough football faithful. It is Mock Draft Monday featuring the Mocks of March right here on the Lockdown Patriots Podcast. Your daily home for news notes and analysis infused with the occasional opinion on your

six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. My name is Mike DeBate. I am your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which of course is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. And because it's your team every day, that means your questions, your comments, your feedback, always appreciated and greatly encouraged. Feel free to send those thoughts to me by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter

at MDABATEFPC. And of course, while you're tiptoeing around through that Twitterverse, be sure to give the Locked On Patriots account a follow as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, it is Monday and that kicks off another week here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. I hope that you had as good a weekend as possible under the circumstances. Most importantly, I hope that you are all staying as safe and healthy as possible. And as always, I'd like to thank you for making Locked On Patriots a part of your day

and a part of your regular Patriots coverage routine. And your New England Patriots continued to make some roster news over the weekend. Now, folks, I wish I could, but I can't wave a magic wand and bring Tom Brady back to Foxborough. Tom is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, and he will be for the foreseeable future. And I'd be flat out lying to you if I said from this day forth, we won't mention his name again here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Honestly, that's disingenuous, and it's kind of ridiculous. But Tom has moved on, and as a result, so must we.

The days of him being the story of the day are put behind us at least for the time being and it's a new dawn and a new day here in Foxborough Massachusetts the New England Patriots will have a new quarterback starting for them in 2020 will it be a familiar face or will it be someone new well there are a lot of opinions on that either way folks but one of the moves that the Patriots made over the weekend might help to shed a little bit of light on that. And I will get into that in just a moment. And in addition to talking about the newest faces in Foxborough, it is Mock Draft Monday

here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. And of course, folks, we are still very much in the month of March, which means the Mocks of March exercise continues to roll on. And over the weekend, I received some very impressive mock drafts, some great analysis, and a lot of insight from some of the great listeners that we have here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Each week, we continue to get more and more participants, and I could not be more grateful of you taking the time and the energy to make your great work a part of our show.

I'm happy to showcase it, and I will be doing that today. But as always, in addition to your Mocks of March, it is Mock Draft Monday here on Locked On Patriots, and that means our friends at thedraftnetwork.com have some prognostications about what your New England Patriots might be doing in the 2020 NFL Draft. Now that we know that Tom Brady will no longer be a New England Patriot, has that changed the Patriots draft strategy? I actually asked this question to all of you over the weekend in our Mocs of March exercise, Brady will no longer be a New England Patriot, has that changed the Patriots draft strategy? I actually asked this question to all of you over the weekend in our Mocs of March exercise,

and I received some great answers, which I will be sharing with you momentarily. But the DraftNetwork.com also tasked two of its finest analysts to answer that question as well, Trevor Sykema and Jordan Reed. They have some interesting thoughts on that, and I will let you know what I think of their analysis right here on Mock Draft Monday. So settle in, folks. There continues to be a ton of news and notes surrounding Patriots Nation, and I look forward to continuing to bring you the most comprehensive coverage that I possibly can right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. However, before we officially kick off the new week here on the pod, if you've been a

listener of Locked On Patriots, I'm sure you've heard all of the great advertisers working with Locked On to reach sports fans. But you may not know that Locked On Patriots is a great way for your local business to reach passionate Patriots fans, just like you. Unlike any other podcast, Locked On gives your local company the unique ability to reach local podcast listeners, not just any podcast listener, a Locked On podcast listener.

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Patriots fans, once again, it is Monday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, and that means Mock Draft Monday, as well as the Mocks of March. An abundance of draft content on today's episode, and we will get to that in just a moment. But first, we all know last week, and we all know too painfully, folks, that NFL free agency is now in full effect. Last Monday, the legal tampering period began, noontime Eastern. The league year officially kicked off at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. And of course, Tuesday morning, folks, the hearts of all New England sports fans broke in too.

But as the Roman philosopher Seneca once said, every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. And arguably the most successful era enjoyed by any professional sports team has come to an end. But it gives birth to a new beginning, and the 2020 New England Patriots will have a lot of new faces. And over the course of the last couple of business days, the Patriots have addressed some needs on their roster. And even though Friday's show was very heavily Brady-centric, I didn't get a chance to really give proper just due to a move that I think was a very good one by the New England Patriots, and that is the signing of safety and special teamer Adrian Phillips, who was formerly with the Los Angeles Chargers.

Now, those of you that have listened to Locked On Patriots before know that in a previous incarnation, I covered the Los Angeles Chargers, even a little bit back to their days in San Diego. And I can tell you, folks, this one raised my eyebrow, and it excited me a little bit about what Phillips can do in the Patriots defensive system. His prowess is definitely on special teams, and I saw a lot of comments on social media the last couple of days praising him for his special teams, but in a way I think they were downplaying his contributions that will be made on defense. From my days covering the charges, I can tell you that my

initial impressions of Phillips were that he is a very smart football player. In fact, I think that's one of the things that endeared him most to the Patriots. He's capable of playing strong safety and free safety, and where he might be most valuable on defense is his ability to play at the linebacker position in both the dime and nickel formations. To play those positions effectively, you need to have a very high football IQ, and Phillips is very cerebral. He's also very versatile. And again, the best way to become a favorite in Foxborough among the coaching staff is versatility. But Phillips doesn't come without a caveat, folks. I've heard a lot of people question, well, if he's so good, why was he around after two or three days in free agency?

Well, why else would a player slip through the cracks? Injury. Phillips missed much of the 2019 season with a broken arm. But if they brought him into Foxborough, it's likely that the Patriots looked past that, and they looked at his 2018 season, which was a breakout for Phillips. He had 94 tackles on defense, and he made the Pro Bowl for his special teams work. And with Nate Ebner departing and heading to the Giants, they needed an effective and an experienced player in special teams, and Phillips definitely provides that for the Patriots. He'll be heavily used in special teams packages, and I look for him to make big contributions in that area.

But make no mistake about it, folks. Phillips will make an impact on this team on the defensive side of the ball. In fact, he may even end up becoming a key member of this defense. Earlier, I mentioned his versatility at both the safety and the linebacker positions. Phillips can cover both speed and size. I've seen him cover speedy wide receivers like Tyreek Hill and be able to significantly impact his production. I've also seen him stand up and defend tight ends like Jared Cook and Travis Kelsey. Don't forget, the Patriots had some difficulty defending the tight end last year, and even though I still have a whole lot of like for Patrick Chung and think he

will be a contributing factor in the defense this year, they needed some help in this department, and Phillips provides it. He also helps the Patriots get younger at the position. He's only 28, or at least he will be in a couple of weeks, and he offsets some of what they lost with Daron Harmon, who was traded to the Lions last week. Harmon was a big part of the Patriots' prowess in the secondary last year, especially when he was able to slide up and help cover in the linebacker position against the run. Before his injury in 2019, Phillips was very good at being able to defend against the run as well. So all in all, I really like this addition. It makes them younger, it makes them cheaper, but it also gives them a promising player who checks all the boxes and really can be a valuable tool against the athletic offenses that the Patriots will be

playing in 2020. But in addition to Phillips, the Patriots also made some depth acquisitions to close out last week and into the weekend. And one of them comes at a position on which the Patriots place a great deal of value. And that's at fullback. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported on Friday that the Patriots had signed fullback Dan Vitale to a contract for the 2020 season. Now, Vitale is a four-year NFL veteran and plays the fullback position very well. If you listened to Friday's episode of Locked On Patriots, you might have heard Mark Schofield

mention Vitale's acquisition. And for those of you that might not be familiar with Vitale, he did spend two years in Cleveland before joining the Green Bay Packers, which is the team for which he played in 2019. He spent a great deal of time at running back out of Northwestern when he was in college. However, in the NFL, he's played primarily at fullback, and he has that leadership and toughness that the Patriots love in this position. He also has some untapped potential at the receiver position, and the Patriots could look to utilize this. But if we're being honest, Vitale will likely make his biggest impact with the Patriots as a lead blocker. Last year, both James Devlin and Jakob Johnson were lost to season-ending injured reserve. A lot of people saw this

acquisition and assumed that Devlin would not be able to suit up for 2020. There are a lot of conflicting reports on that, folks, so I encourage you to keep an open mind. Vitale's acquisition doesn't necessarily mean that Devlin is done in New England, it just gives them options and it provides depth. Don't forget, for much of the season last year, a Landon Roberts lined up at the fullback position. Roberts has taken his talents to South Beach, and with legitimate injury concerns on both Devlin and Johnson, the Patriots bringing in Vitale is smart.

And this guy can play, folks, especially when it comes to blocking for the run game. I think his presence is going to greatly benefit Sonny Michel, who I think will find a little bit of an easier time finding some seams and some holes to run through this year. He also has the build and the toughness to be a force on goal line stands, and that's something that will be sorely needed, especially when you don't have Tom Brady's prowess at being able to run the quarterback sneak. Not saying their new quarterback, and we'll get to that in a minute folks, wouldn't be able to do it, but having a fullback that's very adept at being able to power through and cross the goal line

is going to be a huge help to the Patriots this year. For the Patriots' next acquisition of the week, we go back to the defensive side of the ball, and the linebacker position. And let's face it, after the departures of Jamie Collins, Kyle Van Noy, and Alandon Roberts, Patriots are looking a bit thin at that position right now, but the acquisition they announced on Saturday can definitely help this team. And he is Brandon Copeland, formerly of the New York Jets. Now, Copeland is a traditional outside linebacker. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013, saw his first regular season action as a member of the Detroit Lions in 2015. He moved on to the Jets in 2018, and he played 28 games for the team over the last two seasons. He started 13 of them and wrapped up his time with the Jets with 77 tackles,

six and a half sacks, and a forced fumble. Again, folks, a solid depth piece. He's not going to replace Kyle Van Noy, and he's not going to replace Jamie Collins. He may not even fully replace a Landon Roberts, but he does provide a veteran presence and can definitely play the position. I wouldn't consider Copeland a roster lock, but I also wouldn't say that he's going to be on the chopping block the moment he walks through the door in Foxborough. I actually think Copeland can be a good addition to the Patriots' linebacking core, and it would not shock me to see him make the Patriots' final roster. But the biggest news of the weekend, folks, involved the quarterback position.

And I know, it's tough to get excited over quarterback news when it doesn't involve Tom Brady. But a familiar face is coming back to presumably take his snaps in Foxborough next year, and that is quarterback Brian Hoyer. Now for Brian, this means he's back for his third tour of duty with the Patriots. He was released by the Indianapolis Colts last week, and immediately the rumor mill started churning that Hoyer might end up finding his way back to Foxborough. Well, on Saturday, the Boston Globe's Jim McBride reported that was indeed the case. And this is a smart move for the Patriots. From the information that I was able to gather from team sources, the Patriots appear poised to go with Jarrett Stidham as their starter in 2020. As a result, I don't really put a whole lot of stock into the reports that they might be looking

to add a veteran that could come in and start immediately. I'm talking about guys like Andy Dalton or Cam Newton or Jameis Winston. These are all talented quarterbacks, but I just don't see the Patriots going in this direction. There are a lot of people within the Patriots brain trust right now that are very high on Jarrett. Remember that last Friday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, Mark Schofield joined me and we talked a little bit about the type of quarterback Jarrett might make in New England. He has the ability to make quick reads and has made some of the most impressive throws

by a rookie quarterback that we've seen in the preseason since Tom Brady, and that includes Jimmy Garoppolo. But how does adding Hoyer help Stidham? Well, keep in mind that Brian Hoyer has been connected to the Patriots since 2009 when he came in here as an undrafted free agent. There is no learning curve for Hoyer to pick up. He knows the system, has played for Bill Belichick, he's played for Josh McDaniels, he backed up the greatest quarterback of all time for a number of seasons. You don't play that position without picking up a few pointers. His ability to mentor Jarrett Stidham makes him a valuable acquisition for the New England Patriots. Not to mention that Brian is one of the best scout team quarterbacks in the league. As good as Jarrett is at making reads, a veteran like Hoyer brings a wealth of game experience to share with a young

quarterback. And if, as training camp in the preseason develops, and they deem that Stidham is not ready for primetime, Hoyer is more than capable of being an adequate starter. And if at some point during the season the Patriots feel it's time to turn the keys over to Jarrett, Hoyer is not the type of quarterback that's going to make a fuss about that. So all in all, I like this move. My initial interpretation of this move is as a mentor for Jarrett Stidham and someone that could take the reins if the kid struggles early. I could be wrong, but I don't think Brian was signed to be the Patriots' full-time starter. I think it's more of an indication that they're looking to see what Jarrett Stidham can do this year. Theoretically, folks, this should put to rest the rumors of the Daltons and the Newtons and the Winstons

and some of the other quarterback options that are rumored. Hoyer's return to Foxborough signifies to me that it's Stidham's time. But folks, as I always like to caution you, keep a sharp eye because things are usually never as they seem in Foxborough. But even with Brian Hoyer, Jarrett Stidham, and let's not forget about Cody Kessler, folks, in the fold at quarterback for the New England Patriots, could the Pats be looking for quarterback help in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft? Well, the DraftNetwork.com's Trevor Sycamore and Jordan Reed believe they will, and they have a few options that the Patriots might consider.

I'll share those with you in a moment, as well as the prognostications of some of our listeners here on the Locked On Patriots podcast in our Mocks of March exercise. And some of these selections were quite good. And in a moment, I'll share those with you and more coming up here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. Patriots fans, with the start of free agency, NFL rosters start to take shape around this time of year. And now that a lot of the biggest free agent dominoes have started to fall, including our beloved Tom Brady folks, a lot of attention

is going to be focused on the 2020 NFL Draft. Now, as of right now, there are no plans to delay the draft due to the COVID-19 crisis. It's reported that the league is working on ways to make it either a virtual event or to hold it without any fans. But as of right now, the NFL draft is still scheduled to kick off on April 23rd. So based on that assumption, mock draft season is in full swing. And here on the Locked On Patriots podcast, we've been trying to make that season a bit more fun and interactive by instituting the Mocks of March exercise. And for the past couple of weeks, you, the listeners, have been submitting mock drafts, scenarios, trades, things of that nature.

And I have to tell you, folks, I've been very impressed by the insight and the obvious research that you've put behind these. Your submissions have been both sound and realistic. And that's not exactly a minor thing here, folks. I appreciate that because it makes for good conversation here on Locked On Patriots. But it also shows that your fandom of the New England Patriots is something you take seriously. And that's something that not only I appreciate, but I know the team does as well.

So this week's exercise asks you to gaze into your Belichickian crystal ball and determine whether or not you think the Patriots are more or less likely to take a quarterback now that we know Tom Brady is not going to be sticking around. And right off the bat, I can always count on my man Miguel Benzón, aka the Pats cap. And he suggests that the Patriots are more likely to choose a quarterback in the NFL draft this year. However, he believes that if it will happen, it will happen in later rounds. The player that Miguel has his eyes on for the Patriots is a linebacker, and that is

Zach Bond, an edge rusher out of Wisconsin. Bond is a highly athletic defender who broke out onto the scene in 2019. His range as a tackler, acceleration off the snap, and the motor with which he rushes the passer, very similar to Chase Winovich, gives him a high ceiling at the next level. So this is a player that the Patriots would definitely have interest in. He's a bit undersized, but NFL defensive coaches should have fun utilizing him in numerous different roles. And we know the Patriots love versatile linebackers and edge rushers.

However, there is a speed bump when it comes to the Patriots' interest in Vaughn, and that's where he's going to be drafted. I think it's a little overzealous to take him in the first round, especially because I believe there will be greater talent at the position available at the number 23 selection. But Vaughn is talented to not slip to a day 3 selection, meaning that he's likely to be taken in day two. Keep in mind right now, Miguel, the Patriots do not have a second round pick. They would need to trade for one. If they do, Bond might be on the short list

of guys on whom they'd use a second round pick. But I'm not sure that he's high enough on their draft board to consider trading into the second round to make their selection. If the Pats hold on to number 23 and then use their late round wealth of draft picks to trade back up, then we might have a discussion. But as of right now, even though I'd love to see Bond in a Patriots uniform, I just don't think it's likely. And our next opinion sort of agrees with Miguel, but not quite. And that comes from Mark Parhar, at Mark Parhar.

And he says that the Patriots are more likely to choose a quarterback. However, he believes that if Cole Komet is there at number 23, he would like the Patriots to draft him. He can play right away, he could fill a big need, and let Stidham play as he already has one year in the system. Mark, I completely agree with you on Jarrett Stidham. I do believe he's going to be the Patriots' best option in 2020. However, I think taking Komet at number 23 is a little overaggressive.

Don't get me wrong, I love the player and I think he'd make a great Patriot. But much like my opinion of Zach Bond, different position but similar opinion, I think there's greater need and more talent available at number 23 than using a high draft pick like that to pick up Komet. I do believe that the Patriots can pick up a good tight end in the third round or maybe even later, someone that's going to be able to contribute right away and build into Josh McDaniel's offense. Don't forget, Komet struggled at the combine, and I think that will hurt his draft status. I think he's a solid Day 2 selection.

I don't see him slipping too much into Day 3 or the later rounds. So unless the Patriots are seeing something that they specifically want to target, I don't see the Patriots making a trade into the second round simply to draft Cole Komet. But again, Mark, a great thought, a great player. At the end of the day, you might end up being right. Just my opinion at this point that I don't think the Patriots would use the 23 pick on Komet, and I don't think they'd use draft capital to trade into the second round just to get him. But our next Mox of March selection tends to differ a little bit, and he believes that the Patriots will take not only one, but two tight ends overall in this draft.

And this one caught my eye, folks. It comes from D. Dalton, at House Dalton 14-18. He has the Patriots trading back in the first round and picking up a second rounder at the same time, with the Kansas City Chiefs of all teams. Hey, folks, it could happen. And as a result of the Patriots' ship of the 23 pick to the Chiefs, they pick up the number 32 pick and the number 63 pick in the second round. And at

the number 32 position, he has the Patriots taking safety Xavier McKinney out of Alabama. Now McKinney is one of the better players at the position in this year's draft. He has been mocked a couple of different times to the Patriots, and he is the type of physical safety that the Patriots love to employ. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he is the type of physical safety that the Patriots love to employ. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's also coming from a system that's been led by Bill Belichick's good friend Nick Saban. I have seen several mock drafts that show that McKinney might be a target for the Patriots if they remained in the number 23 position. So I think if they do trade down and McKinney's available, Bill Belichick's philosophy is

usually to draft for the best player available and not necessarily for positional need. So in this scenario, Dalton, I think you're onto something. However, the second round is where things got interesting to me. He has the Patriots now selecting in the number 63 spot. And he has them taking a tight end in Adam Trotman of Dayton. And I have sung Trotman's praises several times here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. I love the fit for this kid in a New England offense. I have my doubts about whether or not the Patriots would have to use a second rounder

on him though, especially when Dalton's mock draft still has the Patriots holding on to the number 87 selection. That being said, Bill Belichick is always going against the grain, and he's not necessarily worried about value in different rounds. If he identifies a player that he knows can thrive in his system, he will make that move. So in this scenario, because the Patriots used a first round pick and didn't trade it outright, it wouldn't surprise me to see them go tight end in the second round. And I actually think Trotman is a better fit than Cole Komet.

However, if we're being honest, Komet does have a higher draft grade at this point, but I think Trotman had the better combine. And as analysts continue to watch more film on him, I think you're going to see him rise to a potential second day selection. Dalton also has the Patriots going tight end in the third round with the 100th pick, getting Washington's tight end Hunter Bryant. If I'm being honest, Dalton, this one I'm not so sure about. The only reason why I say that is because I think if the Patriots use a higher pick on a tight end, I don't believe they're going to go two tight ends in this draft. But I will be cautious. They've done it in the past. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez were both drafted in the same year.

So theoretically, it's possible. The reason why I stopped short of saying that is because I don't think either Trotman or Bryant were the type of generational talents that Gronkowski and Hernandez were. But our next couple of submissions have the Patriots going defensive-minded in the early rounds of the draft. And both Jason Sullivan, who can be found on Twitter, at Sully6827, and a good friend of the show, whose handle is among my favorite in the Twitterverse,

YourDuckingRight, that's with a D, folks, at TopDucker, have the Patriots going linebacker early on. And they actually have them going for the same linebacker. And that is Kenneth Murray out of Oklahoma. And again, I think this is solid logic, gentlemen. I've talked a few times about Murray's potential fit in Foxborough. Murray reminds me a lot of Kyle Van Noy, and we kind of figured that Kyle was going to be departing via free agency, so this addition would help to fill the void somehow. Now in Jason's mock draft, he

went into a little bit of a deeper dive. Even with the news that Tom Brady is no longer going to be in New England, he does not project that the Patriots would take a quarterback at all in this draft. In fact, with the number 87 pick in the third round, he has wide receiver Van Jefferson going to the Patriots. Of course, Jefferson coming out of the University of Florida. I actually like Jefferson as a fit here in New England. I think 87 might be a little bit high to get him. The Patriots have a good amount of third round draft capital. I think if they waited to the number 98 or even 100 pick, I think Jefferson would still be available. But again, Jason, I do like the pick. And I really want to give you credit on this one. At the number 212 pick, he has the hot rod himself coming to New England. Kicker Rodrigo

Blankenship out of the University of Georgia. And I think this is actually intriguing. Don't forget, the Patriots selected punter Jake Bailey in the fifth round of the NFL draft last year. Surprised a lot of people. Steven Gostowski has been a very good kicker here for a number of years, but he is coming off of hip surgery. And if the Patriots are in any way unsure about his ability to kick in 2020, Patriots might go the draft route here. We saw what happened when they tried to go the free agent route last year. Slim pickings. Blankenship has a pretty good leg, and he's known to be on the confidence side, which is not a bad thing to have in a kicker. I will be honest, Jason, I didn't see this as an opportunity initially, but the more I look at it, I definitely don't dislike it. But to close out this week's Mocks of March exercise, we finally get to a mock draft

where the Patriots do use some high draft capital to choose a quarterback high as in the number 23 pick and this one comes courtesy of Andrew Carraway at Carraway 6 and with the 23rd selection in the 2020 NFL draft he has the Patriots taking quarterback Jordan Love out of Utah State and he actually has an expert in the field that agrees with him and I'll get to that in one moment but But Andrew's draft had a lot of intriguing picks. At the number 87 position, he has them taking Adam Troutman out of Dayton, edge rusher Jabari Zuniga out of Florida with the number 98 pick, and with the 100th pick, Zuniga's Florida teammate Van Jefferson at wide receiver. I also liked his selection of Justin Heron offensive tackle out of Wake Forest with pick number 172.

This was a level-headed approach, Andrew, and I liked the picks from start to finish. But Love was one that raised my eyebrow, particularly when I saw this week's mock draft submitted by the DraftNetwork.com's Jordan Reed. Reed has Love being taken by the Patriots in the first round, at number 23. And even though he wasn't mocking this week, his DraftNetwork.com colleague Trevor Syke, agrees that the Patriots should at least consider Love if he's available when the Patriots pick at number 23. Now, according to Sykema and Reed, Love is the type of quarterback that would interest the Patriots. He entered the 2019 season with only one year of starting experience under his belt.

But in that one season, he showed a lot of important tools that passers need to succeed at the pro level. He could stand tall in the pocket, had some functional mobility, and had a rocket for an arm. He threw for 3,500 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions. That's a 64% completion percentage. However, it should be noted that this was the experience year for Love. That was 2018. In 2019, his numbers did take a little bit of a dive with the added attention that he had. He threw just 20 touchdowns and an alarming 17 interceptions. If Love was a top 10 player entering his junior year, the stats showed the opposite.

However, Love is the type of player that consistently interests the Patriots. He's low risk with high reward. He still has a lot of what offensive coordinators would ask for in a young quarterback. His decision making is the biggest issue right now. But there's little to no doubt that Love has the potential to be a starting quarterback in the NFL with the right coaching, and if he is selected by the New England Patriots, who better to mentor this young man than Josh McDaniels and Bill Belichick? However, in my assessment, even though Trevor Sikama, Jordan Reed, and Andrew Carraway all believe that Jordan Love would be a good fit at number 23, I think the

Patriots pass on this one, even if he's available. And to me, the reason is the drop-off between the two seasons. I think it's a little too sharp, and I think the Patriots love what they see in Jarrett Stidham. To use that type of high-draft capital on a quarterback who's not guaranteed to start, I think would be a bit of a stretch for the Patriots. That being said, if they were going to make that stretch, I think Love is the guy that they'd do it for, maybe even more so than Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts or FIU's James Morgan,

who I think could be Patriots targets in later rounds. So even though I love Love's potential, pun intended there folks, I still think that the Patriots love what they see in Jarrett Stidham just a little bit too much to invest that kind of draft capital when they have a lot of other holes on this roster and young talented players at those positions that can make an impact right away. So there you have it folks, my take on the Mocs of March and Mock Draft Monday submissions courtesy of our friends at thedraftnetwork.com and most of all from you, our listeners. I want to thank Miguel, Mark, Dalton, Jason, and the Top Ducker for their submissions in this week's Mocs of March exercise. Folks, be sure to keep the, Mark, Dalton, Jason, and the Top Ducker for their submissions in this

week's Mocs of March exercise. Folks, be sure to keep the submissions coming. Especially as we inch closer and closer to the NFL draft, I'd be more than happy to share your submissions and evaluate them right here on Locked on Patriots. As always, please be sure to join me each and every day here on the Locked on Patriots podcast. Subscribe and download via your preferred podcast provider. And don't forget, you can always listen on your smart device just by asking it to play

the latest episode of Locked On Patriots. Once again, I'm Mike DeBate, and I will be back tomorrow to continue to bring you the latest news notes and analysis from Foxborough. And if you've enjoyed today's podcast, now tell your smart device to play the most recent episode of Locked On NFL Draft. Patriots fans, stay well, stay safe, and have a great day, everyone.