Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Musings, Mocks and Murph - New England Patriots Interactive Mock Draft Monday — 4/12/2021

Episode Date: April 12, 2021

The New England Patriots face many decisions leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft. As fans and media alike try to predict the Pats’ plan of action, host Mike D’Abate welcomes fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy. The duo share, analyze and grade mock drafts, submitted by the listeners of Locked On Patriots.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Locked On Patriots podcast. It is Monday, April 12th, 2021, and it is once again time to not just muse, but also mock the draft. That's right, folks. The return of interactive Mock Draft Monday right here on your daily home for news notes and analysis infused

with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. Today's episode of Locked on Patriots is brought to you by Built Bar. Go to BuiltBar.com and use promo code LOCKED15 to get 15% off your next order. Greetings

and salutations, Patriots Nation. I hope that you all had a great weekend, and thank you for kicking off yet another week of Patriots coverage here on the pod with me. My name is Mike DeBate, 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 folks, that phrase, your team every day, means that your questions, your comments, your feedback, and especially today, your mock drafts are always welcomed and very much encouraged.

So share that feedback, send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Monday meandering through the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Pats fans, for all of you out there that are fans of Lockdown Patriots, and for the benefit of those of you who might be joining us either for the first time or are relatively new listeners, Mondays here on the pod are always special. And not just because we're kicking off yet another week of Patriots coverage, but really since the end of the 2020 season, the focus

on Mondays here on Locked On Patriots has been draft-centric. Of course, splashing in some free agency and news of the day, but for the most part, every Monday we've been trying to take a look at the Patriots' positional depth charts on the roster and try to determine which areas the Patriots might target in the upcoming draft, even going so far as to identify players that we believe would be the best fit here in New England. I say we because I'm never alone on Mondays here on the pod. It's the only day of the week on Locked On Patriots that has its very own branded hashtag.

That's right, folks. You know it as well as I do. Your favorite and mine, my good friend, the Green King of Sting himself, Thomas Murphy, joins me here for a little Lockdown Murph Monday. And today he joins me once again. But as you know, Murph and I don't mock the draft. We muse on the draft. And that's exactly what we've done here for the past few weeks. Our quote-unquote muse, so to speak, has been what Bill Belichick might do when it comes to his draft plans. Will he hold on to the number 15 overall pick? Will the Patriots trade up? Will they trade back? What is Bill going to do? And we've also

given our thoughts on who might be the potential perfect Patriots. In fact, Murph has a whole series of columns dedicated to that very subject, and you can find those on diehardbostonsportsfans.com. If you haven't checked them out already, I strongly encourage you to do so. Must read material, folks. But for the most part, Murph's and my musings have been our own. That is until today. Because on today's edition of the pod, we are bringing back a familiar fan favorite segment. Interactive Mock Draft Monday is back.

And last week, the Locked On Patriots Twitter account sent out a call to action for you to submit your mock drafts for Murph and I to analyze, share, and grade on today's pod. And just when I think I can't be any more amazed by the great listeners we have here at Locked On Patriots, you all outdo yourselves and I was absolutely overwhelmed

by not only the amount of submissions that we received, but the quality of submissions we received. In fact, we received so many great mock drafts that choosing which ones to feature on today's pod was really a difficult decision. For everyone that took the time out of their schedule this week to submit a mock draft,

I thank you for your time, your great work, and of course, your support of Locked On Patriots. I've said it before, I'll continue to say it every single day. Without you, the great listeners of the pod, there is no Locked On Patriots. I've said it before, I'll continue to say it every single day. Without you, the great listeners of the pod, there is no Locked On Patriots. Your loyalty, your support, and your insight and knowledge are things that I am thankful for each and every day that I take

the microphone. Especially on days like today, when we bring back interactive exercises like the interactive Mock Draft Monday segment. So, even though we're once again musing the draft, even though it's once again hashtag LockedOnMurphMonday, the most special part about today's episode is that you're the star. Your great mock draft submissions shared, analyzed, and graded by yours truly and the

count of Murphy Fisto himself when the LockedOnPatriots podcast continues. But first, LockedOn listeners, football games on the field might be over, but the NBA and the NHL are in full swing. When you want to put your prognostication skills to the test, there is only one place that has you covered and one place we trust. BetOnline.ag. BetOnline is the fastest and easiest way to bet on all of your sports action. But BetOnline even covers awards,

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Head over to betonline.ag today, sign up, and receive your 50% welcome bonus on your first deposit when you use the promo code locked on bet online your online sportsbook experts locked on listeners get all of the sports news you need in under 20 minutes with the locked on today podcast host peter bakowski updates you on the latest news in every major sport with the help of our local experts. Follow the Locked On Today podcast on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Patriots fans, your New England Patriots will soon join 31 other NFL teams in attempting to find their stars of the future in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. Thursday, April 29th, 2021 from Cleveland, Ohio.

And today here on Locked On Patriots, we're taking our draft coverage to another level. It's the return of Interactive Mock Draft Monday. And again, folks, we have received an overwhelming number of mocks this past week. All of you listeners on Locked On Patriots, truly amazing. You stepped up to the call of action in ways I didn't even dream of. Love you all. Thank you very much. But let's not forget that it is Monday, so you know what that means. That's right, folks.

It's that time again. Your favorite and mine, my benefactor in this business, the only guest here on the pod with his very own branded hashtag, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy is back for his weekly appearance here on Locked On Patriots. Thank you for coming to me today in friendship and for joining me, Don Murph. It's always good to be around friends. And you're the best, man. Oh, my God. I'm never going to get over the introductions that you give me. Thank you, my brother uh it is it is always great to be here especially this time of year and and yeah since you know i i don't mock the draft we let a bunch of other people do it and they did a

pretty good god damn job they really did i was very impressed with the submissions we received patriots fans really showing off the knowledge, the wisdom, the counsel. I put this fan base up against any fan base in the NFL when it comes to football knowledgeability, and I truly mean that. But today is our job to evaluate, bud, and that's exactly what we're going to do. It is Monday, so it is hashtag Locked on Murph Monday, folks. That hasn't changed. Murph and I are still musing on the draft, but because Murph and I do not mock the draft, like my good friend said, we've given the responsibilitying on the draft, but because Murph and I do not mock the draft, like my good friend said, we've given the responsibility of mocking the draft directly to you.

And again, folks, you did not disappoint. So, Murph, let's get right down to it. The first draft that we'll be evaluating today was submitted by our man Trevor, at Trevor underscore Nading on Twitter. And right off the bat, Trevor did something that most of the Patriots fan base is hoping that they do. He has them trading up for a quarterback, folks. Trevor's first order of business is Patriots GM trading the number 15 pick, the number

96 pick, which incidentally, that third rounder was the same pick that the Patriots got in compensatory value for the deflection of one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. to Tampa Bay. Which, if you think about it, is a little ironic, because the Patriots are packaging Tom Brady's compensatory pick to get their quarterback of the future. But Trevor's deal includes that number 15 pick, that number 96 pick, and of course, a first-rounder in 2022. Those are shipped off to the Atlanta Falcons for the number 4 pick in the draft.

And lo and behold, with that newly acquired number four pick, bud, they are taking quarterback Trey Lance from North Dakota State. A pick I'm sure a lot of the fan base will love. And to be honest with you, I like it. I think Lance would be a good fit here in New England. A versatile, dual-threat quarterback. Still some growth needed, but if he's not going to be called upon to be the starter in year one, Lance, I think, can definitely be a solid pro, even as quickly as year two. Some of the other

selections that caught my eye, I'm on Ross St. Brown at number 70. And yes, folks, I said number 70 because Trevor has the Patriots wheeling and dealing again, sending the number 46 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in return for the number 70 pick and the number 84 pick. St. Brown is an excellent wide receiver prospect. If the Patriots could nab him in that 70 range, it'd be a huge move for the team. Also, Trevor has the Pats using the number 84 pick newly acquired to take tackle Spencer Brown out of Northern Iowa. What really got me excited about Trevor's draft though, Murph,

was Ohio State's Jonathan Cooper falling to the Patriots at number 197. I think in reality Cooper goes far in advance of this but I really want to give Trevor a lot of credit for not letting him fall any further. To me this kid might be one of the more unsung pass rushers in this draft. I think he did a great job of rushing the passer at Ohio State. He's got some speed and he can convert that speed into power, which is why I think if he comes into a system where he's designated as a pass rusher, I think he can really thrive, maybe even flourish. A scheme that features a single-gap penetration front that has a lot of veteran linebackers behind him, that would be the case here in New England, so that one definitely caught my eye, and that's what really impressed me most about Trevor's draft. Overall, I think a solid

effort. I gave it a B+, but what say you, my good friend? What do you think of Trevor's draft? See, this is what Mike does. He lets me be the bad guy, because I'm really good at it. And he did. He brought up some fantastic points. I loved what Trevor did in this draft in the middle and down at the end. Everybody knows how I feel about Tyree Gillespie, and that was a fantastic pick there at 177. Also, I really, really love Jamin Davis out of Kentucky. I'm writing a piece on him now. Please check that out later this week. And it's the top of the draft. It's what he did at the top of this draft. I am not a Trey Lance fan. Not a Trey Lance fan at all. gave up to move up to number four. At number four, you'd better be taking somebody that is going to help this team right now, right away, and isn't a roll of the dice. I'm sorry, but I'm just not a fan of him. I would have gone in a different direction.

Other than that, Trevor did a really good job channeling his inner Belichick in making these moves. I didn't think it was a lot to give up to move up to four, and I understand that, but I just would have gone in a different way. I love St. Brown at 70. I thought that was a fantastic pick. And like I said, I'm – yeah, Jonathan Cooper there at 197. That's just brilliant. I can't believe that he fell that far. But when you get down in that area and you can find a steal like that, that's great.

It's just at four, I'm going in a different direction than a real project of a quarterback. That's what I'm going to do. But I'm going to give this draft a solid B. You're a very wise and considerate young man, Murph. No, all kidding aside. Honestly, at four, the only guy that I'm trading up for in this draft is Kyle Pitts. That's it. I'm just not in love with the quarterbacks in this draft. Um,

and I know that's probably a little bit early for pits, but, um, but that, that's, that's the direction I would have gone. And he can play all over the, all over the field. If you'd done that, it would have been weapons galore and you could have stuck me in there at quarterback and this team would have done a really, really good job in the upcoming years and uh but but yeah man i'm sorry trevor yeah you can't get over trey land right i think a lot of people might agree with you and i think if the patriots a lot of people believe

that if the patriots are going to move up and they're going to try to take their quarterback of the future to go for number four the guy that you're probably going to be trading up for at least that fans would hope they were trading up for is either a Justin Fields or maybe even a Matt Jones. I don't know. I mean, I put Lance in that conversation as well. I think I'm a little bit higher on him than you are, but I can see the argument. And ultimately a lot of people are a lot of people would love this draft a lot more than, than, than I do. And I still give it a solid beat. Yeah, absolutely. And that should tell you something, folks. So Trevor, thank you so much for the submission. Awesome job, and we appreciate your support

of Locked On Patriots. But moving right along, my friend, is the next submission that we've chosen today from our plethora of drafts in the pool of drafts that we had to choose from, and that is Colby Chase uh at boston sport fan six and colby also had the patriots trading up but not for a quarterback folks he had them trading up for a wide out maybe the top wide out in this draft alabama's jaylen waddle goes to the patriots at number 10 because they've traded according according to Colby, the Patriots traded the number 15 pick and a 2022 third rounder to get up to number 10 and select Jalen Waddle.

But for all of you folks that are wondering, well, what about the quarterback position? There's no way you can ignore the quarterback position. Well, in Colby's draft, he did not ignore the quarterback position. Using the number 46 overall selection, the Texas A&M's Kellen Mond. It's quickly becoming one of the flavors of the month around here. I'm not sure if this is a little overaggressive for Mond, but I know he's rapidly rising up a lot of ranks and a lot of draft boards. So I'm not going to chastise Colby for doing that.

It seems to be the trend that's going on. You mentioned John Davis, Kentucky number 96. I think that is another second straight draft where we saw him selected. This kid has a lot to offer. I really like him at the linebacker position. This kid's going to be a solid pro. Benjamin St. Just, the Golden Gopher coming in at number 139. I think a great value pick.

I'm not as high on St. Just as some people are, but at 139, I think this is good overall value. I like what Colby brought to the table here. I like a little bit of the aggression. I like the fact that he targeted a wide receiver and maybe one of the more explosive ones in the draft. Again, I give Colby a solid B-plus here for his efforts. What say you, Mike? Yeah, I'm right there with you. If it wasn't for Mond at 46, obviously we're not in the room,

so I'm not quite sure what was still there on the board. But at 46, I would have maybe gone to the other side of the ball and picked up something that is going to help right away again. I am a, for those of you that don't know it, I'm a coach. And I coach baseball, but I'm a win today kind of guy. And Mon, to me, is another one of those guys that is going to sit behind somebody. And I'm not talking about four games or six games or eight games. This is a guy that could be sitting for a season and a half, maybe two.

Again, I am just really not high on this class. I am definitely not high on how much people, how much draft capital people are giving up for these players that are projects that have been playing against guys that are going to be gym coaches and math teachers in six weeks. I understand Mond has played against better competition than some of the other guys that we've talked about at the quarterback position. But I couldn't do that. Again, Jamin Davis, fantastic.

Herbert, my man Herbert from Virginia Tech, he has really risen up draft boards. He had a fantastic senior season for Virginia Tech this year. A real breakout. I like that pick at 120. And Cornell Powell, there's a name that pick at 120. And Cornell Powell. There's a name that stood out to me in this draft. I thought that was a fantastic pick. I thought PFF, did you a disservice, my friend, in not giving you an A-plus for that.

Aaron Banks, the Notre Dame kid, he's somebody that is going to be a very good lineman for whatever team grabs him. And if he comes here, we all know what Bill and company have been able to do with guards over the years, with centers over the years, and, of course, with tackles over the years. I thought that was a fantastic pick. I think Colby did a fantastic job in filling the holes that this team has at depth positions. I just think that he could have done more to maybe bring in people that were going to help this year and make an impact this year. But a great draft. I'll give it a solid B.

Yeah, I think that's definitely... I mean, I'm nitpicky. Jesus, I'm giving these guys Bs and I'm ripping them apart. Sorry, Colby. It was a great draft. Yeah, but I mean, I think it's a testament to how strong these drafts are that you're nitpicking and still being able to give them Bs. It's just, I think, another example of how the Patriots fan base, I don't think, does

nearly not get enough credit for being intelligent, level-headed football fans. I think a lot of the country sees them as, you know, either bandwagon or fairweather. No, folks, I interact with Patriots fans all the time. It's my job. It's what I do. And there's a lot of talent out there. And a lot of the great drafts that even ended up on the cutting room floor

really had a lot of great stuff in them. And we appreciate every single one of them and colby thank you for your great work and murph and i definitely enjoyed it um we're going to move right along here bud we're going to continue on to a um an fbc colleague of mine that i've had a chance to work with a great football mind great guy david rogers at the david a rogers on twitter and david i gotta give him a lot of credit for entertaining the tradeback scenario here a bit gutsy uh but i applaud the intestinal fortitude on this one um and david has the patriots trading number 15 and number 120 overall to the washington

football team and he has them receiving the number 19 pick and the number 51 pick. But Patriots aren't done yet, folks, because he has the Pats flipping that number 19 along with number 122 to the Jacksonville Jaguars for picks number 25 and number 65. So we get some Belichickian value going on here in David Rogers' world. With that 25th selection, he has the Patriots taking linebackers Zayvon Collins out of Tulsa. And folks, Collins is one of those players that the minute you mention him, most draft experts will go, wow, yeah, great pro, great potential. This guy's got a blend of size, length, power, high football IQ, a lot of versatility. I think it makes him a really, really good prospect. And here at number 25, I think it's about where he might go. It wouldn't surprise me if he even went

a little higher because the more you watch this kid, whether it's defending the run, whether it's dropping into coverage, he can rush the passer. One of the more dynamic defensive playmakers, I think in college football, and he has the ability to come in and help a team right away. So Zayman Collins at the linebacker position could help a team right away so zayvon collins at the linebacker position could be a good fit for any team and i think he'd be a good fit here as well david did dip into the quarterback market he took davis mills out of stanford uh at number 51 also i think a couple of great late round defensive picks again jonathan cooper we sang his praises a little while ago and of course bobby, Bobby Brown III of Texas A&M at 177.

That was a nice pick there, David. After all, that was your prerogative to take him. That was a bad joke. I'm sorry. I can't help myself, Murph. You know I love the dad jokes. You got Bobby Brown, my prerogative. You're lucky I didn't throw in every little step he takes.

Yeah, we all got it. Yeah, we all got it. Maybe not everybody. There's a lot of people younger, a lot younger than us that listen to this show. Thank you. Huh? Who? Yeah, you know what?

Hopefully we're not on our own after that one. All right. I promise, folks, it's the last one. But I like David's guts here. Trading back when everyone expects you to trade up. I thought he got some nice picks in here. Sound like a broken record, but I thought this was a solid B-plus effort. I liked what he did, and I applaud him for being or thinking outside the box a little bit.

Yeah, I agree. I thought he did a fantastic job in putting on his Bill Belichick hoodie here and moving back. What he did was he got a lot of meat. As an Irishman, I like the meat and potatoes, and he really brought it. I like Davis Mills at 51. Again, another guy that may sit for a while, but I can deal with that at 51. I really can. Um, anywhere below Collins is fantastic. Uh, Elijah Molden was a, um, a tad bit of a head scratcher for me. Um, I, I do think that, that I would have gone in a different way there. Um, but you guys know how I feel about, uh, other guys in this draft at the safety position that you could get lower.

So again, I'm not in the room. I don't know what's going on. I love the Collins pick. I love the Mills pick. Jabril Cox is somebody that is going to come in and be a fantastic pro for a very long time. I think he's going to fit into this system, this rotation really well. This, all things said, this might be my favorite draft that we've had up to this point, you know, submitted. And we had a lot of drafts submitted, people, a lot of drafts. This was a fantastic one. It really was.

The only place that I probably could get on him is the fact that he really didn't address the offensive line maybe as early as I thought he could, but I like Brady Christensen, the kid out of BYU. He's somebody that can move around. You have to at BYU, considering what they've had to do over the past couple of years, and protect that little water bug that's throwing balls for them. But other than that, it is. This is my favorite draft. I can't really cut it up at all.

Right down to Elijah Mitchell, the halfback out of Louisiana. I really like that pick. I thought that should have been at least a B+, and you only got a C plus for it. But David, thank you very much for sending this in. This was one of my favorite drafts that I've seen mocked up maybe by anybody in the business. Wow. Not bad. Pretty high praise coming from Mer folks. And I can tell you from personal experience, David deserves it. But I thank you for submitting the pick and for all your support of Locked On Patriots. And folks, the return of Interactive Mock Draft Monday has already been a ton of fun so far, but we are not done yet, folks, because in just a moment, Murph and I will continue

to muse your mocks and provide our thoughts, analysis, and even some grades. We do all this when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, you've all heard the phrase, often imitated but never duplicated. Some might give you decent output, others may give you a solid effort, but only the best can provide the best. And the only ones who could provide the best healthy, low-calorie, and delicious treats to satisfy all of your snacking needs are the ones who provided the best in the first place. That's right, I'm talking about Built Bar. No one can do

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Use promo code LOCKED15 for 15% off your next order at BuiltBar.com. Locked On listeners, April 19th through the 26th, listen to the ultimate Mock Draft 2021 featuring analysis from NFL experts Michael Irvin, Jason LaConfora, and Michael Lombardi. And of course, our local experts for every team making trades and picking the next stars of their team. Subscribe to the ultimate Mock Draft 2021 presented by Locked On and Odyssey on the new Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Odyssey is your audio home for all the sports, podcasts, music, and news that matter to you.

That's A-U-D-A-C-Y. Cats fans, Thomas Murphy joins me here on the pod today. Hashtag Locked On Murph Monday and return of Interactive Mock Draft Monday. Of course, Murph and I musing the draft, you providing your great mocks. And we've already taken a look at three diverse mocks. We've taken a look at three mocks that have a lot of character,

a lot of interesting selections. We've noted some gems, some picks that have kind of excited us a little bit. Some, not so much but you know what variety is the spice of life and that's what this is all about and we move on now bud to another mock draft that i thought was interesting uh and very i think relevant especially considering this weekend and that was one submitted by listener brady lang at ia underscore 788 and brady has the patriots standing pat at number 15.

And he doesn't have them selecting a quarterback or a wide receiver. He has them going defensive back, and he has them going corner. And if this guy is there at number 15, and the Patriots make the decision not to trade, this is the guy I pick at number 15, and that is J.C.back um out of south carolina and uh we all saw the instagram message murph i'm sure you did from jc jackson over the weekend about quote unquote feeding the fam um i have no problem with jc putting that out there he's

looking to maximize his value take care of his family uh but i'm not sure he gets that huge pay day in new england maybe he does um our good friend miguel the pats cap has outlined scenarios where this could work for both sides really satisfy both sides i hope miguel is right he's usually more right than he is wrong so i definitely defer to him on matters of this type but uh maybe he plays out absolutely but at the end of the day but maybe jc plays out the tender and then he seeks that contract elsewhere in 2022 horn to me is an ideal fit at corner for the pats i see a lot of people referring to him as stefan gilmore 2.0 he does have the ability to come in and be that shutdown guy i think i'm very high on him and i really love what i see out of

him so i liked this pick dav. Davis Mills coming in at 54. Yes, folks, I did say 54 because Brady has the Patriots dealing number 46 to the Indianapolis Colts who, Murph, correct me if I'm wrong, according to my sources, I think they're going to hang a banner for this. I'm not sure.

I can't confirm yet, folks. Sorry, Colts fans. I couldn't resist. Another bad joke, but you know what? This, I think, is a little more funny than my Bobby Brown stuff earlier. But anyway, Brady has the Pats getting number 54 and a fourth rounder in number in 2022. A pick that I liked that a lot of people may either roll the rise on, but at number 96, Cam McGrone, linebacker out of Michigan. I like this. I really like the value and I love these Wolverine defenders, especially at the linebacker out of michigan i like this i really like the value and i love these

wolverine defenders especially at the linebacker edge rusher i think these guys are pro ready you saw you know uh josh uche come in do it jace winovich and mcgroan could be a good value pick there as well uh amari rogers falling to the patriots at number 139 i think there's steel potential there as well a lot of this was predicated on the cards falling the right way for the Patriots, but I really liked Brady's haul here. I like how he filled a lot of the different holes on this roster, really backfilled some positions that I think can really be solid. I gave him an A- here. I think that might be a little overaggressive, but I was impressed by what he did. What are your thoughts on Brady's draft buddy yeah i gave him a b on it um he did fantastic up at the top i did not like the trade back at all

um david smells we we've talked about but mcgrown yeah i i can i can see him going there coming here i can see bill going back we all know how much he loves to zone in on certain big programs at certain times in his draft history. And I think he will be a solid pick here. I'm not as high on him as some other people, but no, a solid draft and I'll give him a B for it. Brady, thank you. We always appreciate the submission and thanks for all of your support of Locked On Patriots. But next up on the show is the show. We know this gentleman very well. Our man LJ at show underscore one.

And I know he's listening. And LJ, again, awesome choice. Murph, I know you're going to like this one because LJ took what many believe to be the best defender overall in this draft standing pat number 15 and that is Michael Parsons of Penn State uh you've repeatedly said that this is another level of Hightower like excellence at the linebacker position for the such a strong skill set there's nothing to not like about this kid's game um so at number 15 already I think he's he's already doing very well for himself so far with LJ.

For those of you worried about quarterback, and I know a lot of you are, LJ has you covered. He took Kyle Trask at number 120. Steve and I discussed Kyle last week as a potential fit here in New England. Maybe not the most mobile, maybe not the most athletic, but great arm,ness size uh this kid at uh especially at value at 120 i think really is uh is a good move for the patriots if they were able to find a guy like trask at number 120 uh it might be worth it for them to do it

i like lj's hall here smart selections overall i give him a solid b plus with possibilities of moving into an a minus category as well yeah no no no yeah i give him an a minus uh taking parsons just like blew it out of the water for everybody else um he is i i believe he's the best defensive player in this draft he might he might be one of the top three players in this draft in any other year. People would be losing their minds over it, but everybody is fighting over project quarterbacks. So he fell to 15, and LJ wasn't going to screw around. I'm not trading. I'm not doing this, that, and the other bloody thing. I'm going to go, and I'm going to get the best player available. A lot of people think he's the best player available in this this draft and I'm close to being one

of them it was fantastic man I thought it was a great haul up and down the board he didn't miss anywhere I mean anywhere people this was a fantastic draft it is an a draft and and wow it was it was really hard to beat LJ out for draft of the day. Yeah, absolutely. I completely agree with you. Look, I mean, you know, from Stevenson at the running back position, Shakur Brown at corner, he really identified the Patriots' needs, and I think he hit on so many of them.

Last but certainly not least, bud, our good friend Andrew Carraway has provided some amazing mock drafts here during my tenure as host of Locked On Patriots. It doesn't surprise me that he would submit one that would be worthy of getting a spot on today's show. And I really could not in good faith conduct a mock draft Monday without him for all his support and his, you know, great work over the course of the last couple of years since I've been the host here.

So Andrew definitely making some Cribs and Tide fans very happy with this one. There are several Bama fans that listen to us here on Locked On Patriots and they are going to be happy to know that Andrew did what a lot of people are thinking the Patriots might do if this gentleman is there at number 15. And he has them selecting Matt Jones out of the University of alabama um a lot to unpack when it comes to jones uh we've gone over the the pros and the cons of drafting right kid the maybe the lack of mobility maybe the arm strength is a little on the average

side extremely high football iq uh when you garner the type of praise from guys like charlie weiss michael lombardi even dante skarnecki guys that have worked in this system that know this system that know bill belichick um it's easy to understand why the patriots might have a sharp eye on this guy and again folks we don't know if he will but it's definitely possible but andrew has more gems in this draft than just mac jones coming in at number 15 again depending on your uh philosophy you may look at it and say i wouldn't go in that direction at number 15 i don't like the pick of mac variety is the spice of life you have a right to your opinion but i really like i really like ron dale more at number 46 i'm not sure he's going to be there and the reason why I say that is the more I delve into the draft,

the more I talk to draft experts, I think a lot of teams are high on this kid. They see what everyone else sees. And I just, I think getting him at number 46 is going to be a stretch. If he's there, this is a hell of a haul. Great job, Andrew. And of course, number 120. I know this one made you smile too. You talked about the movement in the shorts earlier,

Dimitri Felton of UCLA number 120. Again, I mean, talk about prototypical Patriot. He may be one of those prototypical Patriots that just really, really fits so well with everything that they do. Again, Bobby Brown at number 122. I'm not even going to make a joke about it this time around because that could mean pretty good value at defensive tackle at number 122. Go down into the draft a little bit, 177, Landon Young, offensive tackle of Kentucky, I thought was pretty good value as well. I liked Andrews Hall here. I gave him a

solid B-plus for his efforts. What say you, Mike? Yeah, without a doubt. It's really hard grading Andrew because he is such a good friend of ours. And that's not why we pick these things. This is a fantastic draft. It really is. Mack Jones is the most intelligent quarterback in this draft. He is the most ready for the next level to step right in and do something this year. Outside of, you know, Messiah at Clemson, that's, we all know, the next guy. I like it. Again, you're paying a price that in other years you might not pay to get it. But falling to 15, yeah, I'm going to roll the dice

and I'm going to take Mac Jones there. I agree with you. It's going to be really difficult for Moore to be there. I think that might need to be a trade-up scenario. I do believe he's going to go in the top 40 picks, the top 35 picks. You may have to give up a little bit of something to go up there and get him, but I think he would fit in here fantastically. We all know how I feel about Demetri.

I would like him to marry my daughter. That's how much I love this kid. And I know people are going to say, Murph, why are you going back out there to the West Coast? We've seen what the West Coast. This kid is a different animal. He really is. And I love him.

Bobby Brown, fantastic. But, you know, we're going to go down to the edge. Joshua Kendo down there at Florida State. Very good. I think that's a fantastic pick at 197. Thank you very much. And even Josh Ball out of Marshall at 242, you know, right down there around the Mr. Irrelevant category.

He's somebody that can come in here and make this squad. And when you're talking about picks at 188, at 197, and definitely at 142, if you're finding people that are going to come in here and make the squad, that's a fantastic pick. And I've got to say, Monty Rice is somebody that I'm also maybe not as high on as Andrew. I know where he's coming from, though. And yeah, I really like that pick, too. Andrew, a solid A of a draft. You never disappoint, man.

You're one of my favorite people. You know this game really well, and you played this draft really, really well. And he got himself a bulldog in there. A couple of them, actually. Between Tyson Campbell and Monty Rice. But, no, great stuff. Andrew, we always thank you for your support of Locked On Patriots. Thank you for the great submission.

But I think we had six drafts today that we really went through and I, I think really we're able to enjoy, absorb, and hopefully lend a little of our wisdom and counsel as well. And folks for everyone that did submit a mock draft that wasn't chosen for today's show does not mean that that will not be chosen for next month. Because Murph and I are doing this once again on the 19th to help us get ready for the draft uh these were these were so good oh my god we we don't even have to ask for

more right now that's how that's how many you guys sent in to Mike and and it's it's really fantastic and yeah Mike's right we're gonna get to some more of these great drafts really soon including Klazzy Claire's's all-tight end draft. Of course, no question about it. Folks, no, Clare did not submit a nine-tight end mock draft. She's got her eye on one tight end in particular. Not really a surprise. It's the guy they call Baby Gronk, although he doesn't like to be called that. Of course, we're talking about Pat Fryer move from Penn State, but who knows? The Patriots are pretty well set at tight end. Will they choose to dip their toe into that pool? Only Bill Belichick knows for sure.

But one thing we do know for sure is that I had a blast going over these mock drafts with you today, my friend. I thank you for taking the time out to join me here on today's pod. Folks, for those of you that are not following this man, please follow my good friend, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself on Twitter at TeamMurph207. Right now, Murph is publishing a column series of quote-unquote perfect Patriots, guys that are in this draft that may look pretty good in Patriot blue. And boy, I'll tell you, Murph hits on most of these, if not 100% on all of them.

So please don't miss this column. Always point, click, and learn material. Proudly found on diehardbostonsportsfans.com. And of course, never miss an episode of One Patriot's Place with my good friend here. Also, our good mutual friend, Steve Balistrieri. And of course, Miss Tight Endage herself. The Countess of Clas, Claire Clasie Claire Cooper.

But we here at Locked On Patriots already have our eye on next week. Murph alluded to this. We do have a lot of mock drafts in that pool, but folks, we're going to continue to solicit your great ideas. So keep an eye on the Locked On Patriots Twitter account. Yet another call to action going to be going out fairly shortly. So once again, folks, keep a sharp eye out for that.

But buddy, I can't say it enough. I say it every week, but I mean it even more every week. Always honored. Always humbled by your presence. Thank you very much, man. Yeah, I've got a new Perfect Patriot column coming out for you tomorrow. And it's been a lot of fun. And this is like the most wonderful time of the year.

And thank you for letting me come here and enjoy this festive season with you, my friend. My pleasure. Honor is always all mine. And we're going to do this again next week, folks. So sit tight and hang in there until next hashtag Locked on Murph Monday. Until then, my friend, stay safe and well. And we look forward to talking ball with you again right here next Monday on Locked on Patriots. And so Patriots Nation, another mock draft Monday in the books, but we are only scratching

the surface on the Patriots coverage still to come this week. So, to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, follow the Locked On Patriots podcast on platforms such as the Odyssey app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts. Just make sure that you are staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank my good friend Thomas Murphy for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots

a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Foxborough faithful, stay safe, stay well, always be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.