Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Draft Decision 2024: Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Penix, McCarthy, Beyond QB

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Pat's best bet is to stand Pat at number three in the NFL draft, and we got the expert opinion to prove it. Stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful.

Starting point is 00:00:30 And thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Don't forget, Locked On Patriots is not only a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day, but we're also free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So smash that subscribe button and download and follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts to ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available.

Starting point is 00:00:57 I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there showing some social media love to Lockdown Patriots, please follow our account on X as well at LO underscore Patriots. And Pats fans, we have an exciting episode on tap here for you today. All of you everydayers are going to love this. And for those of you joining us for the first time, a tip of the cap and welcome.

Starting point is 00:01:28 And boy, did you pick a good time to join the party because I'm about to be joined by the expert professional draft analysis of my good friend and colleague right here on Locked On. He's the co-host of the Locked On NFL Draft Podcast, as well as being a senior analyst for the Draft Network. That's right. Full-time Dame is in the house. Damian Parson is going to pop in here in just a moment.

Starting point is 00:01:52 And of course, folks, today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Patriots fans, the time for the talk is just about over. The NFL draft is just hours away and your New England Patriots, well, they're

Starting point is 00:02:13 about to either select the future franchise quarterback or take a serious offer via trade to maximize their capital. But who is the right fit for the Pats in 2024 and beyond? Well, fortunately for us today, folks, we have the man with the answers. My guest today is one of the top draft analysts in the gridiron universe, a senior draft analyst at the Draft Network, and of course, the host of a Locked On NFL Draft podcast alongside the great Keith Sanchez. It is my honor to welcome my friend and colleague,

Starting point is 00:02:43 Damian Parson, to Locked On Patriots. Welcome to the pod, Damian. Thank you, Mike. I'm glad to be here, man. Absolutely. We've been waiting a while to get you on. One of the best minds in the business of what he does, folks. We're going to get right into it. We're not going to waste any time because, Damian, you know the Patriots have a clear need at the quarterback position. Mac Jones no longer walking through the door, you know the Patriots have a clear need at the quarterback position. Mac Jones no longer walking through the door, much to the delight of most Patriots fans, and most will give you the consensus that neither Nathan Rourke or Bailey Zappi are going to be the long-term solution.

Starting point is 00:03:16 Some enthusiasm, I would say, about Jacoby Brissett being back in the building, but clearly the Patriots need a long-term player at that role. And Elliott Wolfe said they're excited to take any one of six quarterbacks. So Elliot's clearly leaving his options open. There's no question about it. But the media consensus, and this includes myself, believe that UNC's Drake May is most likely going to be the guy. Damian, we see the arm strength. We see the prototypical build, the athleticism, but the more I've watched Drake, I'm becoming more and more impressed with his ability to attack different coverages, anticipate pressure, and for lack of a better term, something that I think would

Starting point is 00:03:57 speak well of him here in New England, elevate a supporting cast of, how shall we say, good but not great wide receivers around him but to be totally honest with you i think patriots fans have seen enough of what drake did at north carolina they want to know what he's going to look like at the pro level and there's no better in the business to talk about that than you my friend in your opinion what should patriots fans expect from drake may as an nfl quarterback i, you expect a guy that is going to come in and work his butt off. He has every tool that you look for physically, right? You talked about the mobility, you know, being over 6'3", being a mobile guy who can create with his legs, not just

Starting point is 00:04:37 running the ball, but also getting out of the pocket, create second reaction throws and windows, creating scramble drills, breaking contain. If you're playing man-to-man coverage or if you're playing zone and your rush is getting out of their lanes, you've got to be disciplined with him because he is prone to get out and be able to make throws on the run. The arm talent is outstanding, phenomenal arm, a guy that can fit it into multiple, a variety of windows. And what I really love about him is that he's not afraid. He's got a gunslinger mentality to him. I remember we did a video at the Combine over at the Draft Network,

Starting point is 00:05:11 and in the video, it's on the YouTube channel, I said, I just want him, I want him to get to a situation where he doesn't have to step into the phone booth every single game. And what I meant by that, I don't need you to be Superman. Sometimes just be Clark Kent. Just take the briefcase, put the glasses and the suit on, punch in, punch out, and go to work. I don't always need you to carry and put the world on your shoulders. And I think putting him in New England, this is why I think New England is a perfect fit for him. With AVP as the new OC, one thing that you know him talking about was footwork and him being a stickler about footwork and that's the place where drake may needs kind of the coaching up is that his his upper body and lower body isn't always in sync it's not always

Starting point is 00:05:56 synchronized because he's such a powerful arm thrower he'll throw from variety of bases he'll kind of over overstep not always being you know shout out to JT O'Sullivan um you know QB school used the term um dovetail being lined up to your target to throw so you kind of see sometimes he sprays the ball where it's kind of high it's too low and it's because his base his lower body upper body isn't fully connected but you get that you see the throws when it's all lined up. He's he's accurate. He anticipates windows.

Starting point is 00:06:28 Well, he puts it on the face of his receivers and you see that ability to attack all three levels. And I think this is a young man that extends your playbook, right? Like you can run some read option stuff with him. You see Lamar Jackson. Is he Kyla Murray?

Starting point is 00:06:43 Is he Jaden Daniels in terms of four or three athletes? No. But we see what we see in your division with Josh Allen being a big, tall, good athlete, being able to make plays with his legs. Is he going to power run like Josh? No. Two different bodies types. But I think Drake May has all the ability to develop into a top five to seven quarterback in the NFL, a franchise guy. As you said, and this is something that I talk about on the pod. Last year, we saw Bryce go number one and people said, well, you know, Bryce is better than A-Rich. He's more pro ready than A-Rich, stuff like that. And it's like, well, A-Rich was playing in a very poor situation,

Starting point is 00:07:25 but he put the team on his back. That's the same thing I look at with Drake May. I love to see a quarterback be in not ideal situations because that kind of gives me a clearer picture of what I'm seeing. Rather than you being in a perfect situation, offensive line's good, you're really pressured, your receivers are always open, then you get to the league. And typically, typically if you're going top three you're not always going to the greatest team you're going to a team that's drafting top three for a reason so seeing drake may over the last

Starting point is 00:07:53 two years his best receiver was josh downs who was what second third round pick last year to the indianapolis coach one of my one of my favorite receivers in that class but that was his best his best target his best option o-line wasn't great i think you put them and put them in this new england patriots offense with alice van pelt you don't feel compelled to start them right away jacoby brissett can come in and win games for you also allow him to kind of just hold the clipboard learn from a veteran a wily veteran who's going to come in and treat this young man the way you need him to be treated as a vet and take him under his wing and say, listen, this is what I saw in this play. When they're going over the Microsoft Surface tablet, he's showing Drake May, this is what I'm seeing. This is why I made that decision.

Starting point is 00:08:36 Even though the call was to go here, me being in the league seven, eight to 10 years, I've sat behind Tom Breeden. I watched him do the exact same thing. Pivot off that read and go to the other guy. And that's where I think you feel really good. And Patriot fans should absolutely feel good about drafting a prospect like Drake May because he's got top tier type of talent. Now it's just all about getting the mechanical stuff just honed in. And if you do that, you're going to have yourself a franchise quarterback. So well said. And I think one of the things that Patriots fans are most excited about, Dane, is the fact that Drake is capable with the touch that he puts on the football, as well as the power that he puts into his throws

Starting point is 00:09:13 to make those throws in any location and only where the receiver can get it. It's been a while since the Patriots have had a quarterback here like that, that wore number 12 up here for a number of years. And last I checked, he had a pretty good career uh in the nfl um living up to those expectations i think patriots fans have been smart enough to temper those a little bit and not expect him to come in and be tb12 from the moment he takes the ball but for all of the reasons that you stated i think he is a great fit but sometimes it's also worked against him in some certain circles up here in the new england media because a lot of people are looking at this team and saying the offensive line needs a lot of help he doesn't have competent pass catchers around him this team still lacks a

Starting point is 00:09:55 dedicated x receiver that can take two maybe even three guys on one and beat them consistently down the field people look at the team the way it's constituted right now and they say, well, Drake May needs a lot of work himself. Maybe he's not the best plug and play guy. I think that's one of the reasons why someone like Michigan's J.J. McCarthy has elevated up the boards here and maybe gained a little bit of traction. You guys at the Draft Network, particularly yourself and Keith, have scouted these guys so well.

Starting point is 00:10:24 Do you think that's one of the reasons that JJ is now gaining some traction up here in New England because of that championship pedigree? And will that be a legitimate threat to Drake being chosen on Thursday night? I do think the championship pedigree plays a great part. Right. And I think a lot we see it all the time, right? We see like the phrase winners, like, you know, we love to draft winners. I tend to push back on that because winning is so subjective at the college football level, because it's all about who, what team you're on, right? Like you telling me Anthony Richardson from last year, you put him on last year's Michigan team. They don't lose the TCU. I promise you they don't. Right.

Starting point is 00:11:07 Like he had enough exposure and throwing the football and taking over, you know, be able to take over games. Now you give them a competent run game, offensive line receivers in that elite defense. I don't think they lose that game. Right. And I think that's that's the big thing is that it's all about where you are. And while JJ McCarthy does have that championship pedigree, and I gave JJ McCarthy a high second-round grade, I gave Drake May a high first-round grade. Because at the end of the day, for me, I've seen more from Drake than I've seen from JJ, right?

Starting point is 00:11:39 We talk about why didn't JJ throw the ball. Yeah, they didn't have five-star receiver talent, but neither did Drake May. Like, you know what I mean? Like, he had, like I said, Josh Downs this year because of the NCAA and their finickiness, like them being finicky with the rules. Finally, you know, six games in,

Starting point is 00:11:58 let Taz Walker come back to the team and play, but he missed like five to six games without his number one target. So for me, I look at Drake, man, I said, I've seen what you look like when things aren't great around you and you were still impressive. They still trusted you. You, you had to be Superman. I think I tweeted that out sometime during his draft cycle, maybe a couple of months ago at the beginning of it. What I like JJ McCarthy at the end of the day, he was Clark Kent more than he was Superman. I watched Drake May be Superman game in and game out, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. And that's

Starting point is 00:12:37 why I think if you get him into a system where it's game to game, it's all depending on what we're dealing with. Hey, if it's third quarter and we need you to throw the ball, I trust Drake May to throw the ball. Right now, there's questions about, well, if you go up 21 on the J.J. McCarthy-led offense, can he throw the ball? Two drop-back sets. And this is something that you can look at the reason why Kyle Shanahan and the Niners have had such a bad record when they've entered the fourth quarter trailing by seven or more points.

Starting point is 00:13:08 The reason why they typically lose because they rarely have true drop back sets. J.J. McCarthy did not have a lot of drop back sets. Drake May had a ton of drop back sets at North Carolina. So I understand the appeal of, hey, he's a winner. Hey, he's intelligent. All the different phrases we will use to speak to characteristics. But one thing I typically like to remember is if someone's leading with characteristics and not skill, that's typically a red flag on the evaluation. Because I want to know what he is as a player first. I'll get to the character next. But talent gets you drafted. Character keeps you in the league.

Starting point is 00:13:49 So for me, it's like, all right, Drake May, what did I see from your tape? Yes, was he inconsistent because of some mechanical flaws? 100%. Was everything put on his shoulders that led to him being, you know, more exposed to the inconsistencies? 100%. It would have looked a lot different if he could, you know, give me a run.

Starting point is 00:14:06 They had a good run game, but their defense wasn't good at North Carolina. It just was not a good team. So it was like North Carolina was North Carolina because of one man, truthfully, and that's Drake May. And it kind of harkens back to what I said yesterday here on Locked On Patriots with my guest Steve Balistrieri. In the present versus potential principle that you're looking at with these quarterbacks even if you're grading them similarly or even even when it comes

Starting point is 00:14:30 to present in terms of being out of the box ready to start game one if you look at J.J. McCarthy and the characteristics that he brings to the table and say well that may give him the edge to start game one over Drake May you look at the potential and that's where the scales really tip in Drake's favor. So I agree with you. I've been on the Drake May train now for about a month here on Locked On Patriots. Believe it or not, I started off saying the Patriots needed to go left tackle. Don't worry about quarterback in the first round. But then when you started to see with an objective eye, a lot of what we saw last year, you realize

Starting point is 00:15:03 that a lot of the Patriots problems were quarterback related and it's a deep class when it comes to the offensive tackles and even the wide receivers Damian and I are going to talk about that in just a moment but don't worry folks we're not going to forget the other quarterbacks on the Patriots radar because until these picks are made on Thursday no one really knows for sure who's going to end up in New England what would Jaden Daniels look like in a Pats uniform? Maybe Michael Penix? Damian Parson is the man to answer those questions, and he will when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues,

Starting point is 00:15:32 a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Locked On listeners, we've all been there. You want tickets to watch your favorite team play at Fenway, but you're not quite sure how to get the best seats at the best prices. Well, GameTime is now an authorized ticket marketplace of Major League Baseball, which makes getting tickets even faster and easier. Prices on the GameTime app actually go down the closer it gets to the first pitch. With killer last minute deals all in

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Starting point is 00:16:49 download the game time app today last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed patriots fans thank you once again for joining us here today on locked on patriots and we are honored and humbled to be joined by one of the best in the business when it comes to draft analysis, the Draft Network's own Damian Parson, also a colleague of mine here on Locked On, something of which I am also honored and humbled. And Dame, in the previous segment, we talked about Drake May and his fit in New England, even for a little J.J. McCarthy talk in there for those Patriots fans that are looking for another Michigan quarterback to come in and recreate some magic. But I think we're kind of at the point where most people outside of New England and maybe most people inside of New England would be shocked if the

Starting point is 00:17:36 Patriots stayed at number three and didn't take either Drake May or Jaden Daniels. Depending on the reports that we're reading, Jaden is either disenfranchised with the commanders and doesn't want to go there and may slip to the pats at number three, or a lot of that is smoke and mirrors, and he's ready to be chosen to go to the nation's capital. Let's play devil's advocate for a moment. Washington takes Drake May, surprises a few people, and Jaden Daniels is sitting there. I've been saying throughout the draft cycle that the Patriots need to hand the keys to a quarterback who can not just succeed, but also thrive in Alex Van Pelt's offense. And in the previous segment, you talked about why Drake May can do that.

Starting point is 00:18:14 But Alex Van Pelt loves to run an offense that's predicated on using the run to set up play action, allow the quarterback to navigate the middle, and then take deep shots down the field. Jaden Daniels is one of the most dynamic dual threat quarterbacks we've seen as a prospect in a number of years maybe the best since lamar jackson he's at his best with quarterback run design plays so with some adjustments he could end up being a good fit with alex van pelt if new england does choose to go with jayaden Daniels either by default or by choice, what type of offense are the Patriots looking at in 2024 and beyond?

Starting point is 00:18:51 I think passing-wise, this is a guy that can push the ball vertical. He throws one of the best deep balls in the 2024 draft class, especially when you turn the tape, the slot fades. A lot of people talking about, well, he had Malik Neighbors and Brian Thomas Jr. Well, let's well, let's talk about that. Twenty twenty two. Jaden Daniels was the quarterback that year. I think Malik neighbors had barely eleven hundred yards and Brian Thomas Jr. did not have the type of season he had this year. Their growth and their ascension, no matter how talented they were, were tied to the growth and ascension of Jaden Daniels. The accuracy, the ball placement, the touch. His mechanics are so clean and crisp. He's got even shoulders. He's not a heavy overstepper when he's stepping into throws.

Starting point is 00:19:32 The one big thing for him was kind of caps where people view his potential as a passer is that he doesn't have the greatest arm in terms of the velocity between the middle of the field. Can he rip and zip a lot of those throws, right? Is this arm better than like a Bryce Young and Mack Jones? 100% in my opinion is greater than those guys, but his arm isn't on JJ McCarthy's level, Caleb Williams or Drake Mays, but that running ability, right? And I remember talking to one of my guys and he said, you know,

Starting point is 00:20:03 matter of fact, it was Keith. I was talking to Keith and Keith said, said he just gives the lsu's pro day and he i think he told me he asked about jj mccarthy i'm not i'm sorry jayden daniels um 40 time and like someone said that he would have been up there with like brian thomas jr so that's four three four four three five somewhere in there at the quarterback position and that shows on tape so not only can you create a run package for him i would say you look at you know just kind of pulling for what greg roman did early lamar jackson's years right you got a run game ramond receives a very talented running back right you brought in tonio gibson so you got a two-headed monster already right there in their backfield that That RPO game, that read option game,

Starting point is 00:20:46 where Jaden's eyes are paying to that backside end. If that backside end crashes, he takes it. And the way that Greg Roman used Lamar Jackson, it was attacking the edge time and time again to where eventually defenses said, well, I got to keep that backside end stationary. What does that do? It takes one extra defender out of the run

Starting point is 00:21:05 action on inside zones and power plays up the gut so that allows his running backs to have a little less guys in the box. And that's what Jaden Daniels would be able to do as well. But also, he creates on his own. Dropping back in the pocket, surveying the field. Sometimes, I will say

Starting point is 00:21:22 he has turned down clean throws or he sees a throw and he's not completely comfortable with it. But then it's like, do I have that get out of trouble free card? I do. I have that trump card that you have to prepare for. And this is a guy that truthfully playing man-to-man coverage, even though as a defensive coordinator, you say, man, you look at their receivers right now, heading into the draft, not considering what they may add. We look at their receivers like, man, we can play man-to-man against these guys.

Starting point is 00:21:52 We can play too high man-to-man coverage against these guys, two man under. Yeah, that sounds great in theory until you have to account for 11-on-11 football with Jaden Daniels because if he drops back and everybody's bad, he's, he's turned, he looks up field and all the defenders numbers on the back of their Jersey are looking back at him. He's getting out of that pocket. Right. So he can't same thing with Drake, man. He can't create and throw in the move, right. He's got really quick twitch muscles and,

Starting point is 00:22:20 and athleticism in the pocket to where he drops back. If there's a rusher coming as a play against Army, I think it was Army, where they had a rusher off the edge, he was able to sweep through it, step up in the pocket, then work outside, and just throw a dime on the move to Brian Thomas Jr. right into his hands. I think he took it the rest of the way for a touchdown. But it's those type of plays out of the pocket as a passer.

Starting point is 00:22:44 So he's accurate, has good ball placement. Even between the numbers when he does throw it, there's another play I think to Brian Thomas Jr. He was throwing the end cut and there was a safety driving down. Instead of throwing him and leading him, he threw it back to, you know, on the back shoulder, stopped his momentum, allowed him to spin around and get yards after the catch. And that's the type of stuff that we saw with Tom Brady protecting his assets, right? TB12 is always

Starting point is 00:23:10 great about throwing it low, knowing his guys can get it, throw it right there in the breadbasket, giving them a chance to catch and get down because he sees linebackers coming, safety's triggering down and not allowing his guys to get killed in the middle of the field. Now, granted, the game's a little bit softer now. You can't just kill shot guys like you could back in TB12's early days. But still, being able to protect your receivers, he does a good job. And the main thing with Jaden Daniels, protect himself. Even as dynamic of a runner he is, I always say he takes these like Looney Tunes cartoon hits, where it's just like, Jaden, just get down.

Starting point is 00:23:46 Like you should not, you know, you should not be taking these like full-on, head-on collisions, like train to train, but it's actually train to Prius, and the train wins. Like I don't want that for you, Jaden. Get out of bounds, slide, protect yourself. And I think when he does those things, he's going to be just fine. But this is a young man.

Starting point is 00:24:06 I think he can come in. You can, you know, again, push the ball down the field, run some, of course, the play action, the RPO game, slants, some in-breakers and out-breakers as well. He can attack all three levels of the field as well as a passer. Yeah, without question. I mean, Daniels is electrifying when you watch what he can do on the field. You watch what he did at LSU, and you fall in love with what he can do with his legs on power, on counter, even on the draw plays. I mean, he's just, that's where he's at his best and he's elusive. I mean, there's no question about it. He can definitely cause mismatches and really extend plays with his legs and create plays with his legs in a way that former Patriots quarterbacks have not been able to do in quite some time. So it would be a different method. It would be an electrifying

Starting point is 00:24:51 method and an exciting method of offense for Patriots fans to watch. So in that vein, yeah, I think that there would be a lot of people that would be excited by what Jaden Daniels brings to the table. And I, for one, would say that it's not a consolation prize if Drake Mays off the board and you need to go with Jaden. It might look a little bit different, but he's someone that you can hit your wagon to and be a franchise quarterback for a number of years. In that vein, a lot of Patriots fans are wondering if there is a little more fire to the smoke right now of the Patriots potentially trading down. If they do that, a lot of people are saying it might be a trade down, then a trade back up to put themselves in position to take Washington's Michael Penix. Now, Penix had a pedestrian performance at the Senior Bowl, but really

Starting point is 00:25:35 bounced back with great workouts, especially at the Combine, looked better, tested well, and most importantly, it looks like he's healthy. Those ACL issues that plagued him in Indiana seem to be behind him. The shoulder issue that he had last year in Washington seems to be behind him as well. I know there were questions about his accuracy, but if the Patriots do decide that they're going to shuffle the deck a little bit and maybe move down a little, move back up, and Penix is the guy that's available,

Starting point is 00:26:02 he does fit well into an Alex Van Pelt offense. Again, he's a guy that thrives when you use the run to set up play action, take the deep shots down the field, got a cannon of an arm. He can definitely do it. What do you think of Pennix's potential fit in New England? I think, like you said, with AVP's offense, I think he fits well. He throws a great touch down the field, whether it's deep down the field to the Roma Dunes days or on crossing routes to a Jalen McMillan, a Jalen Polk. He is accurate enough to give his guys opportunities to make plays after the catch. Like you said, the velocity to especially thread the needle in the middle of the field, tight window throws.

Starting point is 00:26:41 He has a good bit of those on film. The main thing with Michael Penix that you're concerned is making sure that this offensive line is going to be stout for him. Even though he ran 4-5, 4-6, whatever, because the 4-4-6 was absolutely not correct. Whatever he ran at his pro day, he's still not – even though with the ACLs, he still is athletic, but it's more so – for me, I'm not worried about him running so much as more so creating and then throwing on the move. He's not great throwing on the move, especially as a left handed quarterback.

Starting point is 00:27:13 Thinking about getting pressured and flushing him to his right. That's, you know, you know, to his weak side. That's what you definitely see. Some of those issues kind of take shape similar to a right-handed quarterback going left but i to me i've seen quarterbacks who are right-handed move left throw better going to their weak side than him moving to his right so i think moving him off the spot he to me is a prototypical pocket passer arm talent accuracy ball placement is there uh guy just played a lot of football so the iq and intellect of coverages and reading coverages is there. He is going to get through his reads if you give him protection. And again,

Starting point is 00:27:49 with the run game, their offense really found themselves when they started leaning on Dylan Johnson and giving him a play action, giving him the run action, put the ball in the belly of the running back, take it out. The RPO game as well. I think that's where, you know, you think about, especially if it's a second round situation, right? If they were to trade down with Minnesota, use those first two picks, one on tackle, one on one of the receivers in that second tier after the big three, you feel really good about that, man. If you're a Patriot fan and just be able to get some impact players at other positions, because like you said earlier, there are needs. I do think there is there a drop off from the top three in terms of Jaden, Drake and Caleb to Pinnock's?

Starting point is 00:28:39 Yes, there is. I think Pinnock's for me, I think I said this on a recent pod that I was on. Pinnock's is the kind of quarterback, if you're especially if you're ready to compete now, if your team's ready built right now, if the San Francisco 49ers did not have a quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. is the type of quarterback that, in my opinion, will be able to get them to the playoffs just like Brock Purdy was able to. You know what I mean? And I think he's that type of quarterback. You wonder about the ceiling. Is it capped? Is it all the prospect? I think he has to also work on his mechanics. A lot of times I don't see him activate his core and his lower body into throws. And truthfully, I think that steals some of his power and velocity. I think he's got more in the tank that he can unleash on some of these throws because he does have that kind of Philip Rivers, three quarter throwing motion, that kind of quirky throwing motion and everything.

Starting point is 00:29:26 And sometimes you see his upper body is leaning one way, his base is pointing in a different direction, and he's still throwing the ball. You want to see him similar to Drake May get synchronized, get everything lined up in rhythm, loading that back foot and stepping up properly and well into the pocket. The Texas game was big for him. That was a game where a lot of people said, well, that was a C.J. Stroud game. I didn't go that far because Texas defense wasn't Georgia's from the year before, but I do think that he will be a good fit in this offense,

Starting point is 00:29:58 barring being able to get him in the second round and add some pieces to this offensive line and the receiver core. Absolutely. Bats fans, we've talked quarterbacks in the top three on the board for your New England Patriots, but as we alluded to earlier in the pod, there are other needs. If the Patriots are serious about taking a quarterback in the first round, where does that leave them in round two and round three?

Starting point is 00:30:20 Do they go offensive line? Do they go receiver? Or are we missing a position that might help the Patriots contend sooner rather than later? We're going to wrap up our draft discussion with Damian Parson on that very subject when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. A proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. This next segment is brought to us by our sponsor, BetterHelp. Lockdown listeners, sometimes we all need the opportunity to get something off our chest. Big or small, certain

Starting point is 00:30:54 things can really start to get to you. It's important to let that out, especially to someone who's unbiased on your life. So today, I want to say how I'm really feeling about something, and you might even be thinking about the same thing this week. With the NFL draft just days away, I think all of us Patriots fans are hoping that the Patriots put themselves back on the path to success. Does that mean taking the big chance and drafting a future franchise quarterback, or playing it safe and building a solid infrastructure. Life can present the same types of questions and that's why therapy can be different for everyone. Most of us have bigger problems than our favorite sports team and it's important to get things off your chest every once in a while. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online,

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Starting point is 00:32:57 I'm going to keep saying it because we are. We built a new wisdom and counsel meter this week specifically for this man, and he already broke it and we're loving every minute of it. Dam parson my colleague here at lockdown and of course you know his great work from the draft network.com damian you've given us a master class on quarterbacks and the scouting reports coming out on all four quarterbacks that the patriots believe they have a realistic shot at getting for 2024 but quarterback, quite a few of our everydayers here on Locked On Patriots have made the argument that perhaps offensive line or even receiver are greater

Starting point is 00:33:32 needs, even greater needs than quarterback. Now, reports are surfacing on Tuesday morning that New England is yet to get, quote unquote, a serious offer to trade out of number three. In fact, some of the reports out there are saying that the offers they've got so far are laughable. I don't know what that means. It sounds pretty bad, but you know what? We'll take it for what it's worth. If they don't move, they stay at number three, they'll probably get their quarterback. But if they do that, where do you believe this team is going to look in subsequent rounds, maybe round two, round three, maybe trading back into late round one. What are their biggest needs?

Starting point is 00:34:07 Is it offensive line? Is it wide receiver? Or is it a position maybe we haven't mentioned yet? It's those two positions. Offensive line and wide receiver are the two biggest keys for me for the Patriots, right? You know, being able to pick, if you stick and pick at three, at the third pick.

Starting point is 00:34:25 Right. You got the second round. You got pick 34. Third round. You got pick 68. And then fourth round, you got pick 103. So you have four picks within the top one hundred and three picks in the draft, which is good to have good value there. I think second round, it depends. The pendulum swings depends on the talent at both positions, right, for tackle and receiver. If there's a legitimate starting left tackle that slips down the board, that falls to you, you know, think about Oklahoma's Tyler Guyton or someone like that that's available. A guy that he may – I don't know if you start him right out the gate, but Yale's tackle, Kieran Amagadeji, outstanding talent, 6'5", 300-plus

Starting point is 00:35:06 pounds on the game, 36-inch arms, long arm. He's athletic. He's strong, good footwork. You know what I'm saying? He played at Yale, so of course, there's going to be a little bit of a learning curve. He's coming off a quad injury that kept him out of the senior bowl because he was supposed to go down to Mobile, where he probably would have made himself a lot of money to be able to prove himself amongst uh the talented group of tackles but yeah if tackle if you see a starting tackle at in the second round you absolutely run that card right and i know that the receiver position is still a big need but this is one of the guys i'm telling you this is one of most, one of the deeper receiver classes that I've scouted in recent history. You're going to find yourself a starter around three, four,

Starting point is 00:35:50 probably even five, a guy that, you know, and it's all, it's like walking into an ice cream parlor and having a choice of whatever flavor you want. If you need a slot receiver, you're going to find that. If you need a run after catch receiver, you're going to find that. If you need an X receiver, an explosive receiver, you can find it. A Z, a movement guy, you can find to find that. If you need a run after catch receiver, you're going to find that. If you need an X receiver, an explosive receiver, you can find it. A Z, a movement guy, you can find that as well. This is a loaded class at wide receiver. So for me, you know, not that these are the two names that I, that most people expect to fall to the top of the 33, 33 and 34,

Starting point is 00:36:21 where the Panthers and you guys are selecting, are like Xavier Leggett out of south carolina then keon coleman out of florida state from what i've heard that both of those guys still do have first round grades from a lot of teams we'll see what happens especially when you have kansas city that most likely needs a receiver uh regardless of what happens with rishi rice they still need a new receiver. Of course, you think about the Buffalo Bills. Will they stand pat and take a receiver or trade out? But there's multiple teams that could go for a receiver in front of you. But if either one of those guys fell down the board,

Starting point is 00:36:55 I probably would just go ahead and pick those guys immediately. Get that bona fide number one caliber receiver, that guy that can dominate the target share, right? That you're, okay, I'm going to feed this young man the football, no matter who's the quarterback. And especially if you're able to get Drake May or Jaden Daniels, getting those two guys who can then attack the vertical plane with their speed, especially, you know, Xavier Legette being at 4'3", 9".

Starting point is 00:37:22 But then also, you know, Keon Coleman plays faster than his 4-6-1. But the ball skills at 6-3, 2-15, 2-20, the ball skills at the catch point, the back shoulder fades, the slant to income. Is he more of a possession-style receiver? Yes, but he's also very nifty and elusive because he's a punt returner and kick returner, both of these guys, actually. So you got two big body guys who can make guys miss an open field because they're so used to working in confined spaces so i think

Starting point is 00:37:50 just depends on what's available at the top of the second round in terms of all right let's look at our draft board who's available all right so xavier gets available keon coleman's available kieran amaga daj is available ty Tyler Guyton's available. Whichever prospect at whichever position is highest on the Patriots board, that's the position that they have to go with because they know that, okay, we're getting the immediate. We view this guy as a day one starter. He's going to come in and be an impact player, whether that's a tackle or a receiver.

Starting point is 00:38:19 I think that third and fourth round, truthfully, that you might look at, if you go tackle second round, you might want to double dip at receiving. In this class, you might double dip at receiving in the third and fourth round and get yourself some more athleticism, some more versatility, and movement ability in terms of alignments. Absolutely. And, you know, bottom line, folks, like we've been saying right along here on Locked On Patriots, it really comes down to whether or not you can see Chuck Sikora for being your starting left tackle when the Patriots

Starting point is 00:38:48 come out of the gate in game one of the 2024 season or are you comfortable having someone like a Taequann Thornton or playing a little out of position a Kendrick Bourne being your number one wide receiver obviously Thornton's got the speed to be someone that can beat guys down the field but can he put it all together we haven't it yet. There's a lot of talent on both of those positions. And Damian, you've outlined that talent very, very well, my friend. A tip of the cap for mentioning Xavier Leguette, who I actually mocked to the Patriots by trading back into the first round to get him because I was afraid I was going to lose him running the mock draft board. I caught some heat for that, but bottom line, I think that's the type of talent that you

Starting point is 00:39:27 definitely look at and say, we can't leave that on the board. But what can I say? I appreciate all of your wisdom and counsel today and taking the time out of your busy schedule on draft week, especially the drop by here, locked on Patriots way. I think you've given so much for Patriots fans to think about between now and Thursday. Before I let you go, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you, interact with you, and where we can find the great work of Damian Parson, both in front of the camera and on paper prior to the draft.

Starting point is 00:39:56 Absolutely. On Twitter or slash X, you can find me at DP underscore NFL. You know, talk to me. I talk to everyone that mentions me on there. Of course, all of my scouting reports over at the Draft Network. You can go see me on camera on the Draft Network's YouTube channel. We did some great content. We had a series called The Draft Room. We went over just kind of different scenarios for different teams. Talked about Marvin Harrison Jr. Is he the best receiver prospect ever? Different things things like that just some good conversational pieces

Starting point is 00:40:27 also the quarterback room where we talked about drake may jayden daniels and everything so had a really great time with that and of course five days a week locked on nfl draft podcast with me and my guy my co-host uh my colleague from the draftraft Network as well, Coach K, Keith Sanchez. So yeah, check us out there five days a week, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, definitely go and tap in with us. Absolutely, folks. And anytime Damian puts pen to paper or he puts voice to microphone or face to camera, it is always appointment viewing, appointment listening. You'll be entertained.

Starting point is 00:40:59 You'll be most importantly, well-educated heading into the draft. He and Coach K do an amazing job on the Locked On NFL podcast. Of course, I'm a little biased to the Locked On NFL draft podcast, but no, the draft network, believe me, is phenomenal, and this man's content is second to none. And I thank you for dropping by here today. And folks, we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us here on Locked On Patriots.

Starting point is 00:41:22 On behalf of Damian Parson, I'm Mike DeBate, reminding you all to stay safe and to stay well and to be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone, and we'll see you back here again tomorrow for Draft Day Eve here on Locked On Patriots.

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