Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots' Draft Dilemma: Will Campbell, Kelvin Banks, Jr. or Another Prospect?

Episode Date: March 4, 2025

Can the New England Patriots secure a game-changing offensive tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft? With the NFL Scouting Combine fresh in mind, the spotlight is on potential picks like LSU's Will Campbell an...d Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr. as the Patriots strategize for a stronger lineup. Join host Mike D’Abate  and guest expert Thomas Murphy as they dissect listener-submitted mock drafts, focusing on offensive tackles and wide receivers. The discussion highlights Campbell's arm length and Banks' top-10 potential, while also comparing wide receiver prospects Luther Burden III and Isaiah Bond. Tune in for an engaging analysis of the Patriots' draft strategy and discover which prospects could redefine their game. #nfl #nfldraft #newenglandpatriots Find Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFm... Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-... And follow host Mike D’Abate on X, where he’ll be sharing the latest ne ws about the New England Patriots and talking with fans — @mdabateNFL Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! ChewyChewy has everything you need to keep your pet happy and healthy. And right now you can save $20 on your first order and get free shipping by going to Chewy.com/LOCKEDONNFL. FanDuelRight now, new FanDuel customers can get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Bonus Bets if your first FIVE DOLLAR bet wins!Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Starting point is 00:00:00 With the 2025 NFL scouting combine now in the books, should the New England Patriots still believe that Will Campbell is a viable option at tackle in the 2025 NFL draft? 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. Thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. I'm your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country, so reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on x at mdabatenfl while you're out there showing some love to
Starting point is 00:00:51 lockdown Patriots social media style follow our account there as well at lo underscore Patriots and you can always find me where the skies are blue on blue sky at mdabatenfl.bsky.social and Pats fans today's episode brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new FanDuel customers can get $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. Pats fans, the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine is now in the books. And here on Locked on Patriots this week, we find ourselves in a unique position to be able to not only bring you some of the highlights from the combine, but also incorporate
Starting point is 00:01:31 that into our favorite segment here on Locked On Patriots. And that is Mock Draft Monday. Three amazing mock drafts. We are honored to share these today. And I say we because joining me here today as he does each and every mock draft monday the man who is not only contractually obligated to be here each and every monday but even if he wasn't we would drag him out from wherever he was and bring him here because no one brings the wisdom the counsel the wit and the grit like my guest today my good friend the kind
Starting point is 00:02:00 of murphy fisto himself a legendary thomas murphy thank you for coming to me in friendship today don murph oh my pleasure michael my pleasure man this is always the best time of the year when we start breaking down your mocks and seeing what you want the patriots to do what you think that they should be able to do um we're musing we're musing the draft absolutely we are musing the draft i like that you know and i think we need to get back to that because Murph and I always said that we never, ever mock the draft. We do not disparage or make fun of the draft in any ways. What we do is we use your great work as a muse for what the draft should be. So in that case, Murph, I think we should dive right in and I think we should muse the
Starting point is 00:02:39 draft because not only does this first draft that we have here today to critique and grade, give us a great cross section of potential Patriots draft targets, but it also, I think, ties into maybe the news of the week for the New England Patriots. The gentleman whose work we're going to be sharing in just a moment may have made me an offer I couldn't refuse. And that is our good friend, a long time every day of Lockdown Patriots, Bob, the fantasy godfather and bob's been submitting mock drafts to us since we've started here on locked on patriots doing this and i think
Starting point is 00:03:12 bob hit some really interesting notes here yep without further ado let's take a look at it folks for the benefit of those of you who are not viewing on youtube and are listening to this podcast bob has the patriots at number four taking LSU tackle Will Campbell and we're going to get into Will in just a moment folks I know Murph is chomping at the bit to talk about this subject and we are absolutely going to do that but once again for the benefit of those listening I want to make sure that everyone has a clear picture as to what Bob's draft entails in the second round at number 38 Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer, who had an interesting week in Indianapolis.
Starting point is 00:03:51 He gets the choice for the New England Patriots. Helped bolster that edge rush a little bit. Pats need some serious help there. Number 69 in round three, another intriguing tackle prospect, Wyatt Millam out of West Virginia. We've seen him pop up on a lot of boards for the New England Patriots maybe he might be the answer to what the Patriots are looking for at the tackle position maybe as a swing option who knows in the third round continuing at number 77
Starting point is 00:04:16 the Patriots take a running back and they take one of the better ones in this draft class someone who I believe had a very good week down in indy and that is quinshawn judkins out of ohio state this pick i think was a steal where bob was able to pick him up i don't believe he'll still be there in the third round but not a bad haul here so far for bob number 105 in round four kentucky defensive lineman deon walker at number 145 in the fifth round patriots finally dip into the wide receiver pool, getting Pat Bryant out of Illinois. Patriots picking up some tight endage.
Starting point is 00:04:50 High Claire out at number 219. Syracuse's own Aranda Gadsen II. Patriots going to Rutgers and bringing back a little bit of that Rutgers-Belichickian flavor at tackle. Really kind of anchoring, I think, this position, solidifying it, picking up Holland Pierce, and of course, rounding it all out in round seven at pick number 240. Patriots get some much-needed help at the safety position.
Starting point is 00:05:14 Malachi Moore comes in out of the University of Alabama. Now, Murph, we'll get into the picks, and we'll talk about what we believe are some of our diamond in the rough picks here, interesting ones, But we're going to start with the pick of the day. And coming into this week's Combine, Murph, Pats fans were very intrigued by Will Campbell, the tackle out of LSU. By consensus, he's one of the top names on the board. I don't think anything that happened over the week will take him out of that running as being one of the top tackle prospects in this draft.
Starting point is 00:05:43 But everyone was concerned about measurements and about his arm length we heard rumors scattered throughout the week on what these measurements would indeed say but ultimately Campbell comes in at 32 and 5 8 inches that is a little bit below what we would call the equator when it comes to tackle options in the NFL it would put him in the lower echelon because of that his wingspan measuring in at 77 to 3 8 inches would be the shortest of any offensive tackle in the league so a lot of people are looking at Will right now as potentially an outlier at the tackle position now we heard all week long that the Pats were very much interested in
Starting point is 00:06:26 will campbell and a few national pundits even still believe he will be the player taken at number four if the patriots choose to remain there you see things us mere mortals don't see my friends so when you look at will campbell taking under account the measurements but also his resume at LSU. Should the Patriots still be interested in taking Will Campbell that high in this NFL draft? No, no, no. I've been on this since the get-go, and we're going to talk about it in a little bit. But no, the measurements, they mean something. They don't mean everything. That's not what I'm getting at.
Starting point is 00:07:03 I just think that there's another tackle in this draft class that is better than him. All right. That's it. Plain and simple. I will not be upset if they end up with Will Campbell. I think he can play the tackle position. How well that is, is I, God, man, I'd just be so much happier if dante scarnecchio was in the building full time but no will will's a fine uh prospect i just i just can't see it at number four obviously the big question now is arm length and in your estimation because of the position that you played because of your knowledge about offensive linemen and what it means what is the disadvantage of having someone like a will campbell who does have a great deal of talent like you said but comes up short when it comes to the wingspan what's the biggest reason why he may have fallen off of the patriots radar
Starting point is 00:07:56 this weekend um god that's that's a that's a great question um his punch isn't what you would want it from somebody being taken that high. I believe that the scheme that he ran down there keeps him in the mix here. But I honestly, I'm looking at this from a really biased standpoint. I'm really sorry, folks. I tend to at this from a really biased standpoint. I'm really sorry, folks. I tend to do this. I fall in love with people, and it helps me to fall out of love with other people. I'm really not sure, except for the measurables, why the Patriots would back off of this and where he might end up going, 4, 5, six, depending on how the board falls.
Starting point is 00:08:48 I can't see the measurables taking him off. I can't see his performance on the field taking him off the board. So, no, I still believe that he's on the board. The only thing is I think that they'd be much better off with the other option here at number four. And we are. We're going to get into it. I have nothing against Will Campbell. If Will Campbell ends up being the Patriots selection at number four,
Starting point is 00:09:14 cool, I've got a left tackle. I do believe he's a left tackle. I do believe that he's going to play in this league for a very long time. And like I said before, there's no Joe All in this draft. It's just not there. And before we move on from this subject i do think it's worth pointing out an interesting tidbit that i was able to pull for today's show and i want to give a tip of the cap to our good friends over at pat's pulpit who were the ones who originated this point uh so i want to give credit where credit is due one thing that i think is worth pointing out with the measurements
Starting point is 00:09:42 almost every lineman measured at the combine this week came in a fourth to a half inch shorter than they did at both the senior bowl and the shrine bowl so something to monitor there folks i'm not saying it's going to make a huge difference but keep a very sharp eye on the measurements for will campbell when it comes to his pro day that's the measurement that i think All I can say to Will is just get a little longer and make everybody happy. But no, at the end of it, I'd be happy. I wouldn't be throwing the television through the wall if Will Campbell ended up being the Patriots first pick in the draft. Yeah, I don't think a lot of Patriots fans would. Look, Murph, we've've said before we believe it's the biggest need on the team yeah and if you believe that you have a generational talent that you can mold into the type of guy that's going to keep Drake May comfortable and upright for the foreseeable future
Starting point is 00:10:35 you grab that with both hands every opportunity that's going to be the question that the Patriots have to answer folks is Will Campbell and the 32 and 5 8 inch arms but the great resume that he has enough to warrant his pick either at number four or to trade down a little bit if he's starting to slip throughout the boards so excellent point murph but moving on uh the godfather definitely did have another few intriguing options and the one that i want to talk about is the one that he snagged at number 38 in the second round. Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer. Now, Sawyer comes in with the reputation of being a Mike Rabel guy. He's that type of no-nonsense, head-down, grit defender that I know Mike would love to employ.
Starting point is 00:11:19 He's an Ohio State guy, so Mike's automatically going to love this guy. He did have a little bit of a questionable appearance at the combine if i'm being extremely honest lost his footing a couple of times during the on-field drills he didn't run the 40 or he performed in any other the individual testing workouts maybe he's protecting himself maybe he's saving it for the pro day these guys have the options to do it but the one thing that i loved about jack sawyer and that i think maybe saved his week is while he was progressing through his drills he was pulled over aside by a few coaches and was asked to model how that drill was carried
Starting point is 00:11:57 out to some of the other prospects that were out there on the field that says to me an awful lot if you're being used as a model as an example during the combine you know you're doing something right uh if he's available at number 38 i do think the patriots are giving him a look here yeah i agree um there's there's you know there's some drawbacks with sawyer um his bend isn't fantastic he's he's not he's not the quickest guy off the ball athletically i i think he's he's an average joe okay he's an average i think he's going to come in he could play he could play in base and and he's a good run stopper the second round um i think it might be a little early overall i think we've started off with a talent richrich and very savvy draft from Bob, our fantasy godfather.
Starting point is 00:12:48 Again, you play the ball as it lies, Bob, and I think you've knocked it out of the park on more than one occasions. Murph, what say you? How do you grade the godfather's draft here? B-plus. It's a B-plus draft. The only reason that I'm giving it a B-plus and not an A-minus is don't bring me Syracuse, guys. Don't bring me Syracuse, guys. Don't do it. I'm a not an a minus is don't bring me syracuse guys don't do it i'm a yukon guy don't play you want some guys mixed in there as well um i'm going to give this one an a minus uh the reason being is that i still think campbell uh brings so much to
Starting point is 00:13:18 the table and i think this kid could be a very good left tackle here in new england i actually happen to agree with murph though i do think there is one option that would be a better one. But if you're going to bring me this as the centerpiece of your draft, considering how some of the skill positions performed over the week, and we're going to get into that as well, sometimes you take the surefire bet, and I think Campbell is a surefire bet. And I'm a little higher on Sawyer than most because I love the wit and the grit that he brings to the football field.
Starting point is 00:13:48 And I think Mike Vrabel would have a ball coach. No problem. So bottom line, Godfather, we appreciate everything that you have done. Thank you for coming to us in friendship. And we definitely hope that this is not the last submission from Bob, the fantasy Godfather for the year here in 2025. But
Starting point is 00:14:07 Murph, we're about to make your day because if there is a player on this board that Murph has coveted more than Will Campbell at the tackle position, it's the gentleman that's going to lead off this next mock draft. I'm not going to step on his toes. I'm not going to steal his thunder. I'm going to let Murph kick this off when we return and we bring you our second mock draft here on Mock Draft Monday when this episode of the Lockdown Patriots podcast continues a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Lockdown listeners, when the game tips off, the NBA action is just getting started, and there's no better place to get in on it than FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook.
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Starting point is 00:15:35 That's FanDuel.com for your shot at $150 in bonus bets. Make every moment more with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. That's fans. Thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots. It is Mock Draft Monday, and if it's Mock Draft Monday, there's no one else that could take this ride with me other than the man that Mock Draft Mondays were created for right here on Locked On Patriots, my good friend, the legend himself, Thomas Murphy. Murph, in the previous segment, we talked about the tackle position, something you know very well.
Starting point is 00:16:14 We all know it is either the Patriots' biggest need or, at the very least, one of their biggest needs. Bob, the fantasy godfather in our previous M our previous mock draft had the Patriots taking Will Campbell out of LSU we talked about the arm length measurements the concerns the pros and the cons we still believe it to be a good pick but there's someone else out there that you believe might be a better fit for the Patriots at that position and of course in true fashion it took one of our everydayers to bring you a gift you've been waiting for since Mock Draft Monday opened its doors a couple of weeks ago. Jason Sullivan, our good friend Sully, who continues to be a most valued everydayer, a Mock Draft Monday all-star, delivered Mock Draft Murph that I'm going to give you the pleasure of announcing the first pick.
Starting point is 00:17:04 So without further ado, my friend, have at it. Who have the New England Patriots selected in Sully's first submission here on mock draft Monday in 2025? With the fourth pick in the NFL draft, the NFL Sully draft, they select Kelvin Banks Jr. Kelvin Banks is my draft crush this year at the top of the draft. And, you know, there have been some questions about him, like, you know, arm length. And well, he ended up measuring in at 33 inch arms, which is, you know, it hits everybody's threshold. You know, his footwork is fantastic. He tested really well. He ran what some people would consider a slow 40, 5.16, but he had a fantastic split at 1.79 at the 10-yard spot. He had a 32-inch vertical.
Starting point is 00:17:58 That's fantastic. That's a fantastic number for a man his size. uh he moved really really well um i i went back and i watched you know his workout two or three times looking for reasons to doubt myself and i didn't find any i really didn't find any banks is the pick banks is the best uh offensive tackle in this draft he's going to be a left tackle he's going to be a left tackle in this league for 10 years i cannot in good faith disagree with anything that you said this kid is one of those game-changing type prospects and i do think he'd be a hand and glove fit here in new england without any stretch of the imagination now i know that banks is not someone that normally pops up at number four on draft boards if the new england patriots have coveted
Starting point is 00:18:46 him do you believe that there is a trade to be made where maybe you can move down a few pieces to still pick him up or would you not take that chance do you just take him at four because he's the guy you want um depending how the board falls um yeah there's a chance that you could grab him at 8. He's not going to fall far out of the top 10. He's just not. The position is too important. This man started 42 straight games at left
Starting point is 00:19:16 tackle. He's a left tackle. There's going to be no reason to move him into guard. You see the market out there for left tackles and free agency. It just doesn't open up. All right. And if you want guys that are going to make an impact at this position, you have to take them early.
Starting point is 00:19:35 You really do. Because as much as I love Rutgers guys who are humongous, they're projects. And they could end up being swing tackles and you can probably say that out of anybody that you're probably taking in the third round at this position okay it's a project you have to get these guys early you have to get some of the best uh talent that's available this kid's the best talent available 79.9 true pass set pro no campbell is 70 is 71 71.7 i'll give him the point he's just better yeah okay that's it i it's got nothing to do with arm length it's got nothing to do any he's just better banks was not the only pick uh that jason made that i thought was a good one or i thought
Starting point is 00:20:20 was at least intriguing you take a look here in the second round at number 38 love it pcu wide receiver jack besh i would absolutely love to see this pick the third round at number 69 donovan jackson yeah this is intriguing to me murph and i want to pick your brain about donovan in just a little bit because a lot of people are saying guard for him because he's a natural guard but right played tackle more often than not last year i think did a pretty good job and i actually think he did well enough in the combine this week to maybe merit that selection as a tackle we'll see we're going to revisit that in just a moment round three number 77 you want to talk draft crushes i'm loving me some gunner helm right now tight end out of texas yeah i know you got your sharp eye on him. I don't want to infringe upon your territory too much, but he happens to remind me of a certain present Patriots tight end right now that I think could really pay dividends for New England, especially if Drake May continues
Starting point is 00:21:15 his relationship with one Hunter Henry. This guy could be a spare in short order. So we'll revisit that in a moment. Rounding out the Patriots fourth through the seventh rounds at number 105 in round four barrett carter the linebacker out of clemson comes to your new england patriots that stay on the defensive side of the ball in round five at number 145 edge rusher rj oban out of notre dame round 7 219 a wide receiver out of lsu kyron lacey this one could be an eye-opener. A lot of reasons why it could work. A lot of reasons why it couldn't. We'll get into those in just a moment.
Starting point is 00:21:52 And then a couple of familiar names we've seen on boards here so far. Round 7, number 222, another Oregon cornerback, Jabbar Muhammad. I like this pick. I'm starting to really warm to it in later rounds. And then bringing up the rear Murph loves it Michigan running back Donovan Edwards comes to the Patriots at round seven number 240 so bottom line I think Sully has submitted a solid draft here um Jack Besch is someone obviously who I think captured the hearts of everyone during the senior bowl and
Starting point is 00:22:23 for those of you that don't know, 27-year-old Tiger Besch, the older brother of Jack Besch, Princeton Tigers standout, dreamed of playing in the NFL one day. He was among the 14 that were killed in a truck attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day that claimed the life of a senseless terrorist attack. And Jack and his brother Tiger were so close. And they shared a bond and a love for football that really is indelible and continues to permeate through everything Jack does each and every day on a football field. He dedicated his performance in the Senior Bowl to his brother's
Starting point is 00:22:59 memory, caught a two-yard touchdown pass with seven seconds left to give the American team a 22-19 victory. Finished the game with six catches, 68 yards. Game's MVP. At the combine, he didn't run the 40-yard dash, but he was 14th among receivers in the vertical jump, 34.5 inches. Tied for 7th in the broad jump at 10 feet 5 inches. This kid not only has the athletic ability that I think he showed off, and I think he'll continue to show off in his pro days, but Murph, a quickness,
Starting point is 00:23:30 route running capabilities, sure hands. If the Patriots are interested in bringing in a sure fire receiver, someone that is reliable, Jack Bess has got to be on the top of that list. Yeah, without a doubt, man, This kid just does not drop balls. It does not happen. You know, he runs with a ferocity that I haven't seen in these parts in a very long time. And it's almost Gronkian, the way he attacks the run after the catch. And I love this kid. If you could bring him in here, it would, you know,
Starting point is 00:24:09 we're not talking about a number one wide receiver. That's not what you're getting here. But he's somebody that could be a 1A, a very high 2. I really love this kid. I would love this pick to happen. Yeah, I do as well. And, again, will the board maneuver around to allow the Pats to be able to take someone like a Jack Bess? Murph, before we get into grading this, one name I did want to pick your brain on was Donovan Jackson, tackle out of Ohio State.
Starting point is 00:24:40 Now, we talked about two of the highest profile left tackle prospects in the draft this year at kelvin banks jr and will campbell some will tell you josh simmons may be the best of the three out of ohio state and murph is not in his head right now because he's loving him some josh simmons but yeah there is an injury history last year taurus right attendant and donovan jackson who played the guard position stepped in played the left tackle position pretty well. He played 529 snaps, helping the Buckeyes, obviously, to a national championship. He surrendered only two sacks and 19 pressures, running out of position more often than not. So when you look at what Donovan is able to do, a lot of people have said, well, put him back at his natural position. He's a guard, but some are saying that his performance last year at the tackle position may allow him to
Starting point is 00:25:31 be able to be drafted as a tackle. And even though he didn't necessarily look at a hundred percent throughout this entire combine cycle, he was clearly being hampered by something. I don't know what a lot of the details around it were very cryptic, but he still looked better than most in the drills that he participated in, at least in my estimation. And I really love the way he maneuvered through the mirror drill. For those that were boots on the ground that I spoke to, they said that the way he maneuvered through that mirror drill and the buzz it was causing led a lot of people to believe that this kid will be drafted as a tackle. If you're the New England Patriots, should you be giving a second or maybe even a third look to Donovan Jackson as an option this season? Oh, without a doubt. The way he seamlessly moved from one spot to the other last year, it was so impressive. You don't see that every day from a guy that is this young.
Starting point is 00:26:26 He didn't do it in high school. He was able to do it at the college level. I think he would be a fine addition to this offensive line. What he's able to do, he played offensive tackle like a guard, all right, with that mean streak. And I think that's something that we all know Mike Vrabel really loves. You know, his punch, we talked about a lack of punch earlier. This guy's initial punch is unworldly. You know, thunder and lightning claps when he's out there
Starting point is 00:27:04 and he gets his hands into somebody. He's got a fantastic lock. And I would love this pick. I really would. I would love this pick. You love position versatility, especially when you're talking about a lack of depth on an offensive line. I think this kid could come in here and play, you know, either guard position, definitely be a right tackle. I don't know if he could be a left tackle in the league, but he could definitely play right tackle, maybe some swing. In what I've looked at and watching
Starting point is 00:27:38 him go through that mirror drill, I do believe that this kid could be a solid tackle prospect. And at the very least, you got yourself a swing option on the bench to kind of groom into a potential starter. Yeah, this could be a good, intriguing prospect for the New England Patriots in subsequent rounds. Murph, it's great time. When you look at what Jason Sullivan has put out here, we know he's always among our mock draft all-stars.
Starting point is 00:28:01 What say you? How did he do on this offering? He did a fantastic job up and down, man. Donovan Jackson in the third. Gunnar Helm in the fourth. Again, ignore the PFF. I love Gunnar Helm in the fourth round. And Jabbar Muhammad down there.
Starting point is 00:28:21 He's somebody that I believe you said earlier is moving up your uh your board i i would love it at 222 yeah let's go get it man this is an a draft yeah this is an a draft he he hit on so many um so many uh positions of need barrett carter this is an a draft way to go sully absolutely i'm joining you in your assessment i'm giving this an a uh simply because i love kelvin banks jr at the top we've already gushed poetically about jack bash donovan jackson you've given me even more insight than i tried to develop over the week watching him and gunner helm again we talk about someone that is really becoming a draft crush everyone who's
Starting point is 00:29:02 watched locked on patriots who's been in every day or since the inception, since I took the microphone here on Locked On, knows that I used to cover the Los Angeles Chargers. I watched Hunter Henry come in as a young prospect, a tight end position, someone whose athleticism and speed will not wow you as a prospect. But one thing he had,
Starting point is 00:29:20 he had the size and the frame to play the position. He had short hands. He had great football intelligence and impeccable route running for an NFL-level tight end. This kid checks all those boxes. I really do believe that he is someone that could come in and look at what's going on on the field and immediately be able to read it. And that was something that Hunter Henry had. Steve Sarkeesian, obviously his coach atxas explained that he scored a touchdown earlier last year and i'm quoting steve directly on this
Starting point is 00:29:50 by correctly reading an unfamiliar look thrown at him by lsu safeties during this game that is something that shows impeccable field awareness and that's also something that shows the mature way to run a route as an nfl level prospect so i thought this was probably an a minus cusp draft but when i really looked at what he was able to do by bringing in gunner in the fourth round here that definitely went to an a so a tip of the cap sully great job bob the godfather really hitting it out of the park murph we've got two drafts now on the books but guess what bud we're not quite done yet there's one more still left on the table and this one really intrigued me a lot of prospects that
Starting point is 00:30:31 may have either hurt or helped their cause over the course of the last few days in Indianapolis and the priority switch of some positions in need might be a little higher up on this board than maybe some of the others that a lot of Pats fans are submitting. I commend this gentleman for his efforts, and we're going to discuss them in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Pats fans, thank you once again for joining us MocDraftportsfans.com murph we've already taken a look at two intriguing mock drafts both of which had the patriots addressing the tackle position right off the bat this draft that we're about to grade does not deviate from that however we've seen some of these drafts go into defensive positions
Starting point is 00:31:42 beef up a little bit more when it comes to the offensive line in this one patriots have actually prioritized the wide receiver position and one of those selections i thought was absolutely impossible prior to the combine the combine may have changed the possibility of this man's draft and that's why we're choosing will lafaber who sent in his mock draft by email and folks we appreciate you always sending those in by email it's locked on patriots at gmail.com always open 24 hours a day seven days a week you can send it in there as well and will submission begins with will campbell at number four top of the heat however when you go to pick 38 in the second round will is prioritizing the wide
Starting point is 00:32:26 receiver position luther burton the third one of the top receiver prospects out there going to the new england patriots in the second round in the third at number 69 texas wide receiver isaiah bond now prior to the combine murph i would have thought that this was wishful thinking yeah it's absolute best even though Bond comes with his pluses his minuses you still look at the speed and you say no that's going to be a second round at the absolute worst but Bond didn't necessarily help him with a tremendous uh showing in terms of testing at the combine this week this is what I want to come back to in a moment but rolling along in the third round i picked number 77 harold fannin jr tight end out of bowling green i think his stock may have been a little bit higher precombine he didn't necessarily have the best week in indianapolis
Starting point is 00:33:15 that may have hurt him a little bit murph will does address the offensive line he certainly does not keep it on the back burner a name we're quite familiar with here as an offensive tackle boston college standout ozzy trapillo comes to the patriots in the fourth round at number 105 in the fifth round at number 145 nc state prospect anthony belton continues to rise up boards um at pick number 219 in the second round jaman dumas johnson a linebacker out of kentucky and number 222 in the seventh round trevor atn a favorite of murph the running back out of georgia i think this kid's going to go higher than this he's starting to climb draft boards but if he's there in the seventh round you take him with both oh yeah and another wide receiver for the new england patriots to add
Starting point is 00:34:00 to the mix elijah badger coming in at number 240 seventh round a wide receiver out of florida murph obviously we've said all we said i think that we need to say about will campbell but yeah wanted to pick your brain a little bit on luther burden and isaiah bond because both of these gentlemen are high profile receivers in this draft i think one helped his cause i think one may have hurt his cause a little bit I think burden had the overall better week in the combine oh yeah there's an argument to be made that he may actually be a smarter pick earlier on in the draft than bond and I probably wouldn't have said that a week ago when you look at their combine performances and you look at the skill sets both of these guys
Starting point is 00:34:41 bring to the table first of all who would be your pick in the second round and if you are going to go wide receiver which is the smarter one for the Patriots yeah it's a burden uh you know you want to talk about separation and the fact that we're tired of seeing hearing about contested catch guys contest to get catch guys or contested catch guys because they can't get separation okay that's that's why. This kid is a burner and a half, man. He creates instant separation with his first step off the line. I love his hands. He just plucks the ball out of the air like few guys.
Starting point is 00:35:18 The way he tracks a ball downfield, Drake May is going to love this kid, and so are the rest of you if you haven't seen him. Burden is the picket too. Bond is just, he's falling. There's nothing else to say right now. He was solidly a second-round pick, maybe even an end of the first round if you listen to some people out there. Not me, but some people out there.
Starting point is 00:35:47 And no, Burden's the man. I love Luther Burden III. I would definitely grab him as soon as day two started. The more the merrier. The help wanted sign is up on the wide receivers room. So they're going to try to bring in as many prospects as they can. And who better to kind of cultivate that group than josh mcdaniels to round out the mix obviously harold fannin jr ozzy trapillo anthony belton jaman dumas johnson trevor atn elijah badger
Starting point is 00:36:16 i know you've spoken very glowingly about atn murph but yeah who among this group uh and will's uh mock draft here kind of caught your eye as you were looking to grade this fall? You know, Anthony Belton out of North Carolina State. Steve's probably going to love that pick. Jumaan Dumas Johnson is a fine project. I don't think he has the requisite speed right now, but he's got the body type to come in and be a good run stuffer. Somebody that you would like to see in this three, four system that that's being brought in and implemented.
Starting point is 00:36:53 I thought that was a nice pick there. I mean, this would be another offensive heavy draft, but again, a different perspective. And I think a lot of Patriots fans are looking at the needs on offense and saying, maybe we need to go heavy on offense another round.
Starting point is 00:37:07 I think there's too much defensive talent to lay off of it completely or just address it in one shot. So there we go, Murph. It's grade time. You're looking at Will of Fabers. Paul here. How would you grade his performance? How would you grade his evaluation in this draft? Well, without a doubt, man, this is an A-minus draft.
Starting point is 00:37:26 It could have been an A-plus draft. Isaiah Bond kind of killed that for him. It was good work, though. I liked Harold Fanning Jr. Of course, we love Ozzie, and we all know how I feel about Trevor Etienne. I want him on the New England Patriots. If he's there in the seventh round and the Patriots don't take him I riot we don't want to have Murph riot folks we absolutely cannot have
Starting point is 00:37:52 that so I'm giving this a solid B plus uh again the bond pick right now I'm not sure if he's going to fluctuate that low to the third round I think that might be a little bit too far of a free fall but at the same time if presented with either either Burden or Bond at this point. Yeah, I'm going to go Luther Burden. Will, thank you so much for your submission. We are so happy with the three that we chose to share with all of you this week. So many submissions that Murph and I
Starting point is 00:38:15 could barely wade through them all. Keep them coming in, because if something catches our sharp eye, we are definitely more than happy to share the great work that you put such time and effort into submitting here so that way we can evaluate and grade your selections but what can i say once again along for the ride you were impeccable in your analysis today before i let you go please let everyone know where they can reach out to you interact with you what you got
Starting point is 00:38:39 marinating in murph's kitchen throughout the rest of the week. Yeah, come check me out on Zitter at tmurph207s and over where the skies are blue at tmurph207 and I'm looking forward to it. You guys throw a question at me, I'm happy to answer it. Please keep these submissions coming in. Folks, thank you all for being everydayers of Locked
Starting point is 00:39:00 On Patriots, for joining us occasionally or if you're joining us for the first time. We hope that you stay locked into Locked On Patriots for joining us occasionally or if you're joining us for the first time. We hope that you stay locked into Locked on Patriots because so much is on the docket and the best is yet to come. In the meantime, I'm Mike DeBate and on behalf of my good friend Thomas Murphy, we remind you all
Starting point is 00:39:16 to stay safe, to stay well, 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 on Locked on Patriots.

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