Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Draft: Quentin Johnston, Christian Gonzalez, Tyree Wilson; Mock Draft Monday

Episode Date: February 20, 2023

The New England Patriots have a clear need at offensive line. However, might they choose to invest early draft capital in offensive or defensive skill positions? Joining host Mike D’Abate for Mock Draft Monday is Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of E2G Sports. The duo discuss whether TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston or Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez could be the Pats draft centerpiece? Also, Mike give his thoughts on The Draft Network’s latest Patriots possibility: Texas Tech defenisve end Tyree Wilson.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.On Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport 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 “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.Ultimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Place your first FIVE DOLLAR bet to get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in Free Bets – win or lose! Visit Fanduel.com/LockedOn today to get startedFANDUEL 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) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Quentin Johnston may be the most physically gifted receiver in this class, but championships are won on the line, and this should be the New England Patriots' focus. We'll tell you why by staying 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 and also your first listen every day.

Remember, Locked On Patriots is free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So smash that subscribe button, download, subscribe to follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts. I'm your host, Mike DeBate. I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. Reach out to me. Let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. And while you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Today's episode brought to you by Ultimate Football GM. If you've ever dreamed of being an NFL GM and managing your football franchise,

then this is definitely the game for you. To download the game, just visit ultimate-gm.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo code LOCKEDON. That's LOCKEDON in all caps, folks, in the game. Ultimate Football GM. Pats fans, thank you so much for joining us here today on Mock Draft Monday. And I really, before we get started, want to take some time to thank each and every one of you for taking time out of your busy schedule to send in some amazing mock drafts. We were inundated over the course of the last week with great, great mocks, really great attention to detail, a lot of impressive insight.

You really, you truly amaze me. All of you amaze me. I'm truly humbled to have such knowledgeable listeners, such dedicated listeners, and keep them coming because we will definitely do our best each and every week to get your mock draft shared right here on Locked On Patriots. And today's offerings feature a couple of the top players at their respective positions TCU star wide out Quentin Johnston and Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez again two of the best athletes in this draft two of the best at what they do but which is the better fit for New

England based on need well it's mock draft Monday so we're going to examine that and I say we because it's also locked on Murph Monday. That's right, folks. A legend himself, Thomas Murphy, is going to be joining me here in just a moment, and we're going to break down some amazing mock drafts, a pair of them that I think you'll really enjoy. But first, Murph's is not going to be the only expert opinion that's going to be joining us here on the airwaves. Because mock drafts, even in a national sense right now, are continuing to rule the roost. They're predicting the fate of all 32 NFL teams, not just your New England Patriots. And today, we're going to break down one by my colleague here at Locked On, on the Locked On Podcast Network. Keith Sanchez, co-host of Locked On NFL Draft and draft analyst extraordinaire

for the Draft Network, published his latest prognostication on Monday morning. And with the 14th pick, he has your New England Patriots folks going defense, taking power past rush specialist Tyree Wilson out of Texas Tech. And when you look logistically at the fit, I understand completely where Keith is coming from on this. He has the size that the Patriots love in their edge rushers, six foot six, 275 pounds. He won't have any problem filling out that Patriots uniform. A lot of, definitely a lot of Tyree Wilson to love if you're in a Wingland Patriots fan,

but it goes beyond that. The logistical fit is truly truly amazing 2022 a monster year for him statistics wise 50 pressures eight sacks 32 stops at a pro football focus grade of 74.9 so an amazing year final year for the red raiders for wilson if you're thinking one hit wonder with him yeah folks not not a one-hit wonder at all. His 2021 stats, not as impressive. 37 pressures, six sacks, 24 stops. Graded at a 72.7 by PFF, but you can see the momentum building in Tyree Wilson to being one of really, I think, the premier pass rusher in this draft,

among the best in his class. And if you think about it and you really look at it objectively I think this kid may even be as good or better than a lot of what you're seeing in the NFL right now he can overpower most of the offensive linemen he's going to be facing and that means right out of the gate Tyree Wilson can be an effective pass rusher in the NFL immediate impact this is the kid to go with because he can do it against offensive tackles. He can do it against guards. He really utilizes his power and his effectiveness to be able to win his pass rush battles. And even when he doesn't get beyond

the offensive lineman, and I've noticed this in a lot of the recon that I've been doing on Wilson, especially over the last 24 hours in anticipation for this show, the push that he creates in the pocket can still affect the play. That means that even if he's not involved directly in the ball, he's still going to impact the play. He can be a factor no matter where he is on the field. And because of that, he's not just effective in the pass rush. He's also effective in the run game as well. He's got the power and the strength to take on the blocks. A lot of examples of him doing this at Texas Tech. He

uses his power to blow up or affect the run plays. So this is a dual threat, a kid that can really do it both. And it speaks to his versatility. He can line up anywhere on the defensive line. The snap alignment throughout his career definitely tells that tale. He's played 1,037 snaps at outside tackle, kicked the over-tackle position for 491 snaps, and then 126 in the B-gap. And I want to give a tip of the cap to Evan Bachman of NFL Draft Diamonds for that piece of information thrown my way. Thanks so much for that. But Wilson is that rare type of athlete. Not many players can move the way he Thanks so much for that. But Wilson is that rare type of athlete. Not many players can move the way he can with the size that he has. A lot of them just rely

on their power and at his size, you can definitely understand if that's the game that he played, but he can win outside. He can use his speed to turn the corner. He's got great hip movement. This is a lot of what you love to see in a premier pass rusher in the NFL. So this is something I think that Patriots fans would love if they saw Tyree Wilson in a Patriots uniform. But there are drawbacks as well. And one of the drawbacks is this was a real blue chipper coming out of high school. And a lot of people expected him to come right in, be extremely effective right away in high school. It takes him a little bit to learn some of the system. And even though he has the skillset, and even though I've just talked him up here for the last

few minutes about him being an immediate impact player, that is true in a lot of systems. But keep in mind that the Patriots do run a very complex system. Perhaps he got it all out of his system learning what he had it all out of his system, learning what he had to learn at Texas Tech, and would come into an NFL system ready to go. If he picks it up and picks up the playbook and the mental part of the game, the physicality is there. This kid's got All-Pro written all over him, even from day one.

But if it takes him a little while to get acclimated, that's where you wonder whether or not the Patriots would invest extreme or, I don want to say extreme folks probably a bad choice of course on my part but really really valuable draft capital I think is probably the best way that I can put it I know Keith has him going at number 14 for the New England Patriots but I think it's going to be difficult for him to get there I think that he's going to catch the eye of at least one of these teams out there that is going to be difficult for him to get there. I think that he's going to catch the eye of at least one of these teams out there that is going to see the ferocious way that he gets after a passer, the fearsome way that he plays the football game altogether, and really just that upside that makes him, I think, a surefire star in this league. And they're going to take that

chance long before 14. So if the Patriots wanted to get their hands on him and he doesn't fall into their lap at 14, they'd have to trade up for him. And I don't necessarily know if the Patriots would make that deal. Look, there are arguments for it. Matthew Judon, having him paired alongside of a pass rusher as good as Matthew Judon would be amazing to see in this game. Perhaps he may take some of the pressure off of Dietrich Wise. Imagine the two edges on that. That'd be really, really an amazing combination. Wilson is at his best when playing the 3-4.

That's the Patriots' bread and butter. That's where they love to operate. On the surface, it's a hand-in-glove fit. So once again, I look at Keith's logic and I say, yeah, you're pretty spot on there, bud. You really knew what you were talking about here, but the fact that the Patriots have other needs and the fact that they're going to cater to those other needs makes me believe that they're not likely to trade up for Wilson. And if I'm being honest, I don't know. I'm not so sure that in the Patriots system, he would be worth the investment it would have to

take to trade up. That's not to say that other teams wouldn't do it. And that's not to say that he's not worth trading up for. Wilson is a surefire star in this league and he's going to be. You're going to hear Tyree Wilson's name for years to come in the NFL. But I'm not sure that the fit that he has in New England specifically would warrant them using valuable capital to trade up to get his services. They do have other needs at offensive line, I think is the biggest need, but right on the heels of those is going to be wide receiver and also at cornerback. So in that regard, I definitely acknowledge and tip the cap to Keith for identifying the fit, but I think the circumstances make him an unlikely choice for the Patriots in this draft.

But if he's not going to be the guy, who are the Patriots going to go after? What about their pressing needs that I just listed a couple of seconds ago? Well, sizable and speedy receiver out there that would look pretty good in a Patriots uniform would look really good catching passes from Mac Jones. That is Quentin Johnston of TCU. But Oregon's Christian Gonzalez on the opposite side of the ball would look pretty good taking them away from opposing quarterbacks at the cornerback position. Which of these prospects headline the best listener submitted mock draft?

Well, Murph joins me here in just a moment, folks, when this interactive Mock Draft Monday episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, folks, today's episode brought to you by Ultimate Football GM. And folks, you've heard me talk about this mobile game app, and I can't tell you how much fun I've had competing against my fellow Lock locked on NFL hosts. It's not begrudging.

It is with respect that I tip the cap to my colleague, Christopher Carter of locked on Steelers. He was our locked on NFL champion. And even though it wasn't a pretty finish for me and my Patriots brethren, we're still back building. We're much like Bill Belichick. We're kind of rolling along right now and waiting for the opportunity to strike back and reclaim our top spot on the mountain.

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So make sure to check that out today. To download the game, just visit ultimate-gm.com or look it up on the app store. That's ultimate-gm.com. Ultimate Football GM. Start your dynasty today. Patriots fans, holiday weekends make the perfect time for my draft Monday to work its magic. And what kind of Monday would it be without the only guest here on Locked on Patriots with his very own branded hashtag, the Monster Master of Disaster, Thomas Murphy joins me. E2G Sports columnist extraordinaire thank you

for coming to me a friendship today dunn murph welcome back to lockdown patriots always fantastic michael always fantastic the chair is so comfortable the the booze is good and you know i i just can't say no i just can't say no it wouldn't be monday if we weren't both sitting here well i'm very very honored i'm very i'm honored and grateful that you have accepted my hospitality on this day of, well, nobody's daughter's getting married yet, but you get the point. It's a special occasion. We're ready to roll here. And Murph, we've got a pair of interesting, intriguing mock drafts.

Before we get started, I just want to give a tip of the cap and a nod to the gods to all of you who sent in pretty amazing work this week. Really some of the more in-depth, some of the more intricate, detailed mock drafts that I've seen in quite some time. You guys truly amaze me. This is a fan base that really, really takes draft science seriously. Don't let the national narratives fool you folks. Patriots fans are very much in tune to college football. They know their stuff. And this is something that I think we're always happy to be able to bring to the masses here on Locked On Patriots and all of the listeners here across the Locked On Podcast Network. We chose this

pair this week, Murph, and I said intriguing. Yeah, I think I went with intrigue this week when it came to uh the choices that we're gonna uh sift through today let's not waste any more time but let's dive right into it and our first submission comes from a friend of ours from last year this is not the first time he submitted did submit a couple of great drafts last year the high school legend himself submits this mock draft this week and as you can see if you're looking on youtube we have just put the graphic up if you're listening to this podcast check out lo underscore patriots we'll be tweeting these out uh once this goes live so definitely be sure to

check that out but murph here as you can see the patriots maintaining their first rounder number 14 dcu's quentin Johnston, a wide receiver, goes number one. Now, this has become the flavor of the week here in New England. I think most started off agreeing with us. Tackle, guard, whatever, mostly tackle. But this is where the Patriots needed to go. They need to go offensive line. If you want Mac Jones to have a more solid season in 2023,

you need to keep him upright and protected, and that starts on the O-line. We've gone through several O-line prospects, and as you can see, the high school legend has not ignored the O-line by any stretch of the imagination. He has the Patriots two picks later dipping into that well. But Johnston has become really, I think, a very interesting and eye-c um prospect right now you want to talk about length you want to talk about speed you want to talk about taking the top off the defense yeah this guy's definitely at 6'4 212 pounds I think the most gifted athletic receiver in this class yeah he's the x-force um you know

just to borrow from the MCU a little bit, we'll do a little X-Force here. He's your X-Receiver in this draft. A fantastic, a great trade here, by the way. If you folks are out there, don't send me stuff where you traded out of the first round and got us or traded down in the first round and got us you know or traded down in the first round and got us another first round pick in the next year so i need help now i want help now okay i don't want another first round pick next year this is this is a fantastic draft from top

to bottom um johnson is not the way i would go in the first round if I was taking a wide receiver. But I can't fault anybody who would. You know, Zay Flowers would still be on the board there. And, of course, my draft binky, JSN, Jackson Smith. I can't do it. My tongue won't let me do it. I've got to hear the name 1,700 more times before I could do it. My tongue won't let me do it. I've got to hear the name 1700 more times before I could do it. But, uh, JSN would, would out of Ohio state would be, would be my pick there. If I went, uh, if I went wide receiver, I'm convinced that he's the best receiver in this draft and would fit in

here perfectly, but I can't argue with, with Johnson there. And then he gets into it i mean you know tucker craft there is is a sneaky good pick a lot of people haven't uh seen this kid yet haven't heard about him yet he is somebody that that is coming from a small school and you got to be a little bit careful with that and i always say if you're gonna go small, you better find somebody that is truly dominant at that level. And this kid is. Yeah, truly, without any question. And I mean, how great would it be to have a guy named Kraft on staff and you can actually have that? No, all kidding aside, folks, I know, I digress.

Kind of a lame joke. But no, there is a lot that he brings to the table at the tight end position. Zach Harrison at the edge. I like that move as well. You've got some athleticism there uh things that can really pop with this team kenny mcintosh was a nice little surprise down there yeah absolutely i mean you're looking you know in the middle part of the rounds if you're able to pick him up that's an amazing haul uh and then uh a pair of cams you know right you know bringing up rear here. Cam Brown out of Ohio State, cornerback.

You know, the Patriots definitely have a need there. This is a low-risk, potentially high-reward type pick. Cameron Latu, obviously, out of Alabama. I like the connection to Bill O'Brien. O'Brien is not afraid to use two tight end sets, really spread the field with multiple pass catchers. You can see someone like a Cameron Latu come in and be able to do what he's doing. So this is, I think, a very thoughtful, very methodical and very logical draft from start

to finish. Really is. And he fills a lot of holes here. And there are guys all the way down at the bottom of his draft that could end up cracking this lineup and not just being, you know, projects or somebody that we're going to put on the practice squad and see what happens. You know, I love Hunter Lemke. And of course, you know, Jake Moody is just, you know, he's just there for everybody to

grab down there at the last round. He truly is. He really and truly is. And you know what? The Patriots do have a need there. And as much as I love Nick Polk, I think he will continue to be a solid kicker, you started to see the bloom come off the rose a little bit last year in some clutch situations. Falk is still, I think, a clutch kicker and still can get the job done.

But the Patriots need to keep their eyes out for the future at that position. And Jake Moody looks like a guy that can kick in this league for a number of years. You know, and Bill always seems to grab a quarterback somewhere. I like Toon from Houston. Yes. And Jaron Hall at BYU. I'm not a BYU fan when it comes to grabbing a quarterback. I am firmly in the belief that the system there really dictates the success of their quarterback and

the level of competition that they play. So I can't give a thumbs up on that one. Sorry, all you have to do is look at the Jets and understand why I don't like BYU quarterbacks. Well, there we go, folks. I'm not going to touch that one. And let's just say I'm in agreement. But in any case, my friend, in any case, yeah, I do. I like if the Patriots are going to dip into the quarterback position, and I do think they do it. Tune is a very good value pick here.

Sixth round, 187. This could be something interesting. I don't think the Patriots dip into the well twice. I don't think they're trading Mack. I know there was a lot of buzz going around this weekend about Ferris passing out at 31 flavors, kind of like that type of story.

My best friend's brother is going with his girl, is going with this guy who said this. These second, third-hand reports, folks, please take them for what they are. Grains of salt. Patriots fans, the Patriots get trade calls, inquiries almost every single day. This happens all the time. If you don't think the Patriots got a number of calls every single day on guys like Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, yeah, it happens.

It happens with everybody. Whether or not the Patriots are going to listen is another thing. The Rams. Yeah or not the Patriots are going to listen is another thing. Ron Colm has went to the Rams. Yeah, and the Lions. I mean, that deal was basically done. Let's not forget that. So these deals, these things happen all the time. The Patriots always listen to offers. Whether or not they're going to accept it or act on it is another kettle of fish. So really, I think the equivalent of reporting that someone is going to be on the trade block is kind of the equivalent of reporting that the sun is going to rise today. The only question is what weather is it going to bring along with it? And I think that's what

happens with these trade talks, but I digress. I really think that the Patriots might bring in a veteran quarterback and stay away from the draft this year. Don't do, I mean, go ahead, quote me on it. I don't care if I, if you know, on the rare occasion that I'm wrong, but you know, call me out. But I really think that the, that bringing in a vet will be the way they go this off season, you know, just before camp starts, find somebody out there that's, that's available. I can come in and, but I, we have two starts, find somebody out there that's available and can come in.

But we have two quarterbacks on rookie deals. And we all know that we've talked about it before. Zappy can come in and run this offense for either a series, a half, a quarter, or a couple of games if you need them. And, you know, to go out it you want to roll the dice late yeah i can see it but he's going to be somebody that's going to be on the practice squad he won't be the number three guy on the roster yeah without question and in 100 agreement when it comes but i'd love it if it was tuned i would yeah i know i this that was if you're going to dip into it and you're going to go to the draft route

yeah this is a kid to keep your eye on so uh yeah the legend had his stuff today he definitely took the stuff to uh to get uh to where he needs to be i really i love this great draft oh it really really grabbing a wide receiver getting keeping your first round pick and getting skronsky. And then, I mean, Harrison, the first one, two, three, four, six, the first six players, maybe seven, because I like McIntosh quite a little bit. You know, tip of the hat down there to Georgia. They do it right down there. But, you know, the first six guys on this draft

could end up making this team. And that's saying something. That's not saying that the talent isn't there. That's just how talented these guys are. You know, well done, high school legend. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, addressing positions that have a wealth of talent at each of these positions early on

is something that does take talent to be able to do. So if you can pick those names out and they're available and they're on the board, definitely with it really well and he dug it this wasn't this wasn't like he's just taking the best available player at at a position as it as it rolls up and we see some of those drafts too people don't think oh absolutely yeah without question and you know again johnston i think coming back and bringing this full circle before we take our leave of this draft uh one of the big reasons why, folks, that he's become so popular throughout the masses is you're starting to look at tape of this kid from his senior season. Up until 2022, you hadn't seen a whole lot from Quentin Johnston.

The talent was there. The athleticism was there. But he just hadn't put it all together. 60 receptions, 1,069 yards, six touchdowns in his senior season at TCU. This is where you saw the Quentin Johnston that a lot of people believe is the next big, like Murph said, that X threat, that X factor. That's something that I think is going to be really his niche in the NFL. And that's where you're going to draft him to make an impact.

This is not necessarily the versatile impact player that can kick inside of the NFL. And that's where you're going to, that's where you're going to draft him to make an impact. This is not necessarily the versatile impact player that can kick inside of the slot. He's not very good at going up and testing the catch. He is an X. He's not, he's not going to give you contested catches, but what this kid can do. And the thing that I love most about Clinton Johnson, and the reason why I do like this pick is because he has the ability to change the tempo in a way that i haven't seen a draft prospect be able to do in quite some time there are guys out there that can do it and i know in the comments section we're going to get flooded with rights that are you know comments about guys that can do it but yeah this is someone it leaps off the page with him uh he can accelerate

he can use his speed and that really allows him to put up impressive numbers. But if he's got to slow down a little bit when he's facing either man or zone schemes, he can adjust his tempo to adjust to the type of defense he's seeing. And that's something that is rare. I just don't see the route tree yet. He does averages. The route tree needs to expand. You're really not sure about it. But if you just want a bird that is going to go down the field, get separation.

The kid averaged 18 yards of reception. You know, it's brilliant. I understand why you folks are going there. But, you know, to bring it back around to what Mike said, it really seemed to click for him. We talked about this a couple of weeks ago. When it finally clicks for a player at different levels, you see the talent, and then you wonder where it is, and then all of a sudden it clicks. It clicked with Johnson in his senior year. I'm a little worried about how long it'll take him to click and what he needs to work on at the next level to, to grab him at 14.

There are just other guys that are just too good of a route runners, just too good. Um, being able to play at multiple positions X, Y, or Z, uh, for me to grab him at 14, but, you know, backing that up with another first round pick at Skronsky, you know, hell yeah. Yeah, definitely. I mean, when you got Peter skronsky kind of bringing up that first round hall and you can trot those two guys out on the field yeah that's kevin costner movie right there that's that's the moment you're looking for we got our guys now let's go out and

do it on the field and that's something that i think a lot of people would love to see uh the patriots address the big i think two you know offensive holes on this roster right now in terms of talent in terms of wide receiver that's a hell of a haul so um overall grade for the high school legend murph i went solid b plus only reason why i didn't go for an a i really would have gone an a on this one is the two quarterbacks that threw me a little bit but definitely solid b plus with maybe an a minus rising on there you go maybe an A minus rising he could get one of these these quarterbacks but not two I I would just have gone you know in a different but again we're talking to pick what 250 to I can't read that yeah you know down to 250 and and you're

really scraping the bottom and you know I probably would have grabbed Jake Moody there or a safety and he waited he got Jake Moody in the last round absolutely and anytime you can bring up the rear with a kicker you're doing a good job so high school legend thank you very much for the submission keep them coming here on Lockdown Patriots and folks Murph and I are not

done yet because our next submission came from a first timer submitting a Lockdown mock draft here for Mock Draft Monday on the Locked On Podcast Network. He also went the wide receiver route in the second round, but prioritizing the secondary over everything else. Is it the right call? Murph and I are going to tell you in just a moment

when this episode of the Locked On Patriots Podcast continues. Two and two. Patriots fans, the legendary Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com joining me here today on hashtag Mock Draft Monday. But let's face it, folks. It is hashtag Locked on Murph Monday.

And where else would we be here on this holiday? Breaking down phenomenal mock drafts submitted by you, the great listeners of Locked On Patriots. In the first segment. Absolutely, yeah. That's right.

We've got to take advantage of those sales. Big, big mattress sales going on right now. Definitely, you know, good night's sleep is the most important thing in the world. Tom Brady will tell you that. Absolutely. He did mattress commercials. I mean, let's face it.

You know, looking very 007-esque in those commercials, Martin and Tom. That was great. Yeah, we'll see.esque in those commercials, Tom. That was great. Yeah, we'll see. Probably more mattress commercials for Tom coming up pretty soon. But in any case, folks, we are here breaking down mock drafts. And in the previous segment, High School Legend led us through, I think, a phenomenal draft from start to finish. Really prioritizing the offense, wide receiver, tackle, getting this team shored up where they need to be.

But a lot of people feel, Murph, that the Patriots have just as many holes or concerns in the secondary this year than they do on offense. And it surprises you a little bit, but then when you look at what the Patriots have in terms of personnel on both sides, it makes some sense. They may be losing devon mccordy to retirement we're thrilled that matthew slater is back on special teams but love being wrong made yeah i was wrong yeah absolutely and we would love to be wrong about devon and then watch him come back with that door for one more year but the handwriting looks like it's on the

wall that he may have played his last game at corner you're still waiting for that next level player to step up i think jack jones has a chance to do it this year he may need another year of seasoning and then if he does you need someone behind him right can help you know support guys like jaylen mills and marcus jones who i think will be a solid uh you know addition here as. But in the next submission that we're going to share with you today from user Robert Eckerd, he can be found on Twitter, folks, at Lord Eckerd, H-E-C-K-A-R-D, all one word. He's got the Patriots going corner in the first round. Number 14, Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon, the crown jewel of the cornerbacks this year. If you're going to go cornerback and you want to prioritize this position, Murph, this is the pick to do it.

And this is the guy to do it. My only question is, is he still there at 14? Yeah, he's not going to be there at 14. I don't think he gets out of the top 10. And that's the problem. Maybe you come up with a devin witherspoon and he drops down there i find it really hard to believe that gonzalez is going to be there that's how good this kid is if he's there i forego all of my dreaming of double dipping at tackle in the first

two rounds and and i go ahead and i grab him he it is i understand why you took him if he's there you go and you get him yeah without question in the previous segment i talked glowingly about quinton johnson and his ability to mix up his tempo depending on the type of defense that he sees um christian gonzalez is the mirror image of that this is a kid that can change his tempo whether he's playing zone whether he's playing man coverage he's the ultimate man coverage corner i mean he's excellent in press coverage he really is uh with what he's able to do not only foot quickness and being able to control that but his ability to change direction he can flex to match the route that he's seeing from his opponent. Great instincts

on this kid. I agree with you. The only drawback to this pick is that if he falls to the Patriots at number 14, it would be mana from heaven. But I don't think that's going to happen. I think someone takes a flyer on him. Don't forget the combine has not happened yet, folks. This kid has the ability to test big time. He's going to climb above the Illinois kid and above everybody else when they see what this kid can do at the combine. He's going to be a monster that weekend. Do not miss it when the DBs are on the field. I'm sorry for stepping on you, Mike.

No, you didn't step on me at all. That's exactly the point that really I think our listeners absolutely need to hear. This is the kid to keep your eye on this coming week when you see defensive backs get worked out in the combine and you start to see what these guys can do great speed uh he got he can hang with some of the more speedy some of the more uh quick and agile uh wide receivers that you see in this league but he can adjust and he can even defend if even if need be, he can even defend in the slot. I don't recommend it. This guy's perimeter a hundred percent, but even if you needed to move him over or he needed to switch his skillset,

he has the ability to do it. I think one of the better cornerback prospects that I've seen in quite some time. So this to me is an Aplus pick right off the bat by Robert. Very, very good choice here for Christian Gonzalez. Goes to the wide receiver position before dipping into the trade market. We're going to discuss that in just a minute too, folks. This is a wide receiver prospect that I think is kind of maybe going under the radar on a lot of Patriots fans' boards. And the more I look at it, I'm not so sure he should be under the radar for the patriots anymore this kid deserves a little bit more press than he's getting and obviously

kashon vote from lsu i love the run after the catch ability you love your yak murph this kid gives it to you he does he gives it to you in spades, man. No matter how you want to slice it up, once he gets the ball in his hand, he is fun to watch. He is going to get you to those a little bit because there are drawbacks, folks. One of the reasons why I think Patriots fans or analysts have been a little reticent to include this kid in a lot of packages is drops. Go back and take a look. There are issues where he's not maybe securing the football as well as he should. We know the cardinal sin of a Bill Belichick offensive mortal sin. Really, a cardinal sin of a mortal sin, really. That's how bad it is here in New England. Like, I like double talk my way out of that one, Murph.

That is the ultimate no-no when it comes to Bill Belichick. If you cannot secure the football as a receiver, you're not going to have a long shelf life here. This is something that Bode has to address and he has to be able to do in terms of wanting to make it here or really anywhere in the NFL. That's something that he needs to do as well. Tom Brady is shoot this kid. Yeah, this would be a tough pick.

This would probably not be on the board or on the radar at all if Tom were still calling plays here in New England, or calling singles, I should say, calling plays. We're going to have Bill O'Brien call the plays this year. That's a comfort, I think, to a lot of Patriots fans. But that's, I think, where this kid maybe lessens a little bit. There's also some questions about the nuances of playing the receiver position, being able to execute consistently. We've seen difficulty there um size i mean you're not looking at overly impressive i think adequately sized six feet 205 but if the patriots are looking for the number not not what

you you really want yeah that average part yeah that average part right there are people at 56 in this draft that that i would definitely take before him josh downs might drop down a little bit and and you could have him there um tank dell out of houston is another good guy um again though only five foot ten i think on a good day in cleats he might be five foot ten and and, and, um, there are just other, other places. It's just, you know, Parker Washington out of, out of Penn state is somebody that might be available there. I've just, I've just not sold on this kid. Yeah, absolutely.

Um, in a lot of ways, I think there's, yeah, there's, there's definitely red flags for concern. And I think the Patri definitely red flags for concern, and I think the Patriots will look at that completely. And the types of red flags that this kid has when it comes to drops and it comes to nuances, the Patriots need help, and they need help quickly in order for Mac to be able to rebound. And we talked about this in the previous segment. Quentin Johnson gives you the ability to do that with some minor things

that he's got to work on. I think Kayshaun is a little bit more of a project, a long-term project. And if that's the case, you're probably looking at the Patriots looking somewhere else. But I still say his ability to get yards after the catch may be something that keeps them on their radar, especially in a Bill O'Brienne offense yak is so important uh you know don't don't necessarily stop with this one folks or keep your eye off that i like what robert did here and i think he's uh he made a good oh yeah in order to get him at number 56 robert actually shipped off the number 46 pick as you can see on the screen folks ship that off to get the 56 pick in the second round and then a third rounder number 88 so very good there holds on

to the Patriots third round number 76 Christopher Smith we've talked about this before I think this kid has Devin McCourty written all over him um and then he goes you know he goes defense Mauro Ojamo from Texas at number uh 88 the pick he picks up in the trade your thoughts on this one Murph couple of good defensive picks here with Noah Sewell of Oregon coming up right behind him at the linebacker position. I love Noah. I do. I love Noah. It's just, yeah, you want to run?

No, no. Noah. Noah's there. You know, I really like this kid. I like his game. We've talked about Smith before. And you can't, you know, at 88, giving Jimmo this spot is somebody that's going to come right in and be a contributor from day one in this defense. Right. Absolutely.

And that's what you're looking for. Yeah. So, I mean, i agree with you when you're looking at guys that can you know come in and have an immediate impact on this roster uh you're doing definitely doing something right and i think there's a couple of good solid picks there's solid top 100 picks well inside the the 100 range i i wouldn't you know or jomo is probably closer to a top 50 pick than a top 100 pick. That's how much I like it. Yeah.

Not bad. Not bad, Murph. I like the, I like the, I like the ingenuity on this and I like your opinion on it as well. And then, you know, he went Michigan down here an awful lot and I'm really loving the guys that are embracing these Michigan guys at the second half of this draft. I'm sorry. Did I skip ahead? No, you didn't, because that's exactly the point that I was going to make. This guy's going into the Alabama well and the Michigan well.

Robert, two pretty good wells for the Patriots in the past. They've got some pretty good guys coming out of these two pipelines. Tyler Steen coming at the tackle position. Ryan Hayes, a guy that we've discussed here before i think a potentially hidden gem in this draft someone that can really come in and all of the team coming in at the center position i've seen him on several mock drafts i know pffs are very high on him a lot of the draft analysts are high on him as well there is a need folks at the center position the patriots are going to try to see what they can do about getting a solid backup, a young backup, someone they can groom into that position.

With David Andrews not getting any younger. I know they've got Cody Russo on staff. I know he's someone they had pretty, I don't want to say high expectations for last year. He came in as an undrafted free agent, but someone they were very high on during training camp. But you're going to consistently try to fill that position all of a team in michigan uh those michigan linemen are built differently they just have a pro level mentality right off the bat they've done well with guys like elenu uh andrew stuber is someone that we're waiting to see yeah exactly uh they've done pretty well for themselves in Michigan. But yeah, and Ryan Hayes, backing that up with Ryan Hayes, you know, two guys that have worked together so well

for so many years here. That's fantastic. Allie Gale, the edge guy out of LSU. There's some potential there. Chris Rodriguez Jr., I've got to admit, I do not know an awful lot about, and I apologize about that guys. Um, but Dorian Thompson Robinson.

Okay. Yeah. No, no, no. Can I just let that sit? Nope. You just let that. No, I am. I am done with with no done let's just chalk it up to the fact that I think the Patriots are pretty well set a quarterback

yeah I think we'll I think we'll we'll agree on that one Murph and we'll kind of let that sit but again Jake could he could sign on somewhere you know he could sign on as an undrafted free agent but I mean even at two I'm two, I'm not making that pick. Yeah, I agree with you. But I really think if the Patriots are going to go quarterback, I don't see them doing it in the draft this year. Unless they see something in Hooker that someone that it can come in and immediately make an impact, change the complexity of this offense.

If that's the case and they want to go in a completely different direction, then maybe they do something like that. And, yeah yeah but then you're going to have to exactly then that would be it and then you'll end up trading and you'll go in a completely different uh avenue than the one you're on now i don't see that happening i think if they are going to address the quarterback position i think it will be uh by free agency a veteran in here because i think brian hoyer is probably likely to hang them up after this year. Although we thought that last year, Murph, and look, he came back. So there's no question about it.

I mean, Brian loves to play the game of football. Everybody automatically assumes he's just willing to throw it all away, come back and be a coach. You got Bill O'Brien in that seat now, folks. They do not need Brian Hoyer to be a coach on this team any longer. If he's back, it's going to be in a playing capacity. I love Brian. I'd love to see him come back just for the tutelage he can provide to Mac and Zappy. Just the kind that comes to work every single day. Not that Mac needs

any encouraging on that. If you're out there looking at the social medias, he's already working out and working out hard for next season. He's quite excited about the coaching changes to say the least and he's jumped in with both feet. This is a very good draft from top to bottom. Talking about trades if Christian Gonzalez is there at 14, the Patriots are going to be fielding phone calls from at least

18 different teams that are in the first round that want to, you know, not 18 because he's there at 14, but at least a dozen teams that will be offering significant draft capital to go up there and grab Gonzalez. But I still couldn't see Bill passing him up there at 14. Yeah, I don't think so either. He's not going to be there.

Yeah, I mean, if that happens, I mean, that is, again, that's mana from heaven. But if that is not the case, yeah, this is a guy that I would consider. If the Patriots are really serious about getting their new lockdown corner of the future and they don't believe that can be had as a veteran coming in, this is the kid with all the pedigree written all over him. Maybe a solid year before he is the type of player we all believe he can be. But he's going to be there and he's going to be there in short order. He's a quick study. And I love this pick for that reason. Another, I think, B-plus draft here, a solid A-minus rising because I love Christian Gonzalez's pick,

and I love the Christopher Smith pick as well. If you're going after a secondary, these are two guys I've got my eye on without question. Right. You know, Guns, this was a well-planned out draft that, that, that I would love to see if the Patriots do what I want to see them do in, in free agency. And that's go rebuild that offensive line. If they don't want to sit back and, and roll the dice on some of these kids. Because even the sure things are not sure things

when it comes to making that leap from one level to the NFL level. If they go out and they sign a couple of tackles, then yeah, this would be just a beautiful, beautiful thing. Yeah, it would. If you're not going to address, like Murph said, the holes along the offensive line in the first round, then this is the draft for you. And I like the concept and I like how itging while the rest of us are zigging and that's that's you know bill belichick in a freaking nutshell absolutely what could be more belichickian than that well robert thank you for your submission we also thank our good friend the high school legend for his submission as well

folks keep those submissions coming because mock draft Draft Monday is not going away. We continue right through the draft here in Long Lockdown Patriots, and we are glad and happy and very willing to share all of the work that you do and the great mock drafts that you do. Folks, fear not, because if you submitted a mock draft, didn't get it in here

on Lockdown Patriots, pretty soon we're going to be doing a, I don't know, maybe a wrap-up show or something to that effect, Murph, where we're going to be doing a, I don't know, maybe a wrap-up show or something to that effect, Murph, where we're going to basically go over a lot of what you see on the cutting room floor. We're still ironing out the details for that, folks. So please stay close to Locked On Patriots

for all those details. But in the meantime, continue to send them in because each and every Monday, Murph and I are going to be breaking them down. You guys aren't making it easy. You're not making it easy as to who we're going to put up each week. And we love you making it easy. You're not making it easy as to who we're going to put up each week. And we love you for it.

And we love you for it. Continue to do that. Keep the pedal to the metal, folks. And you will get your shot here on Locked on Patriots to have your great work shared and broken down by Murph and myself. But what can I say? I always appreciate your presence. Always appreciate your wisdom and counsel.

Before I let you go today, please let everyone know where they can catch you, what you have coming on the horizon from the great end, the great voice of the legendary Thomas Murphy. Well, you know, of course, this week we'll be doing another One Patriot's Place with Klazzy Clare, who will also be joining Michael later in the week. You know, we just love Clare and what she brings. Pat Lane will be joining us this week. That show is going to be on Wednesday. It's going to be a Wednesday. We're getting pushed back a day. So you can check us out there.

You can check out all my writing and all the fine writers over at E2GSports.com. I'm fighting back a little greenness, you know, when talking about the Red Sox this year, but I'm trying to be upbeat. I'm trying, I'm trying people. I want, I want, you know, I want an A for effort here. And, and of course, follow me on the bird app, you know, at teamwork 207 and you'll catch anything that, that might catch my fancy.

You never know what's going to happen. And I'll, I'll shell out two,000, 3,000 words. Bring a book. Please, by all means, folks, do it, and you definitely will not be disappointed. Anything this man does when he puts pen to paper, voice to microphone, always must listen, always must view. So be sure to do that. And in

the meantime, folks, continue to keep it right here locked in to Locked On Patriots for all the latest on your favorite team in Foxborough. Until then, please continue to stay safe, stay well, and be the change you wish to see in the world. On behalf of the legendary Thomas Murphy, once again, a big thank you to the high school legend

and to Robert Hecker for their submissions today. But most of all, I thank you all for taking Locked On Patriots, a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and your first listen every day. Have a great day, folks, and we'll see you all tomorrow. Go Pats.