Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Mock Draft 2.0: Drake Maye at the Top? Adonai Mitchell, Malachi Corley at WR?

Starting point is 00:00:00 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, and thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and also your first listen each and every day. Remember, Locked On Patriots is not only a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day,

Starting point is 00:00:42 but we are also free and available on all platforms, including YouTube. So smash that subscribe button, download, subscribe, follow Locked On Patriots wherever you get your podcasts to ensure that you get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country of Sports Illustrated. Reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on X at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. While you're out there showing some social media love to Lockdown Patriots,

Starting point is 00:01:11 please follow our account there as well at L-O underscore Patriots. Fan Pats fans, today's episode brought to you by FanDuel. Make every moment more. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 if your bet wins. Visit fanduel.com slash locked on to get started. And Pats fans, as you can see, it is Mock Draft Monday. It is hashtag Locked On Murph Monday. We have three amazing mock drafts to share with you today as the NFL Combine gets set to kick off on Tuesday, February 27th down in Indianapolis,

Starting point is 00:01:53 Lucas Oil Stadium. And of course, because it's hashtag LockedOnMurfMonday, that means here to help me wade through the mock drafts and also to help me break down the action today is my good friend, the Count of Murphy, Fisto himself, the legendary Thomas Murphy. Thank you for coming to mock drafts and also to help me break down the action today is my good friend the counter murphy fisto himself the legendary thomas murphy thank you for coming to me in friendship on this mock draft monday don't murph oh it's my pleasure michael it's the most wonderful time of the year murph it's going to be a robust contingent from what we understand down in indianapolis at the nfl scouting combine despite some erroneous reports out there that said that he wasn't going to be a robust contingent from what we understand down in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine. Despite some erroneous reports out there that said that he wasn't going to be,

Starting point is 00:02:30 Gerard Mayo will be making an appearance down in Indianapolis. Elliot Wolfe is scheduled to speak to reporters at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the first time in a long while that the Patriots GM or anyone from the Patriots contingent is going to be speaking to the media. So there we go again. There's that open book policy that you're seeing, but there will be a strong contingent. I understand Matt Groh is going to make an appearance at some point. So Patriots are going to be hard at work taking a look at a number of prospects. Folks, we're going to take a little bit of a deeper dive into the combine prospects here tomorrow with our good friend, Steve Balistrieri, the voice of reason coming here to Locked On Patriots.

Starting point is 00:03:06 So be sure to bookmark and be sure to subscribe and follow to make sure that you do not miss a single second of that action. But Murph, we all know it is Mock Draft Monday, and we have three intriguing mock drafts this week that feature some players that actually might be standouts at the Combine, players that are being identified as potential draft risers if they can raise some eyebrows at the Combine. Well, we're going to raise some eyebrows right off the bat today, my friend, because we are going to not only one of our favorites on social media,

Starting point is 00:03:39 we are going to one of our all-time favorites here on Mock Draft Monday. Folks, you've been waiting for it. We've been been waiting for it all of us have been waiting for it our man lj makes his triumphant return today to mock draft monday folks you can find him give him your opinion on this draft and all the great work he does at show underscore one lj you are back. And bottom line, folks, he is back in a big way. Huge. Apparently, folks, as you can see here on the screen, LJ has traded the entire world. I believe half the population of the New England area was included in some of his trades. Just a really quick recap here. He's got them dropping from three to four, but picking up a haul at number four number 27 number 44 number

Starting point is 00:04:25 77 147 79 110 142 i feel like i'm reading off powerball numbers here uh but uh bottom line i think lj has parlayed these into a pretty solid haul overall now murph we're going to be the judge in just a second about the impact of these players but if you want to talk about names LJ has it covered so folks let's get into it his first half of the draft begins with at number four overall Drake May quarterback out of North Carolina folks I'm not sure Drake is going to slip to four but obviously LJ played the cards the way they were dealt so it really doesn't matter from three to four, in my opinion. First of all, let's go back to the trade to begin with the second trade.

Starting point is 00:05:12 You know, I thought that was a mistake in letting go of the second first round pick for, you know, what he had picked up. Sorry. Sorry, LJ. It was just too many spots there for me to, to drop down and ends up with, with Kingsley as your, as your, your, your go-to your, you know, I, I, I like Kingsley. I think he's, he's a fantastic talent and I think he's, but I would have rather much rather had him, you had him a little bit later than that. We've been over this. I'm not in love with any of the three in the top three picks. I'm also not okay with them at number four.

Starting point is 00:05:58 I'd like to know who was still there at number four. If LJ had come away with bookend offensive tackles, Joe Walt, and then Kingsley there at 34, I would have been happier with the top end of this draft. But I got to tell you, I love Sanders. I love a Donald Mitchell there at 44. Fantastic you know jonah ellis holy smoke if jonah ellis is there at 79 and the patriots don't take him i'm gonna there's gonna be issues there's there's a good thing you you people can't see how upset i would be um but no this is a fantastic draft you know let's skip down to the second part of it or do you want to you want to comment michael on on drake may there at four i honestly think we shared enough about drake and how we feel about him as a fit here in new england last week here on locked on patriots folks all of you everydayers know that murph and i talked about his arm strength we talked about his touch his arc on the ball his ability to

Starting point is 00:06:59 extend plays with his legs the knock on him is always going to be that gunslinger mentality. Can he hone his skills in and can he refine them enough to be able to control his emotions and allow himself to take the check down, to take the easier pass in order to be able to lead his team? Our bottom line folks, I mean, that's going to be the knock on him no matter where he goes. So if the Patriots do end up with Drake May as their single caller, I think Alex Van Pelt can work with him and really work wonders with him and maybe develop him into one of the better quarterbacks in this league. My favorite pick of this mammoth mock that LJ submitted is Adonai Mitchell.

Starting point is 00:07:36 I really, really love this kid at number 44. Big bodied receiver, folks. You want to talk about a guy that can separate. This guy can separate at all three levels of the field. And let's not forget that he's doing this at Texas and Steve Sarkeesian's offense. 55 catches, 845 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns last year. And this kid can make it happen in the red zone. This is where he's at his best among all receivers with 10 plus touchdowns he was averaging one touchdown every five catches that really shows what he can do in the red zone and make a really big impact in that area smooth route runner i love this kid yeah i'm in total agreement you know if we we stopped right

Starting point is 00:08:20 here after his third pick you know this would be a B plus a minus draft. You know, this kid is not just a contested catch individual at all. You know, he's Mike's Mike mentioned he's somebody who gets separation. He's somebody who can work all, all three levels of the field and do it. Well, I'm done with contested catch guys. I really am. I've had it. I've had it. I want separation.

Starting point is 00:08:48 You know, I want the McConkeys of the world. I want this kid. So far, tip of the cap there, LJ. But LJ has not done much. No, no, no. He has not done yet. There is still a lot to go. Here is the second leg of LJ's draft.

Starting point is 00:09:02 Of the names that you see here, James Williams, a safety out of Miami at number 136. Cam Hart, Notre Dame cornerback at 142. Thank you. Jacob Cowling, a wide receiver from Arizona at number 147, and rounding it all out at number 182. Justin Aboibi coming out of Alabama. What are your thoughts on this leg of this draft?

Starting point is 00:09:21 I think it's a fantastic backup. He's got some great depth pieces, guys that are going to come in here, not start right away, but still are talented enough to become part of the conversation in their rookie years. We're not talking about guys that are are going to be sat and get that red shirt season that we've come to expect in New England. Cam Hart, I love Cam Hart, and it's not just an Irish thing, people. It really isn't. He's fantastic. Cowling at 147 is more than just a camp body.

Starting point is 00:10:02 He's somebody that can legitimately press for a spot on this roster come September 1. Oh, absolutely. And rounding it all out, and he may actually be my favorite pick on this page right now, is Justin Aboibi out of Alabama. This kid, 6'5", 290, definite physical presence along that defensive line. All the physical tools you want in a d

Starting point is 00:10:25 lineman high motor very productive really i think a beast in run defense and that's where this kid is going to shine great first step great strength this kid really has the ability to take offensive linemen and knock them back there are situations where he has shown a little bit of hesitation i think to use some of that strength in his upper body. That will hurt him initially as a rookie in the NFL, which might be the reason why you see him hovering in that area on day three right now. If he can start to assert himself a little bit, Murph, start showing some of that upper body push, yeah, I think you're going to see him climb up some of these drafts. If not, someone is going to have a tremendous steal in

Starting point is 00:11:04 the latter part of day three. If they can find a way to develop him and harness him, I'd love to see what Demarcus Covington can do with this kid. Yeah, so do I. I think Covington would definitely be interested in a prospect like this and see how he can mold him without all the pressure of that. You would pick that would, that would come with being somebody, um, much higher in this draft.

Starting point is 00:11:32 Murph. We're at the grading time here on LJ. It's our first grade on LJ in quite a while. Um, taken under account the trades, the hall that he got. What do you think LJ did here? How would you grade his draft?

Starting point is 00:11:45 This is a solid A. This is a solid A draft. You can't cut it up. You really can't. It was granted that, you know, I'm not in love with taking the quarterback that high. I would have much rather seen LJ go bookend tackles at one and two with these spots, but that's me. I'm a lineman. This is how I feel that you need to build a team, and the guys that I think are available up there are just that good, and i'm just not that sure about any of the three quarterbacks but no

Starting point is 00:12:27 it's it's an a draft yeah i'm giving lj an a too first of all i'm giving them an a just for creativity and pulling off all those trades but bottom line the system allowed it and lj continued to do it and i think he ended up with a pretty good haul i give him an a as well on this great job on ingenuity and again i think really what it comes down to for me is the picks of Adonai Mitchell and the picks of Justin Aboibi. I really love that one to kind of bring everything home. Aboibi is fantastic. He can play inside. He can play outside. You can just move him all over the place. It's going to be beautiful. Absolutely. And I still love seeing Bama guys here in New England.

Starting point is 00:13:03 I just think that is still a good fit regardless of whether you take Saban and Belichick out of the equation. How much would Zeus like that? Dante would love the opportunity to work with this kid. I can guarantee that. And bottom line, Murph, right now, that's what it's all about. It's about the coaches that are going to be down in Indianapolis taking a look at some of the talent that's on the field. I think we've identified in LJ's draft a few players that might be well-positioning themselves to be a draft riser, to rise up on those draft boards. Well, our good friend BradyBoy12, otherwise known as TuckerRoscon on Twitter, has another draft haul where some of these prospects might end up moving their way up with a strong performance in Indianapolis.

Starting point is 00:13:44 We're going to grade Tucker's draft and go through it. Pick by pick. When this episode of the locked on Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day, every day. Locked on listeners get buckets with your first bet on fan duel. America's number one sportsbook.

Starting point is 00:14:07 Because right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets with any winning $5 bet. That's $150 if your bet wins. Basketball season is in full swing, and with FanDuel, you can make cheering on your favorite green team in the hub more enjoyable more exciting and maybe even a little more profitable bet on all of your favorite NBA players and teams with quick bets live same game parlays exclusive props and more just visit FanDuel.com locked on and shoot your shot that's FanDuel.com Locked on. FanDuel official sportsbook partner

Starting point is 00:14:48 of the NBA. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots. It is Mock Draft Monday. It is hashtag Locked on Murph Monday and folks, we are already having a blast with the great mock drafts that you've submitted.

Starting point is 00:15:08 We missed them last week, Murph, but I'll tell you, he came back, and boy, did he hit one out of the park. Our man LJ pulling off the trades of the century. I believe he even traded Kelly's roast beef at one point in Revere Beach. A lot of that was all included. I think Frank Pepe's pizza down in your neck of the woods was in there. Probably the whole state of Rhode Island was in his trade at one point, but bottom line, LJ working the trade lever very well, staying within the parameters of the 2024 rules that we set. And I think giving himself a pretty good draft call, but another great draft

Starting point is 00:15:42 call submitted was by another one of our very valued everydayers and that is Brady boy 12 you know him on twitter at Tucker Ross Khan and Tucker had a pretty interesting approach to how he handled the Patriots draft hall made a couple of trades obviously still going with Drake May up at the top very popular pick here in New England right a lot of the mock drafts the vast majority of you going with Drake as your quarterback again Murph and I have talked about that several times the pros the cons 41st pick now a little bit of a change here picking it up by a trade offensive tackle from the University of Houston Patrick Paul at number 41 I think this is great value for a kid with his potential upside. It really is.

Starting point is 00:16:25 Really is. I love Patrick Paul. He's just a mauler. He's somebody that is going to strike fear into the hearts of defensive players that are lined up in front of him or to the side of him or linebackers that, you know, gap lead backer. Oh, I love gap lead backer. So yeah, no, fantastic pick. Patrick Paul is somebody that I've had my eye on in the second round for, you know, the second half of the other end of my bookend offensive tackles that I really like, thank you for addressing the safety position.

Starting point is 00:17:07 You know, thank you so much because this, this, uh, this team is in desperate need. Uh, that's, that's, that's putting it a bit much desperate with some of the guys that are on this, on this, uh, on this team already, but, but there are guys that, that are getting older. They need to get younger at the position they need to to diversify. And I think Newman is, is one of those kids that, you know, is going to fit the Patriot mold of being able to play a lot of different positions. Yeah. I think Murph, if we're being honest and we talked about this, one of the things that helped put it over the top and us choosing Tucker's draft here was Tyler Newman. Some of the best instincts I've seen for a safety in this class.

Starting point is 00:17:53 This kid, when he draws a beat on a route, there's almost never a situation where he's going to get beat by his target. This recognizes the route as well as anybody that I've seen in this class maybe as well as some NFL safeties veteran safeties that have been around for a long time when it comes to recognizing a route I think that's such a lost art when it comes to the safety position this time around Murph and he's bringing it back and he does it in such a great way he can line up in the nickel he can cover receivers out of the slot so I love the versatility that this kid can play he has the ability to go up and defend against the run he's not afraid to mix it up and do that he's not all about pass defense um and he's going to square up against his target as well this kid is not afraid to lay a hit on someone

Starting point is 00:18:35 he's i think very well sized for a safety as well 6-2-2-10 kate stover uh is an interesting pick um i think it's a little early for k, but a lot of people see him rising up. I see Cade more as an H-back than I do as a true tight end. I don't know about you, Mike. Yeah, I do as well. Murph, I'm going to anger some people when I say this, but Cade Stover really, I think, has the ability to be what Dalton Keene should have been in this system. Dalton just never rounded into form, and I think injury had a lot to do with that.

Starting point is 00:19:07 Just absolutely killed the kid's confidence. And he wasn't able to come in and show what he could do. I think Kate Stover has the ability and he's got the swagger to be able to pull it off. I like this pick as well. Yeah, I do. It's a good pick. I just think it's a little early, but is obviously going for something here. He sees the way that the wind is blowing here in New England, hopefully, and he filled a need.

Starting point is 00:19:33 Murph, the interesting thing about Tucker's draft here is that he started with a quarterback and he ends with a quarterback. And obviously this looks like a situation where both Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi are probably on the outside looking in. Well, maybe not Zappi. I will be fair there, but this definitely tells me Mac is gone. Drake May would be your starter without any question, but I'm very intrigued by one Joe Milton III. I loved what I saw out of him in 2023, 2,813 yards, 20 touchdowns and completed 64 64.7 percent of his passing attempts you want to talk about extending plays and doing things with your legs too folks Milton can do it 299 rushing yards seven additional touchdowns but if you're looking at Joe Milton and you're looking at film on him you have to be overly impressed by this kid's arm he does not even bat an eyelash to send the ball 60 yards and folks he doesn't even look like he's trying when he does it it

Starting point is 00:20:31 really is amazing um and he can make the throws he can throw them into tight windows he can get to the middle of the field i think he can make every throw in the book and he does it and he makes it look effortless so this could be a very interesting developmental talent here in New England. He has every club in his bag, but he keeps picking the wrong club. Okay? He keeps picking the wrong club. Refinement is what this kid's game needs. But, hey, maybe he could add 10 miles an hour to Drake Mays' fastball.

Starting point is 00:21:01 You know? Maybe he could do that. It's a fantastic pick down here at 171. I think it's intriguing as hell. And yeah, why not? Why, why that? Why the hell not at 171? Yeah.

Starting point is 00:21:15 Give me Joe. No. Yeah. I completely agree with you in terms of the club analogy. I think that's perfect because this kid's got everything. He's got a cannon for an arm. He's not afraid to use the short intermediate area of the field. He can gun the ball down the field without any question.

Starting point is 00:21:30 He can definitely use his legs to extend plays and he can make things happen on design quarterback runs. Sounds a little too good to be true, but the problem is it's consistency in making the right decisions and making the throws regularly, just because he can make every throw in the book, folks, doesn't mean he's always going to do that. And for as many great throws as he'll make,

Starting point is 00:21:51 he'll make throws that are going to leave you scratching your head. So that's where coaching needs to come into play here. If Alex Van Pelt is the guy that's going to be coaching him, he's got his work cut out for them. But if he can harness that talent, which there's undeniable talent here, he could be something special. There's going to be a big jump from what he was doing at Tennessee to whatever he's being asked of here. It was a very one-read offense at Tennessee. And I think here at this level, you can't survive that way. And I'm really not, I'm really not sure if the kid can process and it was just the, the, the system that he was working in or is the system

Starting point is 00:22:35 that he was running there in place for him to succeed. All right. I'm not sure yet. I'm just not. I think you make an excellent point if you're a fan of joe milton folks one thing you can probably hang your hat on is 2023 was actually his most efficient season as a pass right so it shows he's moving in the right direction whether or not that was system fit or whether or not that is evolution of his game that's going to be determined at the pro level that's where coaching comes in right people. People say that he's the one-trick pony, the situational success that he had. But you can't say a quarterback lacks field vision,

Starting point is 00:23:19 which is what a lot of people say about this kid, when he hasn't really had the opportunity to do that. Murph, we're at grading time when it comes to Tucker's draft from start to finish. How would you grade him, Professor Murph? Solid B plus. Solid B plus. And that's nothing to sneeze at. That's really nothing to sneeze at.

Starting point is 00:23:40 You're still on the honor roll, bud. Feeling a lot of areas of need, Tucker. Once again, great draft. that you're you're you're still on the honor roll but feeling a lot of areas of need tucker once again great draft and murph it's hard to believe but we're not even done yet because another one of our all-stars submitted yet another intriguing draft this one's going to be interesting for murph to grade folks not only are there 2025 picks involved but it also involves the patriots trading down to take an offensive lineman, but not the one that Murph's been touting.

Starting point is 00:24:09 We're going to give you a little insight into one of our mock draft all-stars musings when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp. Locked on listeners, what's the first thing you'd do if you had an extra hour in your day? Maybe go for a run or take a nap, read a book, or maybe spend some extra time with family and friends. A lot of us spend our lives wishing we had more time, but the question is, time for what? If time was unlimited, how would you use it?

Starting point is 00:24:49 The best way to squeeze that special thing into your schedule is to know what's important to you and make it a priority. Therapy can help you find what matters to you so you can do more of it. It's helpful for learning positive coping skills and how to set boundaries. Therapy can also empower you to be the best version of yourself. If you're thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It's entirely online, designed to be convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist

Starting point is 00:25:20 and switch therapists at any time for no additional charge. Learn to make time for what makes you happy with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com slash LockedOn today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H-E-L-P dot com slash LockedOn. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on mock draft Monday it is hashtag locked on Murph Monday and we are bringing you some of

Starting point is 00:25:51 the amazing mock drafts that was submitted by all of you everydayers casual listeners and first timers folks you continue to flood us not only with emails but also with social media postings we love when you send us the mock drafts. We've been doing this now Murph for five seasons and it really is remarkable. It just gets better and better each and every time. And folks, we thank you for that because with all of your buy-in, all the hard work that you put in mock draft Monday, you guys make it what it is. You're the stars of mock draft Monday and Murph and i really enjoy seeing all

Starting point is 00:26:25 the work that you put in and murph so far we've had two intriguing drafts but you know it almost wouldn't be mock draft monday unless we had an offering from our good friend andrew carraway he can be found on twitter folks at carraway6 andrew is a student of the game as i like to call him he takes these drafts so seriously and once again Andrew tried to flex his ingenuity muscle a little bit in this one. No further ado let's bring it right up and let's see what Andrew had to bring here in his draft haul. Dan Murphy's got the Patriots making some interesting trades here. Obviously they're picking up a 2025 an Atlanta first rounder an Atlanta third rounder and a Miami third rounder, and a Miami third rounder in 2025.

Starting point is 00:27:06 But Patriots still have a pretty impressive haul here, trading down to number 18 to pick Amarius Mims, offensive tackle out of Georgia. Now, you and I both know why Mims is the pick here for Andrew, but there is a lot to like about this kid's game. Murph, your thoughts on value here in terms of Amarius Mims and what the Patriots had to do to get here. I expected more out of a varsity letterman. I really did, but I really did. Well, you know, Murph, screws fall out of the door all the time. The world's an imperfect place.

Starting point is 00:27:42 Yeah, and a screw is loose here. You traded all the way down to 18 to give me mims you don't you don't trade down to get mims you trade up to get them okay you that's that's the guy you trade up to get i i have no problem in trading up to get mims but to to bypass on all of the talent that is here, you know, at the offensive tackle position. And don't get me wrong, folks. Mims is a fantastic tackle, and nobody knows this like Andrew. Nobody knows this like my buddy, Coach Carraway. He's seen him up close.

Starting point is 00:28:17 He knows what he can do. I love him at the bottom of the first round. I would love him at 18. It's just what he gave up to go down to get him is quite frankly driving me crazy. But Michael Penix Jr. is a quarterback that I find very intriguing and getting him here at number 37 is exactly where I think that he should go. What do you think, Michael? Yeah, without question. If you're going to make Pennix your pick, this is right in your wheelhouse.

Starting point is 00:28:50 Number 37, it takes a little bit of the pressure off in terms of him being a first-rounder, make an immediate impact. It gives him the chance to grow into his potential. Because yet again, Murph, this is another kid that can make all of the throws. 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns, 11 interceptions last year, made him a Heisman finalist. This kid can play football. The knock on him, obviously, is going to be accuracy. It's going to be his footwork.

Starting point is 00:29:16 These are things that we saw him struggle with at the Senior Bowl. We saw him struggle with back all the way to last year. I mean, we saw him struggle in the bowl games. I mean, these are going to be things that are going to follow him. So he's going to throw this week. Scouts are going to get a chance to see what this kid's arm strength looks like. That may go a long way in determining whether or not he's upper end, maybe even into day one or whether or not he's hovering around in day two.

Starting point is 00:29:40 But I think this is a perfect spot for him to go. Yeah, I do too. There will be no pressure on panics to come in and start right away but he could push it uh to that level corley uh yeah this kid has is a yak god you guys all know how much i love yak and this kid is a yak god i mean corley has the vertical speed folks to succeed on the perimeter. You saw him do it at Western Kentucky. Obviously he's at his most comfortable giving you that yak and that's where he's going to really shine and really go above and beyond. One thing that I really like about this

Starting point is 00:30:15 kid as well is there's familiarity with one of the players on this roster right now. If in fact, Bailey Zappi is going to be retained as quarterback, whether it's in a backup role or whether or not he's going to be a spot starter, bringing a guy along, go back to 2021. Western Kentucky, who's his quarterback? Bailey Zappi. Put up pretty good numbers with Zappi. A very good rapport here.

Starting point is 00:30:38 73 receptions, 691 yards, and seven touchdowns. And he wasn't the top option at the time. He grew into that. 79 passes caught, 984 yards, 11 touchdowns, solid performance at the senior bowl. And once again, textbook footwork, great body control, especially at the top of his routes. His ability to start and stop at the start of his stride,

Starting point is 00:31:01 that really is what allows him to create the separation that I think is going to be his biggest factor of success in the NFL. And hopefully here in New England, I would love to see this kid join the Patriots. Yeah, I would too. It's fantastic. The only receiver that I would rather have in this position is probably Julian Edelman. He's fantastic, though. The things that Michael was just talking about allows him to be versatile, move inside or outside.

Starting point is 00:31:34 He's only 5'11", from what we know right now. He might be just a little bit smaller than that. We're not sure. But he plays taller than he is. And what Michael talked about with that stop and start speed, he goes from first gear to fifth gear in the blink of an eye. And you want weapons, this kid's a weapon. Oh, absolutely. Without any question. And moving right along at number 68, I think Andrew follows it up with maybe even a stronger pick, if you can believe it.

Starting point is 00:32:07 Yeah. I'm going to let you take this one. Jeremiah Trotter, junior and number 68 linebacker out of Clemson. A lot to love here. Yeah. Trotter has the competitive edge that Donta Hightower is going to love working with,

Starting point is 00:32:21 you know, he has good speed and, but he closes quicker than anybody, than almost anybody in this draft outside of the first round. You know, he's a run-stuffing junkie, okay? He reads the run like few other people do in this draft. He's experienced. He can drop back in coverage.

Starting point is 00:32:45 I love it. Superior eye discipline. He's adept at reading a quarterback when he falls back into zone coverage. He reads the quarterback's eyes really, really well. This is a fantastic pick right here. Yeah, it's grading time here on Locked On Patriots. Our second grade in as many weeks for our good friend Andrew Carraway. What are your thoughts on this haul particularly for him?

Starting point is 00:33:09 This is an A draft. This is an A draft. All right? You see me after class, you know, but this is an A draft. It's fantastic. You know, for what you were able to do from 18 on down, you are still drafting in a way that, you know, had the Patriots firmly in the playoffs last year. And you came away with first round picks in the future. And it's not in the too distant future where they're going to continue to be able to build in a way that is going to surprise a lot of people.

Starting point is 00:33:48 I do like what you did in the second round at quarterback. I do like Mims up the top. But throughout this entire draft, bud, you just killed it. You really killed it. It's an A draft. This is an A draft. I mean, you look at the talent that he was able to acquire here i love malachi corley i really think this kid has an opportunity to be a real steal at the wide

Starting point is 00:34:10 receiver position in this draft but then you follow it up with a pick like trotter uh like murph said you know dante hightower working with this kid is going to be a hand in glove fit and you know from start to finish i think there is a lot of solid talent here that allows the Patriots to not only fill positions of need, but maybe even get a few steals in between. So bottom line folks, it is always, always a blast whenever our great listeners like you submit phenomenal mock drafts. We got three great ones. So a major tip of the cap, our guys, LJ, Tucker, and Andrew andrew a solid trio a triumvirate of talent without any question this week bud what can i say thank you so much for coming along for

Starting point is 00:34:53 the ride with me our second mock draft monday of the season many many more still to come folks but in the meantime i always always pay homage to the wisdom, the counsel, and the insight of my good friend, Thomas Murphy. He's very seldom wrong, folks, and he's always honest and candid. What more can you ask for? Before I let you go, please let everyone know where they can reach out to you, interact with you, and discuss some of these mock drafts. But most of all, let us know what you got cooking in Murph's kitchen from now until

Starting point is 00:35:21 the end of the week. You know, of course, you can follow me on Zitter at Team Murph 207. Whatever tickles my fancy, you know, Blaze Jordan got a little playing time yesterday. I might talk about that, that, that a tiny bit. Men love, love, love plays, love plays. First baseman, they can play first base. Oh my God. And, and I, whatever else might, might, might come up, you know, um, there,

Starting point is 00:35:48 there's always those rumors that the, that the Red Sox were interested. They were in there. And you never know. Actually. Yeah. You probably do know. There's a good chance. You're going to see Murph on these airwaves again before the week is out.

Starting point is 00:36:01 But in the meantime, a tip of the cap to you, my friend. Thank you for always being my co-pilot here on Locked On Patriots, especially on Locked On Murph Monday and Mock Draft Monday. And folks, thank you all for your great submissions. We're going to continue to talk about a lot of the prospects that you've selected in Mock Drafts because it is Combine Week, and we're going to continue to bring you the very latest from Indianapolis. In the meantime, I'm Mike DeBate, and on behalf of my good friend Thomas Murphy, I remind you to stay safe and to stay well and to

Starting point is 00:36:30 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.

Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Mock Draft 2.0: Drake Maye at the Top? Adonai Mitchell, Malachi Corley at WR?

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.