Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots Mock Draft Monday: Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter? Offensive Line Depth

Episode Date: February 25, 2025

Uncover the secrets behind the New England Patriots' potential 2025 NFL Draft strategy. Are the Patriots eyeing a defensive overhaul with generational talents like Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter? This episode dives into listener-submitted mock drafts, analyzing how these prospects could reshape the Patriots' defense. Host Mike D'Abate and guest Thomas Murphy explore the importance of bolstering the offensive line, emphasizing the need for starting-caliber tackles. They also debate the fit of wide receivers Savion Williams and Isaiah Bond in the Patriots' lineup, questioning whether their skill set aligns with the team's needs. #nfl #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! 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)

The New England Patriots are undoubtedly looking to the 2025 NFL Draft to upgrade their offense. But is the generational talent in this draft really on the defensive side of the ball? Stick around, you're about to kick off Combine Week 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. 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 M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. While you're out there showing some love to Locked On Patriots social media style, please follow our account there as well at L-O underscore Patriots. And Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel.

Right now, new FanDuel customers can get $150 in bonus bets if your first $5 bet wins. Pats fans, it's a special week here on Locked On Patriots because not only are we kicking off our coverage of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, we are kicking off our sixth season of Mock Draft Monday right here on the Locked On Patriots podcast. All of your great work, all of your insightful mock drafts that you submit here to Locked On Patriots have the chance to make it here to the airwaves. And of course, I say we, because there is only one man who could ride shotgun with me throughout this entire six-year journey and be able to lend the wisdom the counsel the wit and the grit the way

only he can when it comes to draft coverage my good friend the counter murphy fisto himself the legendary thomas murphy thank you for coming to me in friendship today especially on mock draft monday don't murph it's the most wonderful time of the year that's right folks not christmas it's It's mock draft season. It's mock draft Monday. We're back. The OG is back. Often imitated, never duplicated.

Never duplicated. We're not giving you our mock drafts. We're giving you your mock drafts. We're grading you. And we got some fantastic ones to kick off the season, didn't we, Michael? We absolutely do. We have three that will definitely catch the eye of Patriots Nation, and it wouldn't be Mock Draft Monday. We wouldn't be kicking off

Mock Draft season without giving a well-deserved tip of the cap to the innovator of Mock Draft Monday, my good friend, Mark Schofield. When I first took the reins here on Lockdown Patriots in August of 2019, obviously I was a fan just like everyone else, and I listened to Mark break down some of the great mock drafts that his listeners would submit. And one of the things that I asked him right off the bat, Murph, was, will you allow me to take that Mock Draft Monday concept and incorporate it into our show? And Mark kind of looked at me, and he says, Mike, he says, I wouldn't have it any other way. He says, I would have been surprised if you didn't want to take that in and it really is such a rewarding part

of being host of this show murph has been alongside me for every step of this journey you know what bud let's not waste any more time let's get right into it because there are a lot of prospects that new england patriots fans are going to be keeping their sharp eye on this week as the festivities unfold at lucas oil stadium And if we're going to start the mock draft process, and we're going to give you our first mock draft of the year, Murph, I don't think there is anyone that has been waiting longer other than you and I to kick off mock draft season than our good friend LJ. LJ has been sending us mock drafts since October. So I think that right now if there's

anybody that deserves to kick off this season it's our good friend that show underscore one follow him on social media folks lj is truly one of the great guys uh he really is stick around because once we get into the trades it's no holds barred and oh yeah trader lj will be in full effect but i'm glad you mentioned tradesmer because the first couple of weeks that we accept mock drafts because obviously we're going to be doing this right through late april when the draft is ready to kick off so keep sending those in folks each and every week you have an opportunity to share your work and have it shared here on these airwaves and also on youtube and wherever you might be viewing these podcasts.

Yeah, turn on the big screen. You might see your own work featured right here on Locked On Patriots. But for the first couple of weeks, we try to feature drafts that don't include trades. And that's not because we don't want to feature your creative work. It just gives us an opportunity to provide a little bit more of a cross-section of talent here. So that way you're not taking some of these picks, packaging them, sending them to another team, and lessening the haul that the Patriots have currently. So right now, for the first couple of weeks,

we're going to be focusing on drafts that don't include trades. When we reinstitute the trade machine, you'll be the first to know, and that's when we really want to see your creativity, and that's when it really comes alive, Murph. But let's it really comes alive Murph but let's get LJ cracking here let's get him up and running and Murph right off the bat as you can see LJ is wasting no time and adding generational talent here right to the New England Patriots and that is cornerback slash hybrid wide receiver Travis Hunter now we know that Travis is listing himself as a cornerback for the festivities this week in Indianapolis. However, everybody knows that

this kid is going to have eyes on him when it comes to being a cornerback and when it comes to being a receiver. So that begs the question, Murph. Today, I opened the show by saying that the generational talent in this draft may actually be on the defensive side of the ball despite all the Patriots offensive needs and we know them all but I do believe that right now if you're looking for that game changer type talent it's going to have to come on defense before we get into grading LJ's individual selections here when you look at this draft do you agree with that assessment oh without a doubt. I think five of the top ten players in this draft are definitely on the defensive side. Ten of the top 15 are on the defensive side of the ball. There's the aforementioned Travis Hunter.

Of course, there's Abdul Carter. Will Johnson over there in Michigan. You know, it's it's it gets to be, you know, even even Mason Graham over at Michigan, you know, is going to end up being, you know, a top 10 pick in this draft. And that comes that comes with I'm not going to be surprised when when this thing happens you know it's the defensive side of the ball is where a lot of the talent lays in this draft and it's deep okay so that's that's why i'm saying it in my own in my own uh estimation if you're going to get the the top tier offensive talent you've got to do it early for the benefit of those of you that are listening to the podcast not viewing it on youtube obviously at number four cornerback out of colorado travis hunter tops lj's draft but he's not done there folks at number 38 in the second round josh

connerly jr offensive tackle out of oregon goes to the new england patriots lj stays on the offensive line at number 69 wyatt million out of west virginia of course little nod to claire cooper here the tight endage getting a little love for the patriots at number 77 elijah arroyo out of miami patriots finally get a wide out and i think this is amazing i think it's absolutely amazing that lj controlled himself to take a wide receiver and wait to number 105 to do it yeah he did it here jaylen noel out of iowa state a very good pick out of 105 i'll be shocked if he's there at 105 but you know what yeah play the board as it lies right job here lj going into the latter rounds at number 145 another one i'd be shocked if he's there at 145 yeah dorian strong cornerback out

of virginia tech at number 219 quay robinson the edge rusher out of alabama goes to the pats at number 222 kaimon rucker edge rusher out of north carolina a couple of pass rushers there for the new york patriots and then rounding it all up at number 240, defensive lineman giving you a little bit of beef up front out of Notre Dame, Howard crossed the 30. So Murph, we're going to grade LJ's draft in entirety in just a moment, but I think we'd be remiss not to begin with Travis Hunter. Obviously, we talk about generational talent.

This kid is generational talent. If he's sitting there at number four, and again, I think that's a long shot right now considering what we're hearing from the top three teams but if he's sitting there at number four even though the patriots need so many different weapons right don't see how you bypass this guy no neither do i um i mean if you can get anything out of him on the offensive side of the ball it's going to be um if you can talk the ball, it's going to be, um, if you can talk him into it, it's going to be the home run of this, this draft. The only problem is that, uh, he,

he doesn't really seem to, to, to gravitate to that side of the ball. And I, I love it. I love it. Um, if Travis Hunter ends up a Patriot man patriot man i will be thrilled i will dance naked down the main street of my hometown and uh and i i just don't think he's going to end up falling there um i do believe he's going to be one of the top two picks in this draft i really think that he's going to end up a cleveland brown um and uh, LJ, you've got to, did one of the rules,

the rules are the rules, you know, them's the rules. If the guy's there, you've got to take them. You can't think that, that it's not going to happen if he's there in the mock that you're doing. And LJ scooped him up.

LJ did a fantastic job. And he threw out this entire draft. draft, and I just love this pick at the top. Also, it gives me great thought in knowing how well LJ incorporates the entire offseason process. If the Patriots do this, it's because they took care of business and free agency and grabbed me a couple of tackles. Such an important point to make, Murph. Everything that the Patriots do in the draft is going to be a reaction from what they've done in free agency. Eat your vegetables, you get your dessert.

I love the analogy because it's exactly what the Patriots need to do. Take care of business in mid-March, and then in April, you can take the chance of getting generational talent and bringing in best players available on the board to be able to build around and build a solid core around guys like Drake May and Christian Gonzalez, who are going to be here for a number of years. But you need the savvy veterans to be able to do that. Patriots need a lot of help on those lines. So Travis Hunter.

And you're going to have to do that because lj's second and third pick you know he bookend a couple of tackles well done well done because the depth is needed all right so you know even even after taking care of business and uh in free agency i like the bookend picks that that he has uh going on and uh at the tackle position in two and three. I agree with you. I love what Connerly and Milliam bring. I think there is a yin and a yang type quality to these two players. Down the line, with some good coaching and a little bit of seasoning, these guys can develop into starters, but they're not day one starters.

And the Patriots need day one starters. You saw what the line looked like last year. We all did. And to repeat that would be a major offense to drake may and i think he would take it as such so bottom line folks if you're drafting players like connerly and million you're setting yourself up very well right for the future but it's what's going to be done in the interim that's really going to determine the patriot success here so murph if we're saying that travis hunter is obviously the gem of this draft, I don't think anyone would dispute that. If we're saying that both Connerly and Milliam are the

solid picks to back him up. When you look at the remainder of the draft, starting with number 77 with Elijah Arroyo, the tight end out of Miami, finishing it up with Howard Cross out of Notre Dame on the defensive line, who would you say is the most intriguing pick that lj has levied here uh with his hall to kick off mock draft monday um cameron rucker i i love what he brings to the to the to the table a lot of people are calling him a tweener and that's just fine in this uh brand of the nfl i i'm really good with that he's had some some injury issues, but the motor is there. The edge setting is there. The ball-needy, sack-hungry, famished type of individual is there. I like that. I like that grab at that point. you're going to have to wait on him he's coming back from um a fractured leg uh semi-fracture um and it it's going to be

a slower process but grabbing him there you can allow this kid to heal up and become something yeah rucker i think is a very intriguing prospect especially when you look at the patriots need along the edge you need guys that are explosive that can get after the quarterback. This kid has raw talent. And I believe that Patriots coaching staff, if utilizing him correctly could do something there. So I'm glad that you're intrigued by, by Rucker and I share your curiosity on him.

My intriguing pick is at number one 45. And that is Darian strong out of tech. This kid to me is a prototypical press man coverage cornerback he's got the long limbs he's got the um the agility and he also has the strength to be able to make things happen at the catch point that's where he's at his best where he starts to come off the rails a little bit is when he needs to start staying in stride with his receiver that can cause a little bit of problems with him when he has to bit is when he needs to start staying in stride with his receiver that can cause a little bit of problems with him when he has to swivel when he has to pivot uh when he

needs to change his stride a bit uh he's been known to lose his target and unfortunately it can lead to some separation between he and the receiver so at this point when you look at strong um i'm a little surprised that this pick would be made unless you're going for best player on the board. I'm a little surprised that this would be a pick when Travis Hunter obviously is your guy. I think at this point, if you've got that solid starting corner and let's face it, I do believe that, like you said, Hunter will be a cornerback in the NFL, maybe a gadget

wide receiver, maybe a guy that comes in for, you know, plays here and there to kind of help keep an opponent's defense honest. Strong, in my opinion, is someone that can play the perimeter. And I think with a little bit of extra coaching, he could be a very solid perimeter corner, but I think it's a little redundant here with this pick. So that's why that's intriguing to me. LJ, if you were going for best player available, yeah, I don't think, you know, 145 is a bad spot for Darian Strong. I'd be surprised if he's there. But once again, if you're drafting him, you're drafting from a position of strength, and

that's going to solidify that cornerback position for many years to come. And that leads me quite nicely into my final question for you on LJ's draft. It's grading time my friend what would you give lj for this overall haul to kick off 2025 mock draft season here on locked on patriots this is a solid a draft i've got no problem uh giving lj and a i probably would have gone a plus if he had addressed the linebacker situation at all lj you know um but uh no it's a solid a draft and howard cross down there at 240 man that's a big individual that's that uh i think will end up making the squad if you can grab somebody at 240 that isn't going to be sitting on the practice squad and and has a chance to to actually play for your team this year you did

great absolutely you absolutely did do great and i agree with you on your assessment i'm grading lj and a on this one obviously if you lead off by getting travis hunter at number four that's an a right there picking up guys like connerly picking up someone like a jaylen noel who can help to bolster your receiver core getting some tight endage help and Elijah Arroyo one of the more underrated tight ends in this draft yeah and then again Dorian Strong I know maybe I came down a little hard on LJ I do believe that if you're going to run a man-heavy scheme yeah could end up being a starter with the right coaching so this is clearly a solid pick no question about it I just wonder whether or not the patriots depth at the position may have led him to go in a different direction like a linebacker like you said but overall lj excellent

job and way to kick off mock draft monday here on lockdown patriots but we're not even close to no done yet we got two great mock drafts on tap the next one is also going to feature some defensive talent, and it starts off with arguably the top defensive player in this draft. I say arguably, folks, because we're going to argue that point in just a moment when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues, a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team, every day. Locked On 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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Make every moment more with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Patriots fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Locked on Patriots as we kick off Mock Draft Monday in the 2025 NFL Draft Cycle. Scouting Combine beginning this week, but we're getting you primed and giving you a preview by featuring your great work.

All of you everydayers, all of you mock draft submitters out there, have a chance to have your great work showcased here and broken down by yours truly. And who else would join me here on this Mock Draft Monday but the man who has been beside me for the past six years grading your mock drafts each and every Monday, and that is my good friend, the legend himself, Thomas Murphy of DieHardBostonSportsFans.com. Murph, LJ kicked us off in true fashion. He definitely swung for the fences, and he got an A out of both of us to start mock draft season, so

not a bad way to kick off, but our everydayers were not about to be out done and one of our most valued everydayers our good friend ava from rhine island right has been toiling especially hard to try to develop the perfect mock draft and when she submitted this she claims that this is about as close as she could get to remaining within the boundaries of realism i'm quoting her verbatim, folks. So, you know what? In that case, let's not waste any more time. Let's dive right into Avis Draft Hall here on Locked On Patriots. And at number four, Penn State edge rusher,

Abdul Carter goes to your New England Patriots. Now, Murph, I know we've got a lot of people out there that would love to see Abdul Carter in a Patriots uniform. Again, dropping the number four might be a challenge. And we're going to get into why in just a moment. But at number 38, obviously, Ava has addressed the offensive line in a big way. One of Murph's favorite prospects, one of my favorites, Ariante Ursary, the offensive tackle out of Minnesota. At number 69, this raised an eyebrow

of mine yeah we'll get into this one as well savion williams wide receiver out of tcu a lot of upside here but there are some drawbacks we'll get into those in just a moment mason taylor the tight end out of lsu going at number 77 at number 105 ozzy trapillo the hometown kid himself offensive tackle out of boston college patriots dip into the cornerback realm at number 145 oregon's jabbar muhammad joins the fold at number 219 someone you've had your eye on murph at the running back position out of georgia trevor atn goes to the pats at number 222. Offensive guard from North Carolina, Willie Lampkin. Murph is smiling. You can't see it right now because, obviously, our overlay is up there.

And at number 240, kicker out of the University of Pittsburgh, Ben Saul. So interesting how Ava has been able to get into some of these needs and wants for the New England Patriots. Murph, obviously, this is going to be an interesting overall grade, but let's start with the pick at number four. Abdul Carter is already generating generational talent type praise from a lot of draft analysts. I had the great fortune of sitting in the Lockdown NFL Squad Show earlier last week with Keith Sanchez, one of the top draft minds in this business.

He called Abdul Carter the most generational talent in this draft. If the New England Patriots can pull this off, what does it mean for that Patriots defense? We're going to have a hell of a lot of fun. That's what it's going to mean. Bringing a talent like Abdul Carter, no matter where you're going to play him, I believe Carter is kind of a tweener. Okay?

And at the next level, he's going to – but if you're going to set him up out wide and allow him to go hunt quarterbacks, man, it's going to be a lot of fun to watch the Patriots next year. It really is. And there's a good chance that one of these two guys that we've been talking about over the last two mocks that we're going through, Hunter and now Carter, there's a good chance that one of these guys is going to be there. And we talked that at this point, you need game changers. You need generational guys. I believe that Abdul Carter is a game changer. I don't know if he's generational

or not yet. I have. I've seen all the film you guys have talked about. It's just his size that gives me a little bit of pause. It really is. Carter is, like I said, he's a tweener, but we could end up, that could play to his advantage, whether it's playing out on the edge or you move him into as a middle linebacker and watch him stuff runs that way. At the college level, he's been able to do everything. I mean, everything. It's just, is he going to be able to do that when he's going up against guys that are six foot six and weigh 370 pounds 350 pounds um the speed is really going to have to uh to come into into

the effect because you you can't at his size you can't just bully people right and right now he's been able to do that sorry just the way i keep it oh absolutely and these are all valid concerns and they are concerns that are brought up by some of the top draft minds in the business as well so you find yourself in good company and murph i put you in that regard any day of the week and twice on sunday so a great insight on that as well my friend i love what ava did here with ariante Ursary, because if you can pick him up at number 38 in the second round without having to move back up, this is huge. This kid, I think, does have the type of ability to maybe even crack the starting lineup in year one if

he's coached properly. That's a big if, but if he's coached properly, and I think Doug Marone is the guy to do it, this kid could find his way into a starting lineup. What would Ariante Ursary mean for this Patriots offensive line? Stability right away. I do think that he has a chance to be a fantastic swing guy right out of the gate. But again, I think that the Patriots are going to have to eat their vegetables and get starting caliber tackles. And I don't want to thrust him right in on the left-hand side to protect Drake May. I think he can learn and grow and become that guy, but I don't think he's that guy right now. The film that I've seen of him, he plays too upright.

He doesn't have a fantastic punch i'm sorry to get cliche all right on you uh and he's he's a little over aggressive in the run game um these are things that can be the there's a lot of issues with him that can be coached out and and do do the but do the patriots have the the um the men there to do it he's got the prototypical size he's six foot six it's 340 345 you put him uh you can put him out there and i like his footwork but i'm just not sure that he's a day one starter again um he they the patriots would have to take care of business in free agency to make this work. But it's a great pick.

I love the guy. Yeah, good point. And again, there's going to be pros. There's going to be cons to most of the prospects that we brought down here on Locked On Patriots. Whether or not those pros outweigh the cons is whether or not these picks will be successful. So it's always good to hear some of the opposite sides, some of the real true scouting that I know my good buddy Murph does each and every day to make sure he's ready to provide you honest and in-depth analysis on all of these players. Here's where things get interesting to me, Murph. I'm

looking at Sabian Williams out of TCU and i'm intrigued uh i'm not negatively intrigued i'm not positively intrigued i'm just intrigued at this point a couple of friends of mine are big tcu horn fraud fans and they told me about this kid and said keep an eye on him he's someone that you want to watch he's got you know tremendous speed and burst and all of that he absolutely does you look at savion williams and he leaps off the page when it comes to some of the talent that he's able to provide. Speaking to my colleague, Kyle Krebs, over the weekend, and again, folks, one of the better draft minds you'll find anywhere right here on the Locked On Podcast Network.

Kyle's been doing this for a number of years, and he compared Savion to Cordero Patterson. I love the way he's giving him that ability to be able to potentially be a jet sweep weapon, but most of all, someone that can beat you with that long stride, someone that can use his length, his ability to get out in front of his defender. There is a drawback to that as well, though. Sometimes that ability to get out in front, I think, hinders his route running ability. And this is where I'm concerned about Savion coming in and trying to be that number one,

take the top off the defense type of receiver. I don't think that's what he's going to be here in New England. And I don't know if it's necessarily the best fit for a Josh McDaniels offense. The other thing that I'm a little worried about when it comes to this kid, drop rate. It exceeds 10% for his entire career thank you already have guys that are having difficulty keeping your hands on the ball i think savion williams with a little bit of coaching i think with a lot of hard work can be a very successful receiver in the nfl and i think he's i think he has the buddings for what could be a great career in the NFL.

I'm just not sure New England is the place to do it right now. Yeah. He's a first round talent here in the third round. And there's a reason he's in the third round and Michael just brought it up. Elite athletic talent and my hands. All right. We've got guys that, that drop the ball all the time and he he's just somebody that

does not he loses concentration and the ball ball slips out i i don't i'm not in love with him i'm not in love with him but as i said you know um here in the third round you you can take the shot yeah i think a third round at this point if you're going into this draft knowing that this kid is a work in progress um if you take this shot i wouldn't be dead set against it but i think if you're placing a lot on his shoulders to come in right be a contributor this season i think it's going to be a disappointing right um and you know as mike said i don't know if it's a fit in uh the josh mcdaniel's tom brady system i really don't i i want somebody that runs a little crisper routes than this kid does it just he's too many rounded off he misses uh spots that he should be in a lot of the times

he he and when facing zone coverage i've seen him run into the zone, completely ignore the soft spot and just keep running his pattern. And that's something that can't happen in this system. I would have gone in a different direction. So the top end of the draft, the top three rounds, you look at the New England Patriots, so far a pretty good haul, especially when you're haul abdul carter as your crown jewel of the draft but mason taylor at the tight end position ozzy trapillo at the tackle jabbar muhammad trevor atn willie lambkin and ben sauls rounding out the mix which of these names pops out at you

murph as a potential eye opener uh when it comes to grading Ava's draft here well you know Trevor ATN is somebody that I really love and I want to see in a Patriots uniform and this kid is is it you know he just needs the time to get it and you know I love uh Willie Lumpkin I thought Ben Saul's there down at the bottom was a fantastic pick and uh but you know let's move back up just outside the top 100 she grabbed ozzy uh ozzy trapillo out of uh out of bc uh this is this is a good pick right there and that kind of stands out to me murph it's grading time on ava's draft once again folks for the benefit of those of you watching on youtube here's a final look at her haul start

to finish i I don't know. I got to be honest with you, Murph. I think I'm going with another A on this. I think this is an excellent haul of talent. Some stretches, we talked about Williams specifically as a stretch, but I think overall, I think she's done a great job of stocking the cupboards here in Foxborough. What say you? Yeah, I did. I like what she did at the top of the draft i like what she did late uh we we've talked about ozzy at length uh before um i i'm gonna give this draft a b plus great assessment and i think ava would be proud of that i think she would be proud of a and a b plus uh this is uh one of her first submissions when it comes to mock drafts uh very

much in every day or when it comes to the mail, but she wanted to toss her hat into the ring on this one. Toiled especially hard, and I know she did a great job. So, Ava, tip of the cap, thank you for a great draft submission. But, Murph, we're not done yet because we've got one more, a first-timer, and he made it all the way up to day one on Mock Draft Monday. Our good friend Justin from New Hampshire wants to know what the Patriots might do if they went to the trenches with number four.

That's right, folks. A little line love to start off this last Mock Draft here on Mock Draft Monday when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast wraps up right here on the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Bats fans, thank you once again for joining us here today on Mock Draft Monday. It is day one, unofficially day one, of the start of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

We're getting you ready by previewing the combine with some of your great work out there. And I'm pointing at all of you. Every day is all of you. Occasional listeners and all of you. First timers. We are thrilled to be breaking down your mock drafts right here on mock draft Monday.

I say we, because joining me here today is the man who mock draft Monday was created for my good friend, Thomas Murphy of diehard Boston sportsostonSportsFans.com. So far, we've gotten two great mock drafts to kick things off here. LJ always knocks it out of the park. You know he spends a lot of time wondering how he's going to infuse talent into this New England Patriots team.

I was impressed by another everydayer, Ava from Rhode Island, who submitted her great work. And, of course, anytime I can showcase the work from my home state, I'm going to take the opportunity to do it. But we go to the Granite State for our final submission. And a very recent subscriber to Locked On Patriots, who by his own admission is submitting his first mock draft, made it all the way to the first cut.

And I think this was an interesting cut because it included a bevy of players that we haven't had the chance to break down yet here on Locked On Patriots. So Murph, for the benefit of those not viewing our podcast on YouTube, our good friend Justin from New Hampshire as the Patriots taking defensive tackle from Michigan Michigan Mason Graham with a number four overall pick this is aggressive I like it but it has its drawbacks we're going to get into that in just a moment but he doesn't stop with some of the interesting and intriguing picks from there at number 38 again potentialround talent here, the wide receiver out of Texas, Isaiah Bond. He addresses the tackle position

with a couple of no-nonsense tackles. Yeah. Colin Pierce out of Rutgers at number 69. Anthony Belton, who had himself a great showing during the bowl season, the kickoff draft season, at number 77, the tackle out of NC State. Dorian Strong, a gentleman we've talked about already here on Locked On Patriots, going at number 105 at the

cornerback position. Fadil Diggs, the edge rusher out of Syracuse at number 145. Luke Lachey, maybe the value pick of this fall, the tight end out of Iowa going at number 219. Shiloh Sanders, a safety out of Colorado, he gets the nod at number

222. And Donovan Edwards, running back out of Colorado he gets the nod at number 222 and Donovan Edwards running back out of Michigan getting the call at 240 so Michigan picks bookending this draft why not Murph obviously championships are won in the trenches we're firm believers in that but usually when you're going this high and you're looking at generational type talent you're probably going to go for more high profile positions in the previous two mock drafts we discovered today that was the case cornerback position travis hunter he goes number four in lj's draft abdul carter and edge rusher he goes number four in ava's draft when you look at mason graham you look at his potential and you look at his potential fit

in New England. Does this pick make sense to you? What could it mean for the Patriots defense? Yeah, it makes sense to me just simply because we don't know where Christian Barmore is and what's going to happen there. Graham is a immediate impact player, an immediate starter. He's a guy that could be here in New England for a decade. I love this pick. I really do. As I've said before, it starts in the trenches and this kid has it all. He has it all. We talked about

the fact that most of the star power this year is on the defensive side of the ball. He's one of the guys that shines brightest. Yeah, he absolutely does. And that's why I think you're seeing Mason Graham work his way up drafts and mock drafts on a national level. And some people are projecting that the Patriots may have a solid interest. And again, I think you make such a great point about Christian Barmore. We all want to see him back in England, folks, no question. But if he is going to be sidelined, potentially long-term,

then the Patriots need an answer at that line, because you saw the defensive line. The defensive line play in 2024 was abysmal. Patriots need to upgrade that. Mason Graham would absolutely do it. And if Barmore comes back, all the better, man. Just build a bully. We talked a couple of weeks ago about what you can learn from the Eagles championship the Super Bowl played a few weeks ago.

Build a bully. What they were able to do, rushing for and dropping everybody back into coverage, this kid will help allow that to happen, especially if Barmore comes back healthy and strong. At number 38, the wide receiver out of Texas, Isaiah Bond. Murph, this kid has been floating around as a potential first-round talent. Speed is there. talent speed is there the flash is there um if the patriots pick him up at number 38 this looks like a steal are there any concerns that you have with this kid at the pro level that could hinder his ability to be a solid

weapon for drake again a bit undersized and he's 180 pounds and i don't know if he could, uh, he's going to be able to get off against physical press coverage. Um, everybody always expected more out of this kid. You looked at him, you watch him practice, you watch his film and they expected, uh, more than what they got. Um, so I'm not, I'm not a huge fan of guys who underachieve, and I think he's underachieved a little bit. Make no doubt, man, this is a burner. But the problem is he's been able to get away with being a burner. All right?

He has good hands, but the route running needs to be a little bit – his tree is limited at this point in time. And this guy's another Z receiver. Yeah. We're being brutally honest, Murph. The place where the Patriots need the most help is at the X right now. At the X. You know, and, you know, you can make the argument of whether or not you can mold this kid into that.

I don't know. I think it would take some amazing. I'm tired of molding. To be able to do it. Yeah. I'm tired of molding. I'm tired of, of guys who, who make great, great, uh, grabs at, at, at the, the high point, you know, he high points balls and stuff. I want separators and this kid could be a separator. I just, I don't need it at the Z spot. Yeah. Okay. I need it at the X.

Once again, I think our listeners and justin is no exception really tap into the fact that they need to address the offensive tackle position they got a couple of solid guys at 69 and 77 holland pierce out of rutgers anthony belton out of nc state uh your thoughts on these gentlemen uh holland pierce is a massive individual yes just a massive mountain of a man a mountain of a man another guy with potential but isn't going to neither of these guys is is going to end up starting um you know day one you know i i loved holland pierce anthony belton you know that we've talked about uh at length over the past month you know there's dorian strong again um i i think that uh what um what justin's been able to do

is once again capitalize and bring in depth because both pierce and belton are better than what the patriots have on uh on the roster right now as depth pieces once again again, Murph, it is grading time. And for a last look at Justin's haul, here we go. Starting with Mason Graham, the defensive tackle out of Michigan at number four, right down to Donovan Edwards, the running back from Michigan out of 240. What do you think of Justin's draft here? How did the first timer do for his first submission here on Lockdown Patriots? I think he did a fantastic job. This is a solid B plus.

He looked at the board. He saw what the Patriots were going to need. I love the pick of Mason Graham. He went out on a limb a little bit, and I applaud that. Isaiah Bond, we're not too sure about. But I love Holland, Pierce, and Belton as depth pieces. He looked at the Patriots' depth chart, and he took that into account. Like I said, both of these guys are better than what the Patriots have right now

at those positions. I really like Donovan Edwards at 240. I really do. It was a brilliant pick. He is going to end up being there. He's got a great burst in acceleration and good size and strength, which is going to really fit well here in Josh McDaniel's system. I'm giving this a solid B+.

Yeah, I give it a solid B+, as well. I really love the talent from start to finish. Overall, folks, I think three great talent from start to finish overall folks. I think three great mock drafts to kick off our season, a special tip of the cap to LJ, to Ava and to Justin for great submissions, but folks keep them coming in, keep them coming in throughout the week. And once again,

we are going to kick fully into gear to continue to get you ready for all of the necessary information you're going to need to make your combine coverage complete so stay right here and keep it locked in to locked on patriots in the meantime on behalf of my good friend thomas murphy i'm mike debate reminding all of you 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 Lucked on Patriot.