Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Offseason Workouts Begin, Cornerback, Offensive Line on Mock Draft Monday

Episode Date: April 18, 2023

The New England Patriots are back in town as Phase 1 of 2023 offseason workouts have begun in Foxboro. Host Mike D’Abate breaks down the start of the offseason program and what it means for the Pats before welcoming Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of E2G Sports to evaluate and grade a pair of mock drafts submitted by Locked On Patriots listeners.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.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. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. 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) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The boys are back in town again as your New England Patriots kick off phase one of the off-season workout program. And in true Patriots fashion, they're starting off strong. Stick around. You're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello to all of you, Foxborough faithful.

Thank you once again for making Lockdown Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Thank you for tuning in. We're a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. You can subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts to get the latest episode as soon

as it's available. And of course, folks, today's episode is brought to you by Ultimate Football GM. If you've ever dreamed of becoming an NFL GM and managing your football franchise, 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 your franchise when using the promo code locked on in all caps. That's fans.

Thank you again for joining me here today on the pod. I'm your host, Mike debate, and I cover your new England Patriots for Patriots country of sports illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDA BAT NFL. 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.

And once again, folks, a special shout out to all of you Locked On Patriots everydayers out there. Those of you who take time out of your schedule each and every day to join us here on the pod. I appreciate you so much. You're the backbone of what we do. We couldn't do what we do here on Lockdown Patriots without you. And a special tip of the cap to all of you out there who submitted some great mock drafts.

You all make this Mock Draft Monday. And in just a bit, Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com is going to join me here to break down a pair of mocks that i know you guys are going to find very very interesting so stay locked in all of you first timers all of you occasional listeners and of course the everydayers murph will be here in just a moment to make this hashtag mock draft monday in just a bit but for the first time since January, your New England Patriots have officially welcomed a significant portion of their roster for the start of the 2023 offseason workouts. The Patriots, along with several teams throughout the league, kicking off the first phase of their offseason program today. That consists of activities including meetings, strength and

conditioning, and physical rehab. So these activities are going to take place over the course of a two-week period. And we all know that today in Massachusetts, observing Patriots Day, the football pats provided their fans with a look at some of the attendees. And if you check out Patriots.com, you'll see some of the photos of the players arriving. Mack Jones, Devontae Parker, Dietrich Wise Jr., Hunter Henry, Marcus Jones, Ty Montgomery, you name it, they were there. And definitely good to see so many high-profile Patriots in attendance. Shows they're buying in right away. They're excited for the year.

And they definitely want to get off on the right foot and off to a good start. And really, I think one of the most important parts of all of this is seeing Mac Jones in attendance right from day one. You figured it was going to happen, especially because of the fact that he's been running off-season throwing sessions with Bailey Zappi. You've seen him put in the work with Nick Shimanek. He's been, quote unquote, a daily presence at Gillette Stadium. So his presence was pretty much a foregone conclusion. But the fact that he's doing this, even though he continues to be surrounded by trade rumors, as well as a deteriorating relationship with Bill Belichick, I say that tongue-in-cheek, folks. That's alleged. We don't know for sure if that is indeed

the case but bottom line mac showing up sets the tone right off the bat he is the quarterback he is the most high profile guy in the room and he's going to determine whether or not the patriots are going to buy in when you see your quarterback doing that naturally teams are going to follow suit now what does this entail again the patriots are going to follow suit. Now, what does this entail? Again, the Patriots are going to be keeping it pretty light over the course of the next couple of weeks. After this first phase is over with in the second phase, teams are then going to be able to increase their activities to doing on-field workouts. Those workouts are going to take place in Foxborough. That's a three-week period. They can include individual

group instruction, some drills, as well as called perfect play drills to be able to play through that. That's going to be conducted at a walkthrough pace. There are no live contact or team offense versus team defense drills permitted during that time. Those are going to come during the third phase, and that's the final four weeks of the program. Ten days of OTAs, or organized team activities, as the phonetic spelling kind of comes out. Those are seven-on-seven, nine-on-seven, and 11-on-11 drills. Those are permitted. No live contact during that period.

Of course, you've got minicamp coming up in June, and then full pad and practices and contact drills are going to arrive when the Patriots regroup for training camp in July so a lot to be excited about a lot to look forward to these sessions are closed to the media but New England staff of assistant coaches are going to be made available to all of us in the media on Tuesday that includes new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien meeting the Patriots media for the first time in quite some time. Those are his first public remarks of the season. We'll be here in Lockdown Patriots to bring it all to you, and we'll be sharing all of that on Wednesday morning, along with what Matt Groh, Director of Player Personnel, has to say in his pre-draft media

availability. So stay tuned, because a lot of exciting stuff coming down this week in the last full week before we hit draft week, folks. And even though I know that all of us in the region right now are extremely excited about the draft, and Murph's going to join us in a minute for Mock Draft Monday, we're all cognitive of the Patriots holiday on Monday in Massachusetts. And bottom line, it's a day of celebration. It's a day of relaxation and a lot of sex within Massachusetts. Daytime Raid Sox baseball, Marathon Monday.

But this year took on a little bit, I think, of an extra pall. And that is because Saturday was the 10-year anniversary of the darkest of Marathon Monday memories. Today being the marathon, we're taking a little bit of a closer look to it. And we all remember April 15, 2013. Two bombs detonating near the finish line, 14 seconds and 210 yards apart from each other. Three people were killed in the explosion. Two officers in the pursuit of the perpetrators, and hundreds were injured in this tragedy, including 17 who tragically lost limbs during this just horrific day in Boston history, and really in American history. And all of us that are in the New England

region, we know that New England is a tight-knit community. And whether you're here in Boston, or were here in Boston on that day, or if you're like me, you're in New England, you know, transplant and you're a New Englander essentially watching from afar, watching this unfold with horror the way we all were on that day, or observing from anywhere in the U.S. or all over the world. We were all Bostonians on April 15, 2013. And I say that unequivocally. We all were. We all became Boston Strong in the aftermath throughout the country. Everybody banded together, bonding together to help each other through tragedy. And we remain that way to this day. That's why we remember the tragedy the way we do today. We're mourning the losses. Those losses can never be erased, folks, no question.

But we celebrate the spirit that unites all of us here in New England and really all throughout the country. And I think it's important we all try to remember that at various times when it seems like we just can't find anything to agree upon. As we celebrate today, we pause to remember those that suffered injuries, both physical and mental and emotional on that day but mostly those who still feel the losses of those that were taken from us on that day and in the aftermath martin richard crystal campbell lou lindsay officer sean collier and dennis simmons for their spirits for their memories and most importantly for their families let's most importantly, for their families. Let's all remain Boston Strong. Pats fans, Thomas Murphy is going to join me here in just a moment. But before he does, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at Ultimate

Football GM. And you've heard him talk about this mobile game app. And if you ever thought that you'd make a good GM, you've got to give this game a try. I've always said before, and I will continue to say, it's not easy to create a dynasty. But when you play Ultimate Football GM, you're going to get control and manage every strategic aspect of your team as you play through the season and lead your team to glory by building a historic dynasty. You're going to go through all the hiring of the right coaches, coordinators, manage the finances, navigate through the draft, through free agency, player personnel issues, all the ups and downs of a season. And you do it all in a challenging and realistic game world.

Ultimate Football GM is completely free. It's playable offline, or you can play on the go as you want when you want to. So Locked On Patriots listeners, listen up, because you get a 100% free boost to your franchise when using the promo code LOCKEDON. That's LOCKEDON in all caps, and do that in the game store. That's LOCKEDON in all caps, so make sure to check it out today. To download the game, just visit ultimate-gm.com or look it up on the app stores. That's ultimate-gm.com or look it up on the app stores.

That's ultimate-gm.com, Ultimate Football GM. Start your dynasty today. Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. And it is Mock Draft Monday. We're going to dive into that in just a moment. But first, please take a moment to sign up for the Locked On NFL Draft Buzz newsletter. You can find it at lockedonpodcast.com slash newsletters to sign up for your free NFL draft newsletter.

And each week, you're going to get some amazing content. You're going to get the top story from NFL draft expert Luke Inman, a top five ranking, and links to great draft content all across the Locked On Podcast Network. So that's the Locked On NFL Draft Buzz newsletter. Don't delay. Do it today. And speaking of today, folks, you can see the big green man has joined me today for yet another round of Mock Draft Monday. But don't forget, folks, it was Lock locked on a Murph Monday first, and that's why he's here. The legendary Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com joins me here today on our pent-ultimate Mock Draft Monday, Murph.

Hard to believe we're almost there. We're almost there, man. We're almost at the finish line. You know, Ma and her kerchief and me and my cap. It's Christmas coming. Absolutely. It really, really is. You know, the countdown is here and we're ready to roll. We're ready to go. It's a lot of fun, Murph. We always

have a lot of fun when we do mock drafts here. And folks, once again, we can't thank you enough for the great work that you put out each and every draft season. I keep saying it over and over again. I will keep saying it. It's just, it's one of those things that just we love, absolutely love about our job is the opportunity to come out here and to be able to interact with all of you, the great listeners of Locked On Patriots all throughout the network. You are what makes us your team every day. And we do appreciate that so let's dive in murph and one of our favorites submits the first mock draft today uh the quote

commando you're a funny guy sully i like you that's why i'm going to kill you last um no all kidding aside folks um we have a pretty good draft submitted by our good friend. Apparently, he was, well, it's a family show. Let's just say he was feeling a little good when he submitted this one. But I'll tell you what, you got your mock draft skills out, Sully, and I do appreciate that. He is Jason Sullivan. You can find him on Twitter at Sully6827.

Again, a favorite of ours here. He's a friend of ours, Murph. He's not just a friend of mine. He's a friend of ours. Friend of ours. Yeah, made guy here on Locked on Patriots. And starts right off the bat, we've talked about Broderick Jones as a potential fit for this team.

I know there are technique issues, and I've heard, I've read some of the comments, and I completely agree. But at the same time, I think the upside here, at number 14, you can't bypass this kid if he's sitting there. Nope, nope, can't do it, can't do it, got to have it. I know a lot of people have talked about other tackles at this position, the fact that they're more polished, they've played more games.

Broderick Jones is a beast, and four years from now three years from now uh people are going to be talking about how he was the steel of the draft and of the first round at 14 absolutely yeah i mean this kid right now has the athleticism to be and i think not just a pro bowler but an all pro at this position and i stand by that now yes can that backfire and can um stunted growth or maybe the wrong attitude or things of that nature derail him? Or if he's unable to pick up the fundamentals that he needs, yes, that could derail it. But once again, the chance I think is worth it at this. And I think the probability of him being the prolific player, everybody believes he can be

is much greater, uh, than that of him failing. So,. So right off the bat, Jason, awesome job. We love the pick. Murph and I are already impressed. Murph, the next pick is someone that we haven't talked a whole lot about here on Locked On Patriots. To tell you the truth, he hasn't gotten a whole lot of press in terms of a prototypical Patriots pick. The more I look at film on DJ Turner of Michigan, it surprises me a little

bit that people aren't giving him a second look. I know the size is not quite what fans are looking for because you already have guys that are kind of hovering around that 5'10", 5'11", 6 feet. DJ measured in at the combine at 5'11". He was listed originally at 6 feet, measured in at 5'11", at the Combine. But this is a very good outside cornerback. He can mix his coverages. He's very good in man. That's where he's at his best. But he's also comfortable playing in zone.

Should Patriots fans be giving this kid another look? Yeah, they should be, but not at 46. I like the pick. I like the kid. It's just that you can get a much later. You could get him at 117. Yeah, but you can. I've got him maybe as my number. I want to say six or eight. Eighth quarter cornerback, even lower. I mean, Gonzalez ahead of him, Forbes, Witherspoon, Porter. They're probably all going to be gone. But, you know, Ringo Smith, Williams out of out of Syracuse. Oh, God. You know, Banks, it's Turner is way down the board.

I'm really not sure why Sully went this early with this guy unless he just really loves him or has a feeling that Bill does. We all know how Bill feels about Michigan guys. Well, if there is an argument to be made for taking DJ Turner early, and I'm playing devil's advocate here, folks, I'm not saying I would do it. I'm just saying if there is an argument to be made, I think it's the coverage flexibility. I think it's the coverage versatility and the very, very good instincts that this kid has. Sometimes you can't teach that. And if Patriots are quarter, excuse me, quarter, yeah, they're not quarterback hungry folks, but they are somewhat cornerback hungry.

And I think if they're looking for a player, just a little bit, and if they're looking for a player that can come in and immediately make an impact, understand the playbook and really be able to take over in a situation that gives him tight man-to-man coverage but also zone flexibility, EJ Turner might be a guy that does turn some heads. So, again, I don't think this is enough to warrant a 46 pick. But if he's sitting there, for example, the next pick, obviously Marvin Nims will talk about him in just a moment, but if he's sitting there at 76, I like this pick a whole lot better. Yeah, a little better. I like it a lot better at 107 or 117. I just think that's where he's probably going to go. I really

do. There's no mass to this kid. He gets pushed off the ball a lot. He's not an exceptional tackler in what I've seen from him and will get bowled over by larger running backs and definitely the larger wide receivers that he's going to see here in the AFC East. Yeah, a valid point. Yeah. No, a valid point. I mean, that is. Yeah, that is a valid point.

He's not a ball hawk, so I've heard some people say, oh, well, it's just you're getting Jack Jones 2.0. No, no, not close, folks. They're not the same player. Jack is much more of a ball hawking corner. He's got a nose for the football. That's not DJ's game. DJ's game is coverage.

And if you're looking for a coverage corner, this may be a guy that the Patriots do take a look at in a little bit later on. This doesn't address the Patriots' need at cornerback. It really doesn't. They need the big guy on the other side of the field that's going to eliminate the number two wide receiver and let the two guys go at the number one guy. If'm saying, you know, if he's on this team, I'm not going to knock it. I just am not doing it at 46, 76, or maybe even 107. Good. Valid point. And, you know, basically that's what we're here for.

We're here to take a look at these picks from top to bottom and see who's not only going to be a good pro, but also a good Patriot. And that's something that Kyrie Thompson and I talked about a lot on Friday. There are a lot of guys that are going to make great pros, but who makes the prototypical Patriot? Yeah, I think you make an interesting argument, Murph. And I think I caught up in maybe the pro level ability in terms of maybe the Patriots fit. But folks, if you've got a strong feeling on DJ Turner, let us know in comments. We love hearing your feedback and it's always greatly appreciated. Good, better, and different. We take it and we always run with it there.

So pair of pass catchers here for Sully to round out this top portion of his draft. Marvin Mims, wide receiver out of Oklahoma. Obviously the aggregators like this pick and then at 107 zach kunz of old dominion in my opinion murph two picks here high ceiling um high floor and you know maybe not the low risk low reward type there's risk with both of these guys but i think the payoff could be good. What do you think of these picks? Once again, I think it's really, really early for Mims. I understand the A grade here.

I'm looking at it. It was the same A grade for DJ Turner. But, I mean, when we're talking about Marvin Mims, he has great hands. I'm not going to, you know, he has gotten better in contested catches over the past two years. He's got special teams value. But, you know, his run after the catch is not something that is going to, you know, light up the world. He's kind of average getting off the line of scrimmage. And he's an average athlete.'s you know i he's he's a jag i'm sorry i think

marvin mims is a jag he's just another guy and and once again hey i'm not in a bad mood i i i promise i'm just i'm not in a bad i i don't like mims coonsuntz, I love. All right. Zach Kuntz, that should be at 107, a definite A grade. I really like what he brings to the table. I think he would fit in here really well. But I'm just not on board with Mims. I'm not a fan. Focus back on the line here, Murph. It always comes back to the lines.

This is where championships are won. I think a very good solid back-to-back here. Byron Young, obviously, the Alabama connection. championships are one right and uh i think a very good solid back-to-back here byron young obviously the alabama connection you can never go wrong bringing someone in from a nick saban system and that's exactly what he's done here i love the versatility on byron young and i think this is a good pick andrew vorhees is someone that is interesting to me because again i mean we haven't brought up a whole lot here um he started all five years at USC, ran a multiple run scheme there, did it very, very well. He's very much adaptable at being able to play multiple positions,

right guard, left guard, left tackle. To me, I think this type of balanced offense, the run game is really where he does well, but this kid can mix it up when it comes to zone, when it comes to gap concepts. Your thoughts on Byron Young and Andrew Voorhees here for a one-two punch on the lines, trying to shore up some toughness with that. Yeah, Byron Young is somebody that I really like, and I think that it's, like you said, a fantastic value at this pick. Voorhees is just, you know, he can play almost anywhere. Okay. He can play tackle. He can play guard. I really like his game. And I thought he, it was an, it was another good value pick. You know, he's not Cody Mosh, but he's not far off. Yeah, absolutely. And again, versatility is something Patriots love in their offensive linemen. Guys you can swing not just from the tackle, not just the guard,

but all over the line. And this kid can do it. He truly can. And, again, Byron Young, you really can't go wrong, again, with a Bama guy when it comes to defense. So Patriots, you know, so far are looking pretty good with what Sully has to offer here. We're time to arrive at the best of the rest, Murph,

before we offer our grades on Sully's offering. Obviously, the aggregators are a big fan of Ventrell Miller at linebacker of Florida going at number 184. Jack Coletto, they did not like that one at all at 187. Ronnie Bell, Keiondre Colburn, and Jason Taylor, the second of Oklahoma State, rounding it out at 245. Best of the rest, my friend. What are your thoughts on the second half of the draft?

It's probably the best of the rest here. I love Vontrell Miller there at 184. He's a fantastic prospect. He probably will not crack this squad right now this year, but I think he's got fantastic upside. And then let's run on down to Ronnie Bell at Michigan. You know, I love me some Michigan linemen. These guys always come into the league set and ready to go. I think Ronnie Bell is a fantastic pick there at 192. Again, somebody that

is going to make it on the practice squad and not help this year, but might help in the future. Yeah, without any question. Good, good, solid thoughts process there as well. Ventral Miller, obviously, is the guy that I'm liking at 184. Great value, great positioning in someone that I agree with you. I don't think can come in here right off the bat, crack the 53 man. but if you can stash this kid on the practice squad and he gets one year under his belt learning from some of the versatile linebackers that they have on this staff, guys like Matt Judon,

obviously, Josh Uche, Anthony Jennings, Mack Wilson, guys that have played in this system for now at least a couple of years that understand what's required of you. And under the tutelage, of course, of guys like Steve Belichick and Gerard Mayo, you're looking at potentially a guy that can contribute down the line. I really like that. And I like Ronnie Bell as well. I think that there is something to be said about late rounders in the wide receiver position, flyers that can be taken. Practice squad guys that blossom. I really want to see what Mayo could do with Miller.

He's got that tweener size to him. Not a lot of them, but he's somebody that could fit in and Mayo could put in different places and different situations and see what happens. Again, not this year probably. Yeah, but when you look at the, not this year, probably. Yeah, but you know, when you look at the latter half of these drafts, folks, you're probably looking at guys that may be able to hook on to a 53-man spot, but most of the time we're talking practice squatters and guys that have the

ability for future contributions rather than guys that are going to come in right off the bat. So overall, Murph, I think we're at great time. When you look at Sully, you look at what he has, you look at what he had in his system at the time. No, I'm kidding. All kidding aside, when you look at what Sully has done here, what's your overall grade for his output? Yeah, I'm going to grade this on a curve because I think Sully got into a little Jameson's here

in the middle rounds. But Broderick Jones at the top, he did some fine work in the middle here. It's a B. You know me, guys. I'm going to be honest. It's a B minus draft. Yeah, I'm going to also join you on that train. I'm going to give him a B. I'm going to give him a B because I think Broderick Jones is coming up.

Jack Colito? Jack Colito? I had to look him up. Yeah. All right. Maybe you make a good point, but I'm going to give him a B anyway, because as you know, Billy Crystal would have said in analyze this, he had a little clock at Lou. There's no question about it. So, you know, when you look at what he's done here, Broderick Jones, I think is a solid pick as thatz, I think we're definitely both pretty high on him. Turner, someone that we wouldn't mind seeing in the middle rounds, but I think way too early. But some good, solid talent.

There's solid talent here. Yeah, that middle three. Where it went, okay? There's just somebody else there I want at 46. There's five other people I want there at 76. Still love you, Saul. Saul, you are the man. We always appreciate all of your contributions,

and we appreciate you being a phenomenal Twitter follow as well. Thank you, my friend. Much appreciated. And we look forward to doing business with you in the future, I'm sure. So it's a B from me. It's a B- from Murr. Folks, what did you think of Saul's draft? Drop us a line in the comments. Let'm sure. So it's a B from me. It's a B minus from Murph. Folks, what did you think of Sully's draft? Drop us a line in the comments.

Let us know. We'd love to hear it. And Murph, we're not done yet because we may have one of our most aggressive, interesting, and thought-provoking drafts that I've seen in quite some time. Some familiar names, but some names we haven't talked about here at all on Locked On Patriots. In just a moment, from one of the most unlikely social media sources to send in a mock draft. But I love the ingenuity. We're talking it right here when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues.

That's fans. The legendary Thomas Murphy joins me here today talking all things New England Patriots. Mock Draft Monday. Locked On Murph Monday. Hashtag in between both of those. Thomas Murphy joins me here today talking all things New England Patriots, Minecraft Monday, Locked On Murph Monday, hashtag in between both of those. Definitely, we appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to join us here on Locked On Patriots. And if you've made us your first listen, folks, please make sure to make your second listen our show tomorrow. Because if you think we haven't really talked much about the quarterback position today you are absolutely right we're saving it for our guests tomorrow folks when we talk about bill o'brien rewriting the um the playbook for the new england patriots when we

talk about mac jones maybe being the draw to bring bill o'brien back here who else are you going to talk to when it comes to quarterbacks? But the quarterback whisperer himself, my good friend, the host emeritus here on Locked On Patriots, coming back home, Mark Schofield of SB Nation will join me here tomorrow, and we're going to be talking all things quarterbacks. So make sure to subscribe and download so you do not miss a second of that action. But Murph, we are back here looking at mock drafts, as we always do here on mock draft Monday

Sully's was so good I decided to leave it up here on screen folks so that way you could take a look at it no all kidding aside folks it's just because I'm getting very old and I forgot it was on the screen but you can see right now that we have transitioned to a new mock draft and this one was submitted by someone who tracked me down on linkedin i gotta love the ingenuity folks you don't just rely on the twitter feed you don't just rely on we've had them from email we've had them from instagram facebook but when somebody takes the time to send it in by linkedin you know you're doing a great job yannis andreou i want to give him a very i apologize if i'm mispronouncing your last name, my friend, but this was a very, very interesting draft, a very aggressive draft.

Murph, if you thought you had a headache with some of LJ's trades last week, this one probably would have sent you into arrhythmia. So I didn't go ahead and pull all of the trades. Believe it or not, folks folks this is not the complete draft but i really like some of the picks here that janice did submit and i thought it was worth us breaking it down and i love the ingenuity and i think he did a fine job with some of these picks here so that's why i wanted to showcase these obviously right off the bat number 16 christian gonzalez i will absolutely do backflips like you can't imagine. And, you know, anybody who

knows me knows I cannot move. So to watch me do a backflip will be a sight in and of itself. Christian Gonzalez, not here at 16, but I love this guy. I would take him in the top 10 if I could, if the Patriots had that, that's how much I love his figure. We've said it before and we'll say it again. If the man's there, you've got to take him. Other people will talk about skipping over picks or respecting the draft board. But you're sitting here and you're doing this for a reason, whether it's fun or whether you think that this could really happen. And Christian Gonzalez, if he's there at 16, you've got to grab him. You've got to grab him. We talked earlier about this guy doesn't help.

It just fills another – here it is. Here's the guy that I would trade up for in this draft at the cornerback position. Gonzalez is just everything and a bag of chips. Yeah, he truly is without any question. And he does – he checks all of the boxes both he devin witherspoon guys that you know a guy that kairi and i talked about here on friday uh these are the top of the heap when it comes to corners if the patriots are serious about getting that guy i think they have their pick of either of those two guys that can be that guy in the

system for a number of years uh so yeah gonzalez and Witherspoon are both guys that I would jump at the chance to get. Cody Mock at 46 Murph. He's sort of moving up some of the draft boards. Some people will tell you this is overaggressive. Others will tell you this is right where you can expect the Patriots to do this. I think Virtue lies in the middle a little bit. I think it might be a little early,

but maybe not too early for the Patriots, given what we saw with Cole Strange last year. Exactly. If Bill really loves what he sees here, yeah, I could see him doing this at 46. I would prefer him at 58, 56, right there. But, you know, I'm the guy that circled everything in the Sears Wishbook catalog growing up. And, you know, I don't always get it. But if they take Cody at 46, I'm not going to argue.

I'm really not. That's how good this kid is. That's how versatile he is. His footwork is fantastic. His lower body is probably one of the better ones that I've seen in years. Has a serious edge. I'm talking like a Gillette razor edge to his game. This kid is mean. He loves football. He loves putting a hit on people. Might not be the strongest guy on the planet. We can go back um start talking about arm length a lot again and the level

of competition that he faced uh we talked about that before but i love him i i really do i thought he held up really well in um and was he at the senior of the reese's i forget was he at uh he was putting your bowl i believe yeah yeah okay yeah and um but but no i i really dig this especially if if both of us are wrong and he was at the reese's bowl i gotta go look that up yeah no we'll uh we'll definitely do our due diligence when it comes to that but no i think i i agree with you when it comes to mock i think that this kid has the ability to come in here and add more attitude to this offensive line uh you remember the offensive lines in the past that were so beloved here you had guys that had that attitude

whether it was matt light or whether it was dan colpin or you know logan mankins and these guys had a nasty type of demeanor when they walked onto the football field off the football field you'll never meet a greater group of guys believe, I've had the opportunity to hang out with that crew on a number of occasions and they are interesting guys, great guys, but that's the type of, you know, culture that you want to try to forge.

If you're looking to reestablish some dominance, reestablish some attitude and nastiness on that offensive line. So mock to me is a guy that makes a whole lot of sense. Andre Carter at number 76 is the next one, a whole lot of sense um andre carter at number 76 is the next one a big time addition to the edge group here we talked about andre before i love the fit if bill is able to find it in his own uh intestinal fortitude to draft an army guy then yeah i think this could uh have a chance of happening you know the more that i that that i watch the more that i read i don't

know if it's people talking me out of andre carter or what um i'm starting to think that inside the the inside 100 might be a little bit early that he's got a lot of work to do and I don't think in this draft that, you know, Bill needs to hit and hit hard in this draft and I don't know if he is going to make the impact at the level that everybody else is talking about right off the bat. There are a lot of guys that I'm higher on, you know, Anderson, of course, Wilson, my man, Murphy, no relation, um, who will not be there then, but you know, there there's, there's guys that, that will be all right. There there's guys like Byron young out of Tennessee that will be there at this pick. Uh, Smith will definitely Nolan

Smith out of Georgia will definitely be there at this pick. I like Nolan Smith a hell of a lot. And Keon White out of Georgia Tech is somebody else that I would expect to be there, that I really enjoy watching him play and I think would come in and make a severe impact. He's inside my top 10 edge guys. Yeah, absolutely. A few of those guys are guys that we mentioned here before on Locked On Patriots a couple of times, and some of those names definitely leap off the page. So interesting point and good point on Andre Carter, and definitely well-noted,

well-taken. People fell in love with what they saw. Once again, it's just competition and the things that he needs to work on and and like i said i'm not calling this a bad pick i'm just thinking that bill needs to make more of an impact at 76 than andre carter yeah absolutely and well taken point well taken um janice is definitely going for interesting uh choices here when it comes to pass catcher. I know a lot of people think he addressed it too late. I don't think so.

I think this is right around the time where you may see the Patriots dip their toe into the well of wide receivers. A pair of interesting prospects here. Kayshaun Booth out of LSU and then A.T. Perry out of Wake Forest coming in at 109. If you had your preference, Murph, which one do you think makes a more prototypical Patriot in terms of what they need on this roster right now? Yeah, I like the Wake Forest kid, Perry.

Yeah, I really do. I like Perry. I think this is a good pick here. I think, like you said, a lot of people are overlooking what he brings to the table. And I think he'd be a fantastic fit here. Yeah, without question you want a sizable receiver about six three yeah once you know 195 this kid checks that box yeah maybe you'd like to see a little more bulk on a kid that's that tall but you know yeah he's got the

kids got the hands yeah okay he goes up and he and he grabs contested catches. I like his size. Like I said, 6'3", 6'3 1⁄2". You get him into the banquet room and you load up on the pasta. Load up on the pasta. We can do it. We can do it. I like it. He's cooking. You never know, Murph.

You're going to have to cook with 20 guys. I got shells and sauce right in there. That's it right there. But no, in any case i'm glad that you mentioned the size i'm glad that you mentioned the hands in terms of making contested catches amazing body control on this kid right watch a little bit of tape on him watch a little bit of what he brings to the table got height got length that gives him automatically an advantage over some of the corners that he'd be going against but he can really make a catch when you

see the type of body control that he puts does his best work on the outside. And I think that could make a significant target for Mac Jones, if they really wanted to, you know, beef up some of that and have a wide receiver, there might be a little bit of a project folks, but someone that I think could pay dividends. I like Barry a lot.

And if he's sitting there at around 109, I think Patriots may be well served by making this pick. You know, if you're going to if you're going to wait on that on that spot and this kid is there, you waited well. You have patience paid off. Oh, yeah. Without any question, patience did pay off, especially when it comes to what the New England Patriots are looking to do. And Murph, bottom line, you know, you look at a lot of what these guys are bringing to the table. You know, they're looking to try to stack the box with as many Patriot-ready players as possible. Offensive lineman here, Jalen Duncan, coming in from the

University of Maryland. We know it's a need for the New England Patriots. We know that they're going to try to load up on tackles if they can. Giannis did not address the tackle position exclusively. I know a lot of people are saying Munch makes more of a guard. I think he could play tackle, but this kid is a true tackle here. What do you think of this pick at 117? Yeah, I like Jalen Duncan at 117. I really do. I think he would come in here and be part of this rotation

and looking towards the future would be really fantastic. I like his feet. He's got good balance. He has good bend. Get him in the weight room, work on his technique, and you've got a steal here. Yeah, I think you're absolutely right on that. Definitely good stuff for the New England Patriots at positions of need. Speaking of positions at need, Giannis goes for

JL Skinner out of Boise State at the safety position. This, to me, I think is a position of need for the Patriots, and we're not seeing the sense of urgency as much as we did. Do you think that's the Jalen Mills effect, knowing that he's going to come in and play some safety this year, or is it just a matter of maybe the right guy is not in this draft, where the Patriots can take him? Because Skinner, I think, would be good value here, but I don't think he's the answer to what they need. No, he's definitely not the answer to what they need, but he's a good athlete.

He can come in here and crack this squad. This isn't somebody that's going to end up on the practice squad. He's got good height and good length. I like how fluid his movement is. He tackles really well. I hate to do it, man, but when I watch this kid play, I don't see the effort on every single down. Now, that's something that I think Bill can work on here, that Mayo can definitely work on here.

And Junior Belichick could definitely, you know, turn the heat up on this kid. And maybe, you know, sometimes that's coaching, okay? You know, is getting the effort out of these kids is coaching. But, you know, those are the downsides on it. But I like the pick. Yeah, absolutely. And again, you know, players that we haven't had the opportunity to really showcase or really even mention when it comes to guys like Duncan and Skinner and the next gentleman that we're going to mention in just a moment, Kenny McIntosh running back out of the University

of Georgia, Georgia running backs, Murph, the Patriots have had some luck, some not. They've definitely uh you know Georgia running backs have a tendency to do relatively well in the early um in in the draft yeah especially in the NFL as well uh what are your thoughts here on grabbing a member of the national champions to come in shore up that running game you know more more championship uh pedigree the better uh the guys that that how to win, that come from a winning culture, those are the guys that you want on a team. This kid is tough.

He has fantastic vision. He can sit there and he sees the entire field. His instincts are fantastic. He just doesn't have that third gear, that home run ability. And his burst is a little, you know, a little suspect. Absolutely. Yeah, I completely agree with you on that. And this is not a guy that's going to come in,

change the complexity of what you're doing. It's going to be a complimentary piece. But look where you're taking him. Exactly. And I mean, at 41, you have to expect that. And, you know, you just wonder if maybe they're, you know, duplicating some efforts when it comes to guys like Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris who are already on this team, what they are going to bring to the table down the line. you know you might have grabbed that that special running back at 76 but i would i would definitely like another uh um you know maybe a linebacker at 76 then then you know andre carter

it's just god man you hit me on the wrong day i'm just you know i i've been i've been getting deep and i'm starting to do my my uh draft wishlist and, and doing some mocks myself. And it's just not enough bang for the buck at 76 with Andre Carter. Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, it's, it's, you know, it's one of those things where, you know, you look at, you know, picks from top to bottom. And again, Giannis, I do apologize for not being able to showcase the entire draft. We are up against a few time restraints here, but some solid picks, some guys that I'm glad we had a chance to at least bring to the airwaves here on Locked On Patriots. Love Schumacher.

Yeah, absolutely. Well, Shoemaker is someone that... Jake Moody down there. Oh, Jake. I would love to see Jake Moody coming through these doors as well. You want to talk about attitude and the potential kicker of the future. That kid is it. And we know Michigan guys can do well here uh save for Quinn Ordean who you know I still think could have been a decent pick here but uh I think Moody is definitely more of an upside

uh more of an NFL solid ready player so uh Murph we are at grading time here for Giannis what did you uh think of his draft the players that we we've showcased? How did he do? He did a solid B, solid B. You know, there's a, you know, like we said, Cody is a bit early for my taste. Andre Carter is definitely early for my taste. But what he did to back it up down here at the, at the bottom, and you're not even seeing the complete bottom people. You're not, you're not seeing everything this man did here.

He put some work in, and I'm going to give him a solid B. Just a little tip, folks. The Patriots rarely draft any more than 10 or 11 ballplayers. They really do. Nine, 10, 11 ballplayers is really the number that you're going to need to go for, and especially this year because I've already called Bill. I've already told him, trade up into the top 100. Everything else after that to move back up into the top 100 is,

is what you want to do this year. Yeah. Without question, without question. And I think that that is something definitely to consider. And remember, we have our fun with the mock drafts here. Please folks,

keep them coming in, be as ingenuitive and be as imaginative as you want to be on these. That's what we love about them. But when it comes to draft night, put the feet back on the floor and realize that if the Patriots do take any more than 10, you're looking at an extreme rarity. I don't think that's going to happen.

And that probably will be where they go. They'll either take 10 or maybe even fewer in the draft coming up, depending on how they feel this draft's to their needs. So folks, we always love hearing from you. We always appreciate all of your feedback and all of your great mock drafts. Folks, don't stop bringing them in. Keep them coming in. Yes, we know the NFL draft is now less than two weeks away, but we're still going to manage a couple of times where we can showcase some of your great work. So keep sending them in throughout the week. And of course, mock draft Monday will be

the pinnacle of that. Keep those coming in because Murph and I will be back here next Monday to break those down and maybe one day in between as well. So keep a sharp eye on that. Once again, my friend, what can I say? I appreciate all of your wisdom, all of your counsel. Every time you drop by, Bud, it's always appointment viewing and listening. Before I let you go, please let everyone know where they can find you, your great work, and what you have coming to us throughout the week. You can check me out on the Bird app at TeamRF207. Of course, all my writing is over there at E2GSports.com.

Got a nice little piece up there about the Red Sox winning streak. We're on a streak. Three's a streak. Okay. And remember, people, they don't ask how you got them. They ask how many. So hopefully, you know, we're just going to get out of here. Go check out the Sox game right now that's on.

You know, send our respects out to everybody here on Patriots Day. Absolutely. Everybody. It's been 10 years, and it feels like yesterday if you close your eyes here. So deepest respect to everybody on the 10-year anniversary of Patriots Day and the awful bombings that we all had to live through. Yeah, you opened the show today by talking a little bit about that and what this day means in terms of the significance of Patriots Day here in Boston and really throughout all of New England, throughout all of the country.

We were all Boston strong 10 years ago, and it still feels surreal that it's been 10 years. Thank you, people, for the support out there. Yeah, absolutely. It really meant a lot to all of us. It really, it truly did. And it brought us together. And it's a shame that it takes times like this to remind us that we really are all one people. We really are all connected. Our petty differences are probably the worst trait in humans that allows us to be separate from what we really should be. And

it is sad about that factor, but we continue to remember all of those that were deeply affected that day. And they continue to be in our hearts forever. So Murph, thank you for dropping by and for lending your wisdom and counsel today here on Locked On Patriots. Sorry, it felt a little sad. Hey,

you know what? That's it. You know, not every mock draft is going to put us in a good mood folks, but we definitely appreciate a tip of the cap, nod to the gods, to Jason Sullivan and Giannis Andreu for sending in their mock drafts. Folks, good mood folks but we definitely appreciate a tip of the cap nod to the gods to jason sullivan and ianis andreou for sending in their mock drafts folks continue to send yours in don't forget to

download subscribe to and follow you're not going to want to miss the quarterback whisperer the host emeritus the excellence of execution mark scofield here tomorrow on locked on patriots but in the meantime on behalf of my good friend the count of of Murphy Fisto himself, I'm Mike DeBake. Continue to stay safe, stay well, and be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone. We'll love us. You listening, Mark? We'll love us.