Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Will Levis Visits Foxboro; Flip The Script Mock Drafts

Episode Date: April 22, 2023

Might the New England Patriots select a quarterback in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft? Though it may be unlikely, it did not stop the Pats from hosting Kentucky quarterback Will Levis on a Top-30 visit earlier this week. Host Mike D’Abate provides his thoughts on Levis before welcoming Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy to Flip the Script on Mock Drafts. The duo grade and evaluate each other’s mock draft submissions, with the Draft less than one week away.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

will the New England Patriots draw talent from the quarterback? Well, in the early rounds of the 2023 NFL draft, after all, I don't think so, but I wouldn't rule it out. Stick around. You're about to be locked into the lockdown Patriots podcast.

You are locked on Patriots. Your daily new England Patriots podcast, part of the locked on podcast network, 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. Welcome to the Lockdown Patriots podcast, a proud part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Subscribe or follow for free on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts to get the latest episode as soon as it's available. I'm your host, Mike DeBate, and I cover your New England Patriots for Patriots Country

of Sports Illustrated. So reach out to me and let me know what's on your mind on Twitter at MDABATENFL. And while you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Lockdown Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by our friends over at HelloFresh. Skip trips to the grocery store and count on HelloFresh to make home cooking easy and fun and, of course, affordable.

That's why it's America's favorite number one meal kit. Go to HelloFresh.com slash NFL60 and use the code NFL60 for 60% off plus free shipping. Pats fans, again, I thank you for joining us here to close the week in style on the pod as we open the week in style. Get back to that in just a moment. But especially want to give a shout out to all of you Locked On Patriots everydayers, those of you that take time out of your busy schedule to spend with us here each and every day on Locked On Patriots.

You are the all-stars. You are the pro bowlers, really, of this whole podcast. And I appreciate your support. I also appreciate the support of all the occasional listeners that we have. Of course, our first timers, you all mean a great deal to me. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And I hope you had a great week and a great weekend coming up. But there's a special treat in store for all of you today. I'm going to put myself on the hot seat. You all do such an amazing job of submitting some of the most well-thought-out and innovative mock drafts anywhere in the business

that I decided to throw my hat in the ring, and I'm going to give it a go as well. And because there is only one man who would dare give me the raspberry, I'm not talking about Lone Star. I'm talking about the monster of disaster, the legendary green man himself, Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com is here to evaluate and grade my mock draft. And just to

be fair, Murph also submitted his work, and I'm going to give my thoughts on that as well. So, kind of a flip in the script Friday here on Locked On Patriots. Going to begin in just a moment when Murph joins me. But first, it appears the New England Patriots had one more up their sleeve after all. One more audible to add to the playbook of top 30 prospect visits prior to the 2023 NFL draft.

And of course, we all learned on Thursday that Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was in Foxborough on Wednesday for a pre-draft workout. Now, the Patriots and Bill O'Brien have said before they're going to be ready for a clean slate in Foxborough. But are they really ready to muddy these draft waters and trade up from number 14 to grab a quarterback like Will Levis? Well, I think the jury is still out on this, but don't let the fact that Levis is falling a little bit in some mock drafts lately distract you from the fact that this kid really has the athleticism and the makeup to be a solid NFL quarterback. One of the most highly touted in this draft for a good reason 6'4 229 definitely has the size to be effective at the pro level he's known for a very powerful arm a strong arm got a quick release and a strong pocket presence now he can also be effective when he's playing out of structure when

they ask him to make those off-platform throws we'll Leveson do it, and he's done it very well throughout his couple of years at Kentucky. During his two seasons with the Wildcats, 418 completions at a 65.7% rate, 5,233 yards, 43 touchdowns, as opposed to just 23 picks. He was also named the team captain in both of those seasons. Now, that resume normally would make you a consensus day one selection. And I still don't think anybody is thinking Will Levis comes off the board any later than day one. But there were certain early projections that had him in the top ten. Now we're seeing him fall maybe to the next ten, maybe even the 10 after that. There are some issues that he has exhibited throughout his career that may be red flags for certain teams. Decision-making has been a little bit suspect.

Accuracy, really, I think has been the biggest detriment or maybe knock to Will Levis. I think investing in a guy like Will Levis is going to be unlikely at best. At the very least, it's going to be surprising to me, but choosing the first round town at quarterback would really be a clear signal that they've lost faith in this room, in their current options. But it should also be noted that the Patriots are always going to keep their options open. And that's important to remember with a top 30 visit. Very few top 30 visits actually materialize into a Patriots player or any player in any team coming in and actually becoming a member of that team. 90% of the time,

it's more about reconnaissance than it is actual genuine interest in the player. And I think that's where the New England Patriots are doing their due diligence. They look at a guy like Will Les and they say, you know what? This is an opportunity for us to see what he has, to see where he's good, where he has deficiencies, who he might be quarterbacking in 2023. And when we have to go against him, we'll definitely be sure to have a little bit of additional film, additional opportunities to scout. Don't forget, if they don't have an awful lot of basis to go on when it comes to scouting rookie quarterbacks, it can be a little bit difficult. Bill Belichick has a reputation of being very hard on rookie quarterbacks. Well,

there's a reason for that, folks. It's because he does his homework. He knows what these guys did in college, what their tendencies are, and then he's able to match it with the team that selects him and be able to devise a stout game plan in order to contain him. That to me is why they have Will Levis in here. I know Murph, I'm sorry. I know you want to make it happen. I'm not saying it can't happen because there definitely is a track record that Bill Belichick has of going against the grain. But at the same time, I also think that it's unlikely at this point. So if the Patriots go into the season with any type of quarterback that's either more high profile or more NFL ready to hit the field than the current triumvirate that they have in Jones, Zappi, and McSorley, I'll be extremely, extremely surprised by that, for lack of a better term.

And I do think they will add another depth arm prior to the start of OTAs in May, but most likely it'll be an undrafted or maybe a late-round flyer or perhaps even another veteran in the mix. But I say that with a lot of caution because as we all know anything and everything is possible when it comes to New England Patriots business in Foxborough. Pats fans it's almost time to welcome in the counter Murphy Fisto himself where we'll flip the script and we'll put each other on the hot seat and critique and grade each other's mock drafts here when this Friday episode of the Locked On Patriots

podcast continues. But first, folks, today's episode is brought to you by our good friends over at Built, and something exciting is coming to Built.com. It's coming on April 22nd. That's a Saturday, folks, so definitely keep a sharp eye. I don't have all the details yet, but the excitement is real, and it's something you are not going to want to miss. If you know how Bilt works, they have the most incredible protein bars in the world.

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Don't delay. Do it today. But mark your calendars for Saturday, April 22nd. Built.com Patriots fans, thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Of course, we are a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day and across the Locked On Podcast Network landscape. Locked On's NFL Mock Draft special is here, and it's bigger than

ever. Follow along as all 32 teams, including yours truly, pick in a six-episode ultimate mock draft experience only Locked On can deliver. Folks, we had a blast putting this together. I strongly encourage you to check out all six parts. It

really is a fun listen, a great listen. All the episodes available now on the Locked On NFL Draft on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. So be sure to check that out at some point over the weekend. And here to take you into the weekend in style, open the week in style, close the week in style, here on Locked On Patriots. As you can see, I am joined by my good friend,

the legendary Connor Murphy, Pisto himself, Thomas Murphy, joining me here today. And Murph, it's flush the format Friday, but in a different twist, because you know we love Mock Draft Monday. And it really is amazing that we're coming up on the last Mock Draft Monday of this 2023 NFL draft cycle. Murph, we're ready to wrap up our third season doing this, and it has been a blast.

There's no one else I'd rather ride with on these days than you, my friend. And I thought it would be fun today, fun for our listeners to kind of poke fun at each other a little bit. We do such an amazing job of being able to bring so many of our mock drafts that we get here on Locked On Patriots each and every week to the forefront. Hopefully, our listeners think we do as an amazing job as possible in trying to evaluate these. But the one thing that I do pride ourselves. We're going to get killed.

We are. We are. And you know what? And that's what I love about it because our listeners at Lockdown Patriots, especially all you everydayers out there, continue to bring the great comments. Good, bad, or indifferent, you continue to let us know the job that we're doing. And I thought it would be interesting over the weekend to get a little dirt on our uniform before we clean it off and get ready to evaluate some of the drafts that we're going to get on Monday. Folks, send them in. Monday might not be the last time we evaluate some of these drafts

prior to this week's draft, but Monday is going to be a lot of fun, and we're going to enjoy that hashtag for as long as we can take it. So, Murph, in that vein, we're going to poke a little fun at each other, and I'm going to start by putting my good friend on the hot seat. The Count of Murphy Fisto submitted his mock draft here, a mock draft of integrity folks. You're not going to find mock draft 16.0 here on the pod. You're going to find the mock drafts of integrity here on lockdown Patriots.

And let's start right off with it. This is submitted by my good friend at TeamMurph207 on Twitter. And here we go. I think a home run right off the bat. I really was a fan of what Murph did here. Starting off at pick number 14, Darnell Wright out of Tennessee. Last Friday

here on the pod, Murph, my good friend Kyrie Thompson joined me and called Darnell Wright a heat-seeking missile. I would like you to expand on that a little bit. Don L. Wright at the pick, first round pick, number 14 overall. I love this. I give this an A+. Thank you very much. Don L. Wright is a massive individual. As you can see by the top of my draft right here, that I'm going to right this ship like nobody else, possibly in the war room that night is going to do.

Darnell Wright is just a huge individual, a massive human being that has nothing but upside. Six foot five, 333 pounds. This is a big man. And when you look at this roster, when you look at the problems that they had last year, it all starts at the offensive line and depth at that position. What Bill did this offseason in bringing in free agents

certainly started to address that. But at the top of this draft, I decided to push any and all issues off for the next five years. And you definitely did that in terms of athleticism and in terms of, I think, energy that can be brought to the offensive line. I love Roderick Jones in this position as well. And I think a lot of people will ultimately, but Darnell Wright just has that ability. And I think he will be there and available in number 14. And I think the Patriots, if they're looking to infuse youth and energy into this offensive line, tremendous pick. So I love this right off the bat, big smile on my face, right off You're grading at an A-plus level right off the bat, Murph.

And you really don't do much to deviate from that at number 46. And Cody Mott coming in. Yeah, to me, I think if you're looking outside and then inside for the offensive line, really revamping a lot of what they do, it's hard to not like the double dip here. Murph double dipped the chip in the offensive line bowl and I love it. I'm going to give this one an A plus as well because to me, if you're really seriously about rebuilding this Patriots offense, you've got to get the guys to protect. Murph, we said

it several times. If you don't have the protection, it's not going to matter who's throwing the ball. It's not going to matter who's catching the ball. They're not going to have time to throw it. They're not going to have obviously obviously, the opportunity to catch it. We've got a solid O-line, and you've done that very well. Yeah, Mark has been getting a lot of grief as of late, pushed down on a few boards with the competition that he faced in college, but I thought he did a fantastic job in the bowl season, did a great job at the combine. He's one of the most intelligent guys that I've ever heard talk. He struggles a bit against that

better competition, but like I said, you saw him do really well in the bowls. his arm length is average, needs more strength and power in his game. But once he gets into a, uh, into an NFL, uh, system, that's going to come. His feet are fantastic. He turns without fighting the line of scrimmage, really fluid in his movements, has an attitude to his game, a real edge to his game. This guy likes to hit. He likes to get in there. He likes to muck

it up and I love him. Yeah, absolutely. And I know we've talked about Machia a lot on the pod. We've talked a little bit about Darnell Wright. You talk about the first two picks. Obviously, you got to put the guy on the hot seat in terms of what I'm doing here to Murph. And you got to ask him to talk a little bit about these guys. I love the two picks right off the bat. I like what you did at the cornerback position. Garrett Williams, we spent a lot of time talking about here on Monday and in previous episodes of Locked On Patriots. Strongly encourage all of you to go back, take a listen to some of those. Murph and I gave our opinion. You know Murph is impressed with a Syracuse guy if he's including him in his draft. That is not easy

for a UConn guy to do, but I give you a lot of credit, my friend. I'm more interested in Eli Ricks here coming in, Alabama cornerback. This is a situation where Alabama guys come in here ahead of the curve because of the Nick Saban, Bill Belichick collection. But beyond that, I think there's a lot to like here in the Patriots system. 117 Eli Ricks. What are you thinking when you're making this pick? Yeah, I'm thinking, I'm thinking depth. I'm thinking, uh, another guy to bring in a little bit bigger than, uh, than what we have on the roster right now, if I'm not mistaken. I just think that he's going to be a, a really good rotational piece. Somebody that Bill

can use in more than one position. Yeah, without any question. And I like the pick here as well. I think you're doing a great job. I didn't mean to skip over, but I wanted to go with Garrett Williams in the cornerback position in both. Byron Young out of Tennessee. We talked about the Alabama Byron Young, but there is another one out of Tennessee. High motor, high athleticism here at the edge position.

Patriots need here with, you know, a little bit of infusion of maybe athleticism youth at the edge position. Your thoughts going through your head when you're taking the Tennessee Byron Young here at number 107. Yeah, I really like this kid. I've got him higher on my board than a lot of people do. He has fantastic speed. He's explosive as hell. A little stiff, and he needs some work on his technique. And, you know, but other than that, the kid is just, he brings what this team

needs. He's able to bring in an attitude that might not be here a year or two from now. We're really not sure what's going on out there. He's explosive off the ball as a pass rusher, an elite getoff. You know, his lower half is really good, especially his ankles. Outstanding closing burst on the quarterback. This is somebody, once he sees a path to the quarterback, he goes after him and gets him. I think it fills another hole. Yeah, without any

question or a potential hole down the line yeah absolutely talking about being prepared this this kid gets you prepared for what could happen yeah he truly does and again the patriots always draft in terms of preparedness maybe two or three years down the line they're not always looking at the immediate need to be filled and bringing in a guy that's going to make that immediate impact. Sometimes it takes Patriots draft picks two or three years to fully show what they can do. Byron Young could be one of those guys. So I like the ingenuity we're seeing so far. I'm going to make Murph's weekend very, very pleasant here because I'm going to turn the baton over to you here to talk about your pick at number 135 you have been beating the deuce vaughn drum for quite some time why is this kid special in terms of what he brings to the table here or is yours my friend because i like this pick take it just take a look just just take

a look at the film all right this kid is is um is uh the reincarnation of Mr. White. His hands are amazing. What he's able to do to defensive backs in the open field, he stops on a dime and re-accelerates like nobody that I have seen before him. That includes Mr. White. We keep talking about the Patriots need weapons. The Patriots need weapons. The Patriots need weapons. Now, it's true that this kid is not a three-down back. We don't need a three-down back.

We have that on this roster already. What this guy does, he's going to give Bill O'Brien an opportunity to do some things that I don't think he's able to do with anybody on the roster right now. Uh, like I said, he, he stops and starts on a dime. What he does with a ball in his hands is nothing short of awe-inspiring. And I really want to see him in a Patriots uniform. That's why I probably could have grabbed him around later. later uh but i didn't want to take the chance i didn't want to take the chance when you zero in on your guy you gotta pull the trigger when the iron is hot and the patriots have done that they've proven they're not afraid to take a guy a couple of rounds in advance of what the scouts say we saw that last year in the first

round and this kid's a patient runner too he uses his size to his advantage he's going to sit there and and wait for holes to open up he's going to hide behind these massive guys that i'm i'm drafting in the first two rounds and the guys that are already on the patriots line wait for something to hold up grab a hold of somebody's butt and then just take off for a good 15 yard pickup the only thing thing that, that, that has pushed him to, you know, the, the fourth, fifth round range is his size. That's it. And the fact that people are afraid he's going to end up getting hurt. Yeah, absolutely. But when you take under account what this kid can do with the ball in his hands and not just being able to carry it, but also be able to receive out of the

backfield that I think elevates someone like a Deuce Vaughn into that next stratosphere for the New England Patriots. And yeah, there are size concerns. There's no question about it. But Murph, we've seen undersized backs come in here and really play an impact, really play a integral role in offenses past, whether it be guys like Deion Lewis or whether it be guys like Kevin Falk or, you know, they've had the opportunity to be able to make impact or make an impact with the Patriots, especially with the type of offensive system that they're going to be

running under Bill O'Brien. So interesting pick. I like it. I'm really loving what I see so far. Notice that number 192 folks that Murph dips into the quarterback position. I know Will Levis coming in here, you know, over the week on Wednesday, really opened up a lot of people's eyebrows and said, hey, look, you know what? Maybe the Patriots are looking at a quarterback. I know Murph would love that pick. There's no question about it. But Jaron Hall, to me, is interesting coming out of BYU.

Is this a guy that can come in here and add to, I think, an already deep quarterback room with Mac Jones, Bailey Zappi, and Trace McSorley? Yeah, I do. I think he's just a project guy coming in. I like what I saw from him on tape. He's really intelligent. He's accurate as hell, which is something that the last draft pick

out of BYU was not. And he's fantastic. Again, not a lot of arm strength, but he's somebody that could come in here and work this, the old system, the system that we're used to in the quick, short passing game, in the intermediate passing game, and do really well. And like I said, you need somebody in here with that kind of intelligence that is going to be able to sit on the practice squad and just learn and grow. And once again, I made it a point over the last few weeks

when talking about Mac Jones is the fact that we don't need to bring a high draft pick in here and screw this room up. Taking pace here is not screwing up this draft at all. It's not going to mess with his head. I mean, Jared Hall, why did I say pace? Well, I mean, pace is another guy that I think can come in here at the linebacker position. And we know Cincinnati linebackers can come in here and do a pretty good job. So, I mean, there's no, you know, there's no, you know, shame on that pick as well. Pace is one of those undersized guys that Bill is going to mix into his amoeba defense that he's running out there. A guy that he's going to be able to, you know,

play some outside linebacker, play some strong safety. He's going to be able to be used in a lot of different ways if he makes this squad. And at 187, if you get somebody that's making the squad, you did pretty well. I think he could come in here and and actually crack the roster yeah you're absolutely doing pretty well on that and without any question i think the patriots will add another arm my take on the matter is i think it's going to be another veteran but i think you're on to something in terms of drafting a quarterback bill belichick

usually does folks so i definitely would not um discount this and i think jaron hall is as good as anyone so once again murph breaking the wisdom and counsel meter off and before we take our leave of this draft and i provide you with my grade which surprise folks looking pretty good right now i gotta say it um alex foresight coming in at number 210 out of oregon i'm surprised more people aren't on this because of the Adrian Clem connection. I like this pick, and I think if they can grab him in the latter part of the draft year, I think the Patriots may be on to something.

He was there at 210, and I just started salivating. We talked about the Clem connection there coming from Oregon. He knows this kid really well. I thought Alex Forsyth would have been gone 160s to 180s. And when he was there and I was looking to fill out this draft a little bit, this is somebody that can come in into New England, keep learning from his college coach who obviously knows him really well and end up being a really valuable swing tackle in this system.

Yeah, without any question. And I agree with you. I really think that if the Patriots are going to look to a swing tackle here, why not go with someone that your offensive line coach is familiar with? And I love Forsythe's game and what he brings to the table. Murph, top to bottom, I really think you did a great job here. You know, I really, I wanted nothing more than to be able to Rodney Dangerfield this and go, oh, this is the worst looking muck draft I've ever seen.

You know, they give you a muck draft like this, they give you a free bowl of soup. Oh, it looks good on you though. But, you know, I didn't get that chance. I really didn't. I really love this from start to finish. Um, I liked on outright, right off the bat, right up until trade Dean at number it's number two 45. Um, I would probably address the safety position a little bit earlier. Who knows folks, I might actually have my eye on Dean as well. Uh, and Murph is going to put me on the hot seat here in just a minute, but, uh, to take you off of the hot seat, in just a minute. But to take you off

of the hot seat, my friend, and be able to talk about this draft, I love it from start to finish. It's just a solid A for me. No, folks, I'm not being a homer. I'm not being overly generous in my estimation. I think Murph hit on all the cylinders here. And I think you've got a solid, solid draft with all the needs that the Patriots have. I know people are going to be squawking about a receiver. And that's something that, you know, unfortunately, yeah. I had better value. I had better value.

I'm sorry. You know, I really did. I'm sorry. I misspoke about Forsythe. He works the inside. He's worked both guards in the center. Exactly. I apologize.

Nope. No problem. But I think from start to finish i think murph has addressed a lot of the needs here again i probably would have gone with someone i probably would have gone with an a plus on this draft but uh the need for a pass catcher is probably something that uh you know i need to i need to slightly you know take some points off so i considered going with a b plus, A minus rising. But again, I just liked Darnell Wright and Cody Mock at the top of this draft way too much.

Going with a solid A here, Murph. You had done good, my friend. And I'm very proud of the draft work that you have. It's got to be grading on a curve. No, I'm not grading on a curve. I'm grading on my own opinion. And you can definitely chime in and let us know if you agree with the grade on Murph's work here. But ultimately, folks, I think there's an awful lot to like about this draft.

And we'll see what Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have in store. But, folks, if you wanted to see me put on the hot seat, there's some good news for you. Murph is about to put me on the hot seat here on Locked On Patriots. I'm actually going to do something I very seldom do, and that is hand the hosting baton off to my good friend, the Green Sea of Sting, in just a moment when we critique

my mock draft effort for this pod when this episode of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, once again, thank you so much for joining us here on Locked On Patriots, closing the week in style as we opened it in style with my good friend, Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com. Folks, don't forget, Monday's episode is going to be action-packed. Our final mock draft Monday before the draft begins on Thursday. If you think Murph and I have had some fun at the expense of all of our great Mock Draft

submitters here on Locked On Patriots, well, what can I tell you? I mean, there really is nothing like it, and Monday is going to be a lot of fun. So make sure to get your Mock Drafts in because we will be showcasing the great work of all of you out there. And Monday is going to be a lot of fun. So make sure to get your mock drafts in because we will be showcasing the great work of all of you out there. And who knows, maybe we'll come at you one more time before the draft begins on Thursday. Keep it right here to lockdown Patriots to make sure that you do not miss a second of the action.

But that being said, Murph, it is time for the host to take his comeuppance. And I am going to hand the baton over to you my friend and make you the host emeritus here on Locked On Patriots for just a segment

I did my own effort of a mock draft here as well folks and you can make the effort you can make the argument maybe it wasn't my best effort maybe it was but we're going to see what Murph had to say so let's put this up here folks there it is you can see that we are very like-minded in our first round uh and uh we're both going offensive tackle we're both going darn all right well but you know

what I'm gonna let you take the baton here. I'm going to let you grill me. When you look at this from top to bottom, what am I thinking? Darnell Wright at 14. What are you thinking? You could have got him at 28. Why didn't you trade down 17 picks like LJ and go grab him then and pick up four first rounders in the 2014, 15, 2024, 25, and 26 draft? Darnell Wright., oh my God. Brilliant pick right there off the top, buddy.

I really like it. What do you like about Darnell Wright? Again, I think, you know, to sound like a broken record, this is a kid that just has so much athleticism and so much versatility in terms of what he can bring to the table here. I like his ability to play the left. He can slot over and play the right. It's something he's done at Tennessee. But again, just that athleticism and that youth and speed and vigor that the Patriots, I think, lacked along the offensive line for a number of years. This kid comes in, infuses it. I think he may be the

most unsung offensive tackle in this draft. Skowronski's getting a lot of headlines. Obviously, Broderick Jones is getting a lot of headlines. With George Johnson Jr. Yeah, exactly. And we're seeing an awful lot of that. And those guys are going to go. I think you're going to see them in the top half of that first round of this draft. But Darnell Wright, I think, is a perfect fit here.

Yeah, so do I. I don't think it's any kind of consolation prize grabbing Darnell Wright at 14. When these guys come up, this is a decade's worth of left tackle who can go over and play the right-hand side, and he can do it from day one. You have any issues like happened last year on the offensive line, this kid is it. He can fit in on both sides of the ball. I agree so wholeheartedly.

Now, in my draft, I went in a completely different direction because your number two pick was not there for me to grab. Well, I, yeah, the eyes definitely widened when i saw darnell washington available at number 46 uh i do not believe this is actually going to happen this way i think darnell washington is climbing up a lot of draft boards and i think if the patriots see him there at 46 you have to hop on this um he can be an extra offensive lineman in any one blocking scheme. And that's the reason why I love his pick here, but he's also someone that can use his size to create yards after the catch. This kid is the typical tight end that can lower his shoulder. He can stiff

arm his way through a defender. He's like Edwin Moses. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, athleticism, he's not the most explosive player in and out of his breaks. That's not what they're bringing him in for folks, but he'd be a huge target for the quarterback over the middle of the field, up the scene. Um, Gusecki is a guy that you can definitely go to in, uh, the, um, uh, the red zone, but Darnell Washington is that type of tight end. That can be a real real threat a real pass catcher here for a number of years Hunter Henry's contract is up at the end of the year Gusecki is only here for one year Darnell Washington is a guy you can build on for a number of years so it is there at

46 yeah I don't see how you lay off and I I know a lot of people and you brought it up got on me for not grabbing a pass catcher in my draft um it just didn't work out that way what you did here was was uh my dream scenario it really was it really was you know with this pick in the second round if this kid doesn't work out you can always you know load up on the pasta and make him a tackle you know absolutely play tackle eligible for the next freaking eight years and and it would still be a good pick. You couldn't say that this pick was a bust. This is, um, but there are, uh, tight ends in this draft that are, that are rated much

higher than him. Especially if you look at some of the, uh, the, um, the information out there, guys that, that may have better hands may have, uh more explosiveness, may run crisper routes, but this is a game-changing type of player, and Mike got him with the 46 pick. Bravo, bud. We just talked about Garrett Williams from Syracuse, so I wanted to skip over that. Let's talk about your pick at 107, Isaiah McGuire. Isaiah McGuire, to me, is a guy that shows up on an awful lot of Patriots mock drafts. And I think a lot of people don't even realize why.

I think you're looking at the aggregators that come in and say, okay, well, he's available in that area. The Patriots have a need at, you know, this position. They have a need at edge. Why would you go with Isaiahaiah mcguire here in this round well first of all size uh well over six feet six four 272 is what he clocked in on athleticism flexibility power uh plays with a sense of urgency and i like that in isaiah mcguire he's someone that his hands are always going to be busy they're always going to be moving around but he's got a pretty good move that can get around some of those angles that he's going to see at a pro level and i think he fits well into what this system uh is going to run and why the patriots are looking

at him he's got that high motor we constantly hear about that to me he's going to develop into a solid edge defender but i think he can be a good 3-4 linebacker on the outside. Or if the Patriots want to switch a little bit, play a little more 4-3, which believe it or not, there are rumors going around that Steve Belichick and Gerard Mayo may want to incorporate a little bit more into that this year. I think he can be a solid 4-3 defensive end on this roster as well. So there are a lot of, I think, upside to picking this kid. And he's going to be there probably at 107 because I think there's not a whole lot of light shown on him.

That's why I went with Isaiah McGuire here. And I think he's a little bit more projecting as a future rather than someone that's going to come in and have an impact right off the bat. This is a year two, year three. There you go. I agree with you at a year two pick. What I get, you mentioned McGuire has a really good move off the edge. That's what gave me pause about taking him.

Myself, a round after you did was the fact that, uh, that it is a single move. He's got one, he has one move people. It's really, really good. Don't get me wrong. It's really, really good. And there's no saying that, that a kid who's 21 years old can't, can't keep learning and can't keep growing. I think this was a solid pick. It really was. You did take a second pass catcher. We all know how much Bill loves his Michigan guys. So why don't you tell the folks about Jaden Reed? Well, I know this was not going to essentially tickle your fancy because, you know, you take a Spartan out of a Wolverine guy, that that's gonna definitely raise some eyebrows but um i like the fact that he does have the ability to be versatile as a pass catcher as an offensive player he can

even fill in and be a special teams return or something that he did several times for the michigan state spartans but he can be an aligner in the x he can be a z receiver he can also give you some contributions in the slot um Somebody that can also give you a jet sweep option, which I know the Patriots love to employ. So to me, I think runs after the catch is what this kid does well. And any type of player that can incorporate himself into a Bill O'Brien offense has to have that in his repertoire. So sitting there at 117, there were options out there available on the field, but if the Patriots are serious about trying to upgrade Mac Jones' weapons around him, knowing that they've got someone like a Darnell Wright already here

at the offensive tackle position, Darnell Washington can fill in as a solid tackle option. I want weapons here, and I think Jaden Reed is someone that can come in and be a solid contributor in a Bill O'Brien offense. Yeah, I agree. I agree. His drops scare me a little bit. He had 20 during his arm during his time at Michigan State that I all applauded. You know, I'm sorry, but other than that, but those are things that can get better. You get better gloves in the NFL than you do in Michigan State. You just do.

And so, no, it's a solid pick. When you're picking at 117, you have to, folks, really temper your expectations about wide receivers. Like you said, you can find a diamond in the rough. But I agree with Mike. This is a solid pick. And somebody that can come in here and learn from the guys that are still under contract. We've talked ad nauseum to some people about Deuce Vaughn here.

I just love your thinking here at 135. But Trey Dean, where are we going here with Trey Dean at 184? We all know there's a need for a safety. Was Dean simply the best available left on the board when you were picking? I like the positional versatility. I like the fact that he's a physical tackler. I do like the physicality that he plays with. He's very solid in man-to-man if the Patriots are going to utilize him in that regard.

I'm going with Trey Dean here because I'm assuming that you're going to see a lot of free that's going to be played by Jalen Mills this year. And the reason for that is if guys like Christopher Smith, who you know I love, one of my big draft brushes out there, or Sidney Brown or someone of that case is going to be off the board at this point to come into play and give solid lending to a safety that you can build around for a number of years to come in new england you're probably going to go with someone that can be a contributor again year two year three trey dean is someone that i do like he's got to work on his technique a little bit um i want him to work on his backfield presence a little bit as well he has a tendency to get a little distracted back there, but with the right type of core in place and what better core can you ask for in

the safety position than guys like Adrian Phillips and guys like Jabril Peppers and of course Kyle Duggar, they're going to be able to help get this kid into position. He can be a solid option at the strong safety position for the Patriots down the road. So I went with strength here over the ability to play free, but Trey can play a little bit of free as well. If they need him to go into that direction, he's done it at Florida. So I like the versatility, but I really like the strength and the tackling was what put it over the top for me. There you go.

All right. I really love this next pick. And you went to, you went to Washington, you went to the great state of Washington and you grabbed Jackson Kirkland tell the folks a little bit about what you liked about Kirkland's game how you think it would translate to the NFL well he was one of the top offensive prospects at tackle in 2021 a lot of people forget about that uh seemed poised for an early round selection last year and then the ankle injury and that to me to me, is what really has, I think, stifled his draft stock, even going into this year. But 6'7", 3'10", he's got the size, the athleticism.

He can handle the blind side at the pro level. We've seen him do that. I think pretty good timing in the run game. I don't think he gets enough credit for that as a prospect as well. But he's got exceptional football IQ. And we talk about that all the time. If you're looking, if you're Adrian Clem and you're looking for someone to come in and to be able to get the playbook right off the bat, that's where this kid is going to shine. He knows where he needs to be in pass protection,

knows where he needs to be on field awareness and run protect and run blocking as well. So if he can add a little bit of bulk into his lower body and really kind of add some meat into the legs i think this is someone that can be a very very good offensive lineman with the versatility to play tackle or guard yeah he can do them both uh i just i love this kid and i don't know why he's not getting as much uh credit as a lot of people should be given to him I've liked him from day one yeah and I I don't you mentioned his ankle injury I don't think he's such a massive individual you know like a Darnell Wright where you would worry going forward about

him having continuous problems with that ankle uh he's taken the time and gotten himself right. I think it's a fantastic, an absolute steal here at 192. If he's healthy, he could crack this roster and you wouldn't have to stash him. When you're picking at 192, that's a really good thing, people. That's a really good thing. Before we go, Michael Turk, we've been talking about we need a punter. Where did you go? You went to Oklahoma and you went, Michael Turk, we've been talking about we need a punter. Where did you go? You went to Oklahoma and you went to Michael Turk. Absolutely.

I went to Sollozzo. They called him the Turk on this. For a lot of different reasons, folks, that we're not going to get into because this is a family show. You want to talk about a booming leg. I really think that this kid has the ability to come in here and wow people. His first season at Oklahoma averaged 51.2 yards per punt. Eight of those 35 punts went for more than 60 yards.

You follow that up now in 2022, 63 punts, 46.8 yards average. And in each of his four collegiate years he earned first team all conference honors again I think he can punt for power a lot of hang time if you're worried about accuracy I think that's something that can be taught I think he's more accurate than people and his critics will give him credit for but I just love the power and the force that this kid punts with I know a lot of people are looking and saying, you know what, you're going to go with a Rutgers punter here because it's Bill Belichick. But Turk has been my favorite right from the get-go.

I think they had an opportunity to work with this kid at the Shrine Bowl. That means a lot to me. When the Patriots spend time hands-on evaluating talent, something usually comes of that. And that's why I like Turk here. He was sitting there at 145. People are going to say that maybe he goes before that, but if he's sitting there with the final pick, I think the Patriots pull the trigger on this one.

They clearly have a need at the position now with Jake Bailey having been jettisoned. Yeah, I completely agree with you. Somebody has got to be brought in and push whoever's here in camp, and this is a kid that, like you said, has one hell of a boomer. His hang time is unbelievable and could definitely come in here and make some noise in his first camp and be around here for several years to come. Neither of us took a kicker in this draft.

It just didn't happen. I just saw somebody else that could come in here and Bill could find somebody as an undrafted free agent and maybe come in here and win themselves a job. Did you feel the same way? Yeah, I was thinking more immediate need on here. Believe it or not, both Turk and Jake Moody were sitting there, and I know a lot of people are going to look at that and go, well, how can you go with Turk as the punter rather than draft Jake Moody, who has a chance to be a real top-flight kicker in this league? I went with immediate need because I still think Nick Falk has some stuff in the tank. I know he sputtered a little bit last year, but I'm chalking that up to some difficulties on special teams

that I think are going to be shored up with Joe Judge taking a bigger role. I think right now the punter is the bigger need. And I think Turk is a guy that can come in and be your player for a number of years. So that's why I went with punter over kicker, but you're not going to find me arguing with a lot of people that think that a kicker should have been taken here. I think Bill does pull the trigger on either one of these guys in the draft. I don't think he's going to be able to focus on that. What are you going to do when you have Kirkland there available for you at 187? You've got Forsyth, who we talked about earlier, at 192. And we didn't get into Dubois, but that's a kid that has some talent, has some upside,

and could definitely come in here and be more than a camp body. Michael, this was a fantastic draft, except for, you know, Darnell Wright up there at 14. I really don't know what the hell you were thinking there. This is an A-plus draft, bud. This is an A-plus draft. I think I've only given out one A-plus in this entire series this season. And there hasn't been many A-pluses that I've given out during the three-year run that we've been together in doing this. But this is just fantastic, man. I like McGuire there at 107.

Jaden Reed is somebody that can come in here and even though he's a Michigan State guy, can do some damage. We all know how I feel about Deuce Vaughn. Trey Dean is my only, you know, give pause moment. This is an A-plus draft. You know, from top to bottom, you just killed it. I mean, even with Dean at 184 there, that's a great pick that fills a need and a guy that is going to be on this roster week one. Thank you.

Thank you very much. I do appreciate that. And DeVos, I think a lot of people will look at him and say, well, that's kind of being superfluous you already got a wide receiver you know why you can't have too many yeah exactly and Dubas has the opportunity I think to be what Nikhil Harry was supposed to be here maybe a little bit lesser in terms of talent but you want to talk about a guy that can high point the ball or get a back shoulder with precision yep you know take a look at some of the film to his advantage in boxing out,

you know, he's not somebody that's going to get a lot of separation, maybe not do a lot after the catch, which, you know, I love, but he's somebody, he's a big bodied guy that is going to be able to go up there and high

point a ball and pull it down and, and maybe grab a touchdown or two. Yeah. Without any question. Folks, what can we say? We thank you very much for all of your support to Locked On Patriots. Folks, how can I possibly top getting an A-plus from the legendary Connor Murphy Fisto himself right here?

Believe it or not, I do understand everything that the guy does because this is definitely not a grade that he gives out easily. I am honored. I am humbled by it, my friend. And thank you so much. Did I live up to your expectation the way I lived up to Merv's? Folks, we take it here on Locked On Patriots. Good, bad, or indifferent.

Don't feel funny to send in your critique of our drafts. Let us know how we did. And don't forget to keep sending in your great mock drafts because Mock Draft Monday is back here on Monday on Locked On Patriots. And we are going to continue to give you everything you need when it comes to this upcoming draft. So folks, on behalf of the great, the legendary Thomas Murphy,

I am Mike DeBate. Once again, continue to stay safe, stay well, and be the change you wish to see in the world. Have a great weekend, everyone. And we'll see you back here on Monday on lockdown Patriots.