Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - New England Patriots: Zay Flowers Worth First-Round Pick? Mock Draft Monday

Episode Date: March 28, 2023

With DeAndre Hopkins and Jerry Jeudy likely off the trade market, the New England Patriots may be turning their attention to a hometown option in the 2023 NFL Draft. Host Mike D’Abate provides his thoughts on Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers as a potential first round selection. Mike also welcomes Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of E2G Sports to evaluate two listener-submitted mock drafts for Mock Draft Monday.Find and follow Locked On Patriots on your favorite podcast platforms:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/locked-on-patriots-daily-podcast-on-the-new-england/id1140512627Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriotsAnd follow host Mike D’Abate on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New England Patriots and talking with fans.On Twitter: @mdabateNFLSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.Ultimate Football GMTo download the game just visit Ultimate-GM.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. 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

Who would have thought that just 20 miles from Foxborough, Massachusetts, Boston College's Zay Flowers might be exactly what the Patriots are looking for at the wide receiver position. 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.

Please 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. 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 M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L.

And while you're out there showing some love to the Twitterverse, please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O underscore Patriots. That's fans, I hope that you all had an amazing weekend. And of course it is Monday here on locked on Patriots. And that means two things.

One, it is mock draft Monday and boy, you guys have submitted some amazing lock drafts. Can't wait to be able to share what we have in store for you here today. Of course, it is also hashtag locked on Murph Monday, the legend himself, Thomas Murphy of E2G Sports is going to join me here in just a moment

once again to break down two amazing mock drafts from listeners Matt Urban and Dan Kelly. Trust me, folks, you're going to like what Matt and Dan have come up with, so stick around. It's going to be a fun one here today. And of course, folks, don't forget to come back tomorrow

here on Locked On Patriots. We're going to be breaking down the latest from the NFL owners meetings currently happening in Phoenix, Arizona. Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft, all meeting with the media. A lot was said, and we're going to break it all down for you here on Tuesday's pod. But first,

the New England Patriots may be looking to the 2023 NFL draft for their next big splash in the wide receiver pool after all. Luckily for the Pats, the player that they've been pining for may actually be closer to Foxborough than we originally thought. Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton kind of poured some cold water on the coals of the Jerry Judy trade market over the weekend he declared that his club is not going to be trading Judy for the 2023 season he also mentioned Courtney Sutton in there as well and again folks a lot of these can be taken with grains of salt seen situations like this before where a coach, a general manager will make a declaration

and then all of a sudden they kind of reverse trend. But right now we'll take Peyton at his word. If these two guys are off the market, DeAndre Hopkins, that's looking iffy. The price tag looks to be a little bit too high for the team's liking. So the Patriots right now seem destined to find their anticipated upgrade in wide receiver room over a three-day period in Kansas City in late April that's right folks we're talking about the 2023 NFL draft and despite the recent addition of Juju Smith-Schuster the loss of Jacoby Myers really ensures that New England remains in the hunt for at least one

additional receiver prior to the start of the 2023 offseason program. Now, it should come as no surprise that the Patriots sent a thorough contingent to Boston College's pro day, just 20 miles from Foxborough. And that contingent was very impressed by what I've heard from Eagles wideout prospect Zay Flowers. Now, Zay is a favorite of a lot of you here on Locked On Patriots. I read a lot of the comments that you leave on YouTube, a lot of the comments that I receive in Twitter DMs and all over. There's a lot to like with Zay's game.

Admittedly, I've been a little reticent to embrace him as a first round potential for New England. I'm really coming around on that, folks. I really, really like what I see. A lot of my colleagues in the media are jumping on this bandwagon as well. I'll admit it. I'm a late tag-along onto this, and I'll be the first to say it. But at the same time, it still doesn't mean that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Zay didn't do the agility drills during his his workout for uh Boston College's pro day on Friday he did the agility drills earlier this month at the NFL Combine ran a 4.42 second 40 yard dash so pretty impressive there but Flowers did take the field for drills and punt returns and again from what I'm told that delegation which included the Patriots director of scouting, Cameron Williams, very impressed by Trey's, excuse me, by Zay's short area quickness in the passing attack. And that, to me, is where he may stand out from a lot of his peers. There's no question about it. Really, from the get-go, Zay has been among the top receiving prospects in the nation.

He's got an added vertical element that allows him to separate from his defender. And he finished his senior season on Chestnut Hill having completed 78 catches, 1,077 yards, 12 touchdowns. Arguably his best trait is his ability to add yards after the catch. And that's really a common theme we're seeing with a lot of New England Patriots prospects right now and potential free agents and of course their draft targets that to me is where he will be able to stand out he averaged 13.8 yards per catch for Boston College in 2022 that's big and that says a lot about Zay Flowers and the fit that he could have here in New England I love his speed. I love the talent.

They're as impressive to me as anybody right now at his position, including my initial draft crush, Jackson Smith of Ohio State. Still very high on Jackson as well, but Zay is climbing up that ladder. And I think right now the only potential drawback for him is going to be his size he's generously listed at 510 172 you and i both know probably falls a little bit short of that but his ability to hold up against some of the country's most physical corners in college and now at pro level and that's really going to be where this is going to stand out that that has to be projected. That's something that the Patriots scouts and the coaches are going to be weighing throughout the incoming month. If Zay is capable of doing this, at least in their estimation,

do not be a bit surprised to see him taken in the first round by New England, whether it be with the number 14 pick or whether the Patriots decide to move down a little bit, knowing that Zay can still be there at the level that they want. But ultimately, I think they're going to need to use a first rounder on him. He is really catching a lot of eyes and his performance on Friday will ensure that he continues to do so.

Bill O'Brien absolutely is going to love this guy. I can't speak for Bill, but based on what his pension is for receivers and how he likes to employ them, really, I think in so many ways, Zay Flowers hits all the boxes. Ball protection, efficient running, spreading the ball to multiple pass catchers. Zay Flowers allows this offense to be able to do all of those, and I think he can thrive in New England's offense. Again, folks, it's not going to come easy it's not going to come cheap a rookie deal is going to be a lot less expensive than paying for a contract for Jerry Judy or for DeAndre Hopkins no question about that at all but again that first

round draft capital will the Patriots need to use that draft position either number 14 or any place in the first round, to secure one of the other holes that they have on their roster. Maybe the offensive line, maybe cornerback, maybe the edge rush, maybe safety. There's a lot of different areas the Patriots can go on this. But if they feel that there's still one big wide receiver away from really even attempting to contend this year in a stacked AFC East, a stacked AFC, Patriots are going to need to make a move.

And the more I look at it, the more I'm coming around on Zay Flowers being the guy that the Patriots could use and maybe could utilize better than anyone else in this draft. So keep a sharp eye on that, folks. It's definitely not a done deal by any stretch. I'm just giving you my opinion, but I am a late addition to the Zay Flowers bandwagon, and I think he could be a very, very good fit here for your New England Patriots. Folks, the mock drafts are about to take center stage, and the Count of Murphy Fisto himself, Thomas Murphy, is about to join me here in just a moment when this episode

of the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. But first, today's episode brought to you by our good friends at FanDuel Sportsbook. Folks, the tournament is red hot right now. It is entering their fever pitch, and there's no better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, America's number one sports book. That's because right now, FanDuel is giving new customers a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000. That's up to $1,000 back in bonus bets if your first bet doesn't win. Just go to FanDuel.com slash locked on and sign up today to claim your no-sweat first bet. Then you can wager on everything from the money line to the point spreads

to which team will be cutting down the net. All on the app, safe, secure, and super easy to use. So don't miss your shot at a no sweat first bet up to $1,000 when you join FanDuel today. Just go to FanDuel.com slash locked on to sign up. Make every moment more with FanDuel. Patriots fans, as your New England Patriots continue to search for answers to fill the several voids that they have right now on this roster, free agency is kind of taking

a backseat and we are ready to focus 100% on the draft. And that's exactly what we're going to do here today. It is hashtag mock draft Monday. But as you can see, it is also hashtag locked on Murph Monday. And the green man is here, the legendary Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com. Murph, I opened the show today by talking a little bit about how the Patriots will indeed, or at least in my opinion, will indeed look for the draft to fill some of these remaining voids on their roster. You're going to see the occasional free agent pop in here and the veteran

signing, but I think the Patriots are done with big splashes. We heard over the weekend, DeAndre Hopkins, Jerry Judy, not likely that either one of these guys are going to be moved. In Judy's case, doesn't look like he's going to be moved at all with Hopkins. Probably not to the Patriots. They're asking price a little too high. So that leaves the draft. And I did talk a little bit about Zay Flowers of Boston College, about how he might fit nicely here in New England. But there are a lot of holes to fill on this roster. And today we've got a couple of great drafts submitted by some really, really great listeners,

a couple of longtime, big-time supporters of Lockdown Patriots, and we're happy to welcome them in here. So, Murph, let's get right down into it. The first submitted by our good friend Matt Urban, at Matt Urban on Twitter. That's two U's, M-A-T-T-U-U-R-B-A-N. That's two U's, not two U's, folks I always try to channel my inner Vincent LaGuardia Gambini, but I'm not going to do it this time

You know, let me ask you something, Murph But in any case Matt, I thought, put in a very interesting draft, a very good draft, a very thorough draft A couple of trades, Matt thought he went a little too heavy on the trades, but we've seen lot more uh in terms of trades before so before we chastise matt here too well yeah i think you're doing okay you're doing all right right off the bat he hits

a good one uh patriots get down to 29 in the first round but they still maintain a first round pick they go uh offensive line again deja vu from uh last year uh picking up the juan jones of ohio state we've talked about the one several times uh this would be a nice consolation prize that the patriots trade down from number 14 and still end up with the juan jones on that offensive line yeah i i really can't see this working out that way but i know it did but if it did i love it i would like dewan jones you know you know 10 picks earlier you know if the pats moved down and they were still able to grab them um i wouldn't be highly upset if they grabbed him there at 14. so you know good on good on junior

here grabbing a couple extra picks down the line and moving down and still getting a tackle that I personally wouldn't mind seeing in a Patriots uniform picked at 14. Yeah, definitely. No question about it. And no question on the size, no question on the strength of this kid and the readiness and the pro level ability that he brings to the table would be a nice consolation prize there. Patriots doing some swapping here with new orleans saints uh definitely uh matt's got an interesting trade going on here uh obviously that uh you know allowed the patriots right at number 29 but in the second round they also get picked number 40 north carolina's josh downs now i talked a little bit about yeah to open up this one's interesting

murph go ahead let me let me hear what uh are on John. Yeah, no, this is not somebody that was beeping on my radar, as we say it. There was no opening to, God, I hate when I do that, to the spy who shagged me here. Oh, no. You know what I'm saying? This is a nice pick, man. I like this kid. I like the tape that I watched of him over the weekend. Once again, not in love with the size, but I like short people. You know, short people got reason to live. And they've done well in this. I think.

That's why we get along so well, folks. Like Laurel and Hardy. So, no, this is a kid that has some fantastic moves, some good speed, a little bit of separation there, and is somebody that could slide into the slot and play really well here in New England with an offensive coordinator that knows what to do with this small, tiny little whiteout that can get separation from the slot so yeah no good on him good on him i like this i like josh downs well done yeah josh downs

to me is someone that's kind of worked below the surface when it came to someone that could be in the patriots radar and obviously you hear a lot about you know judy smith schuster's edition and how the patriots are kind of loaded in the slot. They need big perimeter bodies. I get the argument. I'm not refuting the argument, but people have to remember that the wide receivers that do the best in a Bill O'Brien offense are guys that can get yards after the catch. Murph, we're going to see a lot of yak this year, and I know you love it, and I know Bill

loves it more than anything else 94 catches 1029 yards receiving last year 11 touchdowns 10.9 yards after the catch right this kid can be effective out of the slot folks but he can also be very adept at making contested catches had a chance to talk to a couple of scouts about josh recently and the one thing that they kept telling me is tenacity yeah it's not going to give up on a play and he's going to hit you. He's going to hit back and be physical with you, regardless of the size of his defenders. So that to me always speaks well, guys like that can always thrive in a Patriot system. And that's, that's what gets me is, is the fact that, um, he's still a top 100 player in my estimation on anybody's big board.

But he's probably ranked. No, no, no. I'll give it to you. He's ranked in the top 50. And we're taking him well within the top 50 here. Just inside it. So, yeah, no, I'm not going to cut this up at all, man. I like it.

I really do. you folks are asking for a a pure slot receiver here he is right here in a second round yeah without any question uh very good job i think um on this one as well so if the patriots are going tackle and wide receiver with their first one two punch and this is what they come away with so far i'm liking it an awful lot matt very good work um adibo warre coming in now here on the edge at number 46 in the second round um the aggregators like this one this is a kid that's getting a lot of steam here in terms of potential edge uh targets for the new england patriots big need for this team uh murph uh i think they filled it in a big way here is

another thing that i thought was pretty good yeah this was another sly little move here. I concentrated more on Garrett Williams that he grabbed in the next round. But no, this is the three solid starters in the first two rounds. Okay, you can't ask for more than that. Okay, this is a guy that's going to come in here and wreak a little havoc. He's got good speed. He's going to give guys like Josh Allen a fit when they try to roll out, and he's chasing them down.

Another good pick. Really like him. Yeah, I like this one as well. So far, doing pretty well. I think three for three right now, if you're grading him on a batting average, Murph, you're the baseball guy. You're going to have to correct me if I'm wrong, but three for three is a pretty good day so far. It's a good day.

Yeah, pretty good. A little bit. A little bit. All right. You mentioned Garrett Williams, and I have a funny feeling we're going to at least take up a couple of minutes talking about him because this is, I think, one of the more enigmatic picks here for the New England Patriots.

There are opportunities for them to be able to upgrade a corner. We've seen it. This is a deep corner class. You can go number one if you really wanted to. Obviously, everyone's going to love to corral Christian Gonzalez out of it, but I don't think that that's going to be able to come to fruition for the New England Patriots. But we talked about several targets here.

Williams is one we haven't talked a whole lot about because there is a lot to like, but some people shy away from picking him in the earlier rounds because he might be a little bit and believe it or not, Murph, this is a problem for some people, a little too physically aggressive, a little too,

you know, temperament out there a little bit too much that can lead to some losing control some not arriving at his uh targets you know on time and things of that nature that can derail him a little bit but if he can harness that in this might be the type of corner that the patriots need most at least in terms of skill set and grabbing him here is a real possibility man this kid tore his acl Notre Dame in 2022. That's another reason why he's dropped down. But he has some of the best feet in this entire draft.

He really does, folks. Go check out his feet. Not in a creepy way. Just go watch what this kid does with his feet. I really like this pick. And here is somebody with some serious upside that Bill is not going to have to pay a ton of draft capital for. I like the pick. I like the spot where he went.

Bravo, man. Good on you. This is turning out to be a great draft. Yeah. I think Matt's really done a very good job here, especially in the early rounds. And if you can start pleasing the crowd in early rounds, you've already won an awful lot of, uh, on the sides of the crowd. He is folks. We don't call him the big green man for nothing folks. But, uh, and I mean that in a good way. Um, really, I think, you know, in a lot of

ways I do, I like Williams's fit here because I do like the way that he plays. A lot of people say, oh, well, he's not the type of ball hawking takeaway corner that will really help to shore up a defense. But if you look at what the Patriots need, Murph, that's not what they need. They've got a guy like Jack Jones that can do that. They've got a ball hawk that they can train in to be that type of guy. This is a physical corner that can really, I think, add a whole lot of bump to that position. And if you can get someone like this, and especially falling a little bit in the draft because of his ACL injury, you mentioned that, I think there's a possibility he may start the season on pups. So the Patriots can get him at a premium.

If you're walking away with Garrett Williams to put into your cornerback room, do not be shied away from this, folks. I think this is a good, solid pick for your New England Patriots. Yep, without a doubt. Without a doubt. I really enjoyed this pick right here. It's just fantastic. I'm kicking myself trying to think of a comparable name that you folks will know. I'll get it before the show's over, I promise. It'll come to me. It'll come to him. And we will continue to cultivate that. From top to bottom here, I think Matt has continued to do a good job. Obviously, we talked about the first half of this draft because of the prowess that it brings. And some players, we haven't

had a chance to talk about a whole lot here on Locked On Patriots. But you see guys like Shoemaker, Michael Wilson. We talked about him last week. Michael Turk obviously showing. I see a sighting there in the sixth round. Jake Moody, someone that we talked a little bit about, but someone who definitely has an NFL caliber leg ready to go. I'd love to see the PFF grade on that pick right there. Well, I mean, that's a little overaggressive.

I think that Matt would be the first to admit it. But you know what? It's part of the fun. But he got it. But you know what? It's part of the fun. But he got it. But he also grabbed Michael Turk down here at the bottom. He did, at the sixth round. And I really like that. I really like that pick.

I could see that easily happening. I could as well, and especially with the Shrine Bowl connection there. I got it. You definitely want to cultivate that. I got the bomb for Williams. Yeah, Brandon Browner. Brandon Browner, very, very good. I got the comp for Williams. Yeah. Brandon Browner. Brandon Browner. Very, very good.

All right. There you go. You know, one of the, a major component of one of the best Patriots secondaries, I think we've seen in quite some time with Revis and then those guys were as physical and as good as they could. Minus the whole felon thing. Okay. Yeah.

We'll move that right out of there. That's not what I'm talking about with this kid here. Just the skill set, what he brings, and the physicality that this kid plays with. So, yeah, there you go. Brandon Browner. Brandon Browner. I like it. I like it a lot, folks. And we wonder what you think of Matt's draft.

Definitely drop us a note in the comments below. Let us know. But I think it's grading time here, Murph. And I like what Matt has done. I'll tell you, B plus, A minus, rising with this draft. I was really impressed. It's a B plus draft for me. It's really a B plus draft.

There's a couple of guys that are going to take their time to work themselves in here. But I liked what he did at the top, at the very top of this draft. I like what he did in the middle. I like what he did at the top, at the very top of this draft. I like what he did in the middle. I like what he did at the end. Nothing spectacular, but a good, solid group of ballplayers that are going to come in here. I'm thinking two, four, five, six, seven.

There's eight players in this draft that could crack the roster. That's a solid B plus draft. Yeah, they absolutely could and you know bottom line folks that's why we love to get your mock drafts in here to see what you're thinking the different ways that you can put together a roster it truly is an amazing fan base and i'm always amazed by the ingenuity and just the level of detail uh that's put into so many of these mock drafts so many great ones that end up on the cutting room floor that unfortunately we can't feature all of them that were sent. Yeah, exactly.

But some of these are really, really interesting. And we wanted to feature Mets today because it gave us the opportunity to talk a little bit about Williams and Downs, two players that may not have been on a lot of early draft boards that I really think should warrant a look from the Patriots in the coming weeks as we get up to next month's draft. It's really amazing how things shift and change up

after the combine and after pro days and things like that. And you can see it. You can see it at the very top. Things are shaking out the same way. But once you get to the middle rounds, the grades are going up because they're seeing what we're seeing, what we've seen all year long in their college game, watching these tapes and the algorithms are catching up with us. So, you know, it's not that easy to get it to Juan Jones in the same spot or Garrett Williams, right where, where you think he is, but, but, oh my, this is a really good draft dude.

Yeah. Thought so as well. Matt tip of the cap, nod to the gods. Thank you for your submission, my friend, and thank you for your continued support. The Locked On Patriots, you're a great one, and we appreciate you. But Murph, we are not done yet

because we have maybe the most outside the box, but maybe my favorite draft that we've done here yet today. Folks, you're not going to want to miss this one. Murph and I are going to break down a little bit of an unorthodox approach, but I think a spot on approach in terms of how the Patriots love to attack their drafts when this episode of Mock Draft Monday here on the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Patriots fans, the legendary Thomas Murphy of E2GSports.com joining me here today on Mock Draft Monday. But of course, it is hashtag LockedOnMurphMonday

right here on LockedOnPatriots, a proud part of the LockedOn Podcast Network, your team every day. And folks, some of the great joys that we have here on LockedOnPatriots is breaking down some amazing mock drafts. As the season draws closer, you guys are really sending in some amazing work, really, really thoughtful, insightful, and I think work that really warrants a whole lot of appreciation and a whole lot of gratitude on our behalf.

It really makes our job an awful lot easier when you have such a great fan base that knows what they're doing and sends in some really great work and Murph the mock draft that we're about to break down here to close the show today I think is nothing short of that this is probably among my favorites that we've done here um jury still may be out as to whether or not not just this year not just this year yeah this is a top five draft since we've been doing this. It's been, what, three years that we've been doing Mock Draft Mondays? This is a top five draft for those three years. Absolutely, without any question.

And it comes from a good friend of ours, a really good friend of the program. You know some of his great work from fansided as a freelance sports writer for a number of years. Of course, the president of Kelly Kids Foundation, folks, does great work from inside it as a freelance sports writer for a number of years yeah of course the president of kelly kids foundation folks does great work with that he is dan kelly he can be found on twitter at dan kelly k-e-l-l-e-y 66 and yeah this is a gem folks i think you're really really gonna love what he's got here uh the Patriots keeping their first round pick at number 14, going with Georgia edge rusher, Nolan Smith. Damn. And Murph, I really, I like him an awful lot.

You're not seeing it on a lot of draft boards, but I think you should. He makes a really compelling case here. And I think this is a great move by New England. It really is. This is a game-changing move. And to grab Nolan Smith here at 14, which would be a miracle in itself,

but you can't get anything past Kelly Green. You really can't. And he was there, and he grabbed him. Fantastic pick. Nolan Smith is a generational, game-changing type of head. He really is, man. I love this kid. You guys know my affinity for Georgia football.

I really like Georgia. I lived down there for a year or so. These people are fantastic. And this isn't any kind of a homer pick because, believe me, Kelly is not a Georgia guy. No, he's not. No, he's not, man. He's not. And so bringing this man in at number 14 shores that position up for the next decade. This is somebody that Bill Belichick will have no problem handing a second and third contract to. Yeah, without any question. If you like physical players, folks, definitely check out some of the footage that you can find either on YouTube or wherever you can find it on Nolan Smith. You will not be disappointed. This is an edge defender that can drop into coverage he can stuff the run he can get after the passer a really great blend of size athleticism one of the most physical players in college football this year really throughout his entire tenure with the Georgia Bulldogs and this guy can be a two-way defender he can be impactful against

the run he can be impactful against the pass this me, is a great move for New England. If you want to go with a guy that can give you years of hybrid, just really versatile capabilities in the front seven, this is someone that you definitely don't want to ignore. He can play anywhere. The kid can play anywhere. All right? I mean, he is.

He's only 238 pounds. You can move him. This dude could play safety. Okay? That's how good. Oh, my God. I'm sorry. I'm just fanboying all over this.

No, this was good. Especially when you hear, and we've said this constantly here on Locked On Patriots, really since mock draft season began, that the offensive line was the biggest need, the biggest key. Patriots had to address it. Most people think that that will be with the 14 pick, and if they don't do it there, it's going to be a wide receiver. But going with the edge, which is a big need for this team, I think maybe an underrated need for this team,

this is a good move for the New England Patriots. So bravo, Dan, for pulling the trigger on this one and seeing that. I absolutely love it. The next two picks here, yeah, Dan is being a homer here. No, I'm only kidding, Dan. Only kidding, my friend. He is a Syracuse guy, so I've got to go there. He's sticking a knife in my back here.

Being a UConn guy, Dan knows how I feel about Syracuse, okay? So this is a nice little knife, but it, he turned it in a right way. He turned it. So it tickled. Look at the guys he grabbed. Yeah, absolutely. We talked about Williams in the previous segment. I think we've said all we need to say. I want to talk a little bit about Matt Bergeron because, um, you know, naturally coming from North of the border, people are not going to look at Canada for their football prowess, but, uh, sorry for all our Canadian friends out there. You guys do have some great athletes. No question about it. the border people are not going to look at canada for their football prowess but uh sorry for all our canadian friends out there you guys do have some great athletes no question about it um there

i was team bret hart back in the day so i don't you know i'm definitely i'm i'm flying the maple leaf along with you but this kid to me uh is really i think right moving up a lot of draft boards for a lot of the right reasons great range he can be trusted on a lot of draft boards for a lot of the right reasons. Great range. He can be trusted on a lot of the longer pulls. He hits the backside on the cutoff blocks. This is someone I think that really could make a big... And Tass Pro is just unbelievable. Absolutely. This kid had some of the best hands that I have seen, and this is really difficult for me to say about a Q Sky, in a very long time. This is a fantastic pick, and at 46, I would be jumping up and down and popping a bottle of champagne that I was saving for my first grandchild. Yeah, absolutely.

You're very, very well spoken in terms of that. Pass protection, excellent. Really love what he can bring to you in the run game. Great timing, excellent awareness in pass protection. So this is a complete type of player that can be a game changer on your offensive line. And again, Murph, versatility. That's what the Patriots always value in these types of picks. And I think Matt Bergeron brings that to you.

Great athleticism for a guy his size. Projects really well in a zone-rushing offense. There's no question about it. But there are a lot of ways that he can be a fit. And I think pretty much any type of scheme that you throw out there, this kid's a true pro right out of the box. He's a starter right out of the box. And he can play just about any position other than center on the line.

That's how smart the kid is. You could really put him in. And it's not easy, people. We've seen it. You've seen it. It's not easy just switching over from the left side to the right side, never mind switching positions on both sides of the ball. And this kid is good enough to do that.

Yeah, he absolutely is good enough to do that. As you can see, there's definitely a penchant for edge rushers in this draft as well. You've got Bowling Green's Carl Brooks there. You've got Louisville's Yasser Abdullah. He definitely did not shy away from addressing that need for the New England Patriots. I like that. Even going with a quarterback and bringing Stetson Bennett in for a little national championship flavor there. So we've got some bulldogs there.

Right. That's it, man. Winning counts. You can't just say that when it comes to Super Bowls. Winning counts. And Stetson Bennett is a winner. No matter what else you have to say about him, the guy knows how to freaking win football games. And so, no, bravo. Again, Kelly is not a Georgia guy. So don't think that just by looking at this that he grabbed a couple of Georgia guys. He grabbed them because they're good. There's only two quarterbacks on this roster right now. You're going to need a third. And why not? And Stetson Bennett, quite honestly, is a guy that you could draft here and stash on the practice squad if you still choose to bring in a veteran quarterback as the third man in or the second man in.

However you want to dice that up. Nice pick. I like it. And, of course, he went with Rutgers. Kelly just knows. You know, you've got to pay that tuition for years and years. Definitely. You've got to pay that tuition.

And he did a good job with – how do you pronounce his name? Help me out, Mike. How do you pronounce his name? Adam Korsak? Korsak name adam korsak korsak yep adam korsak yeah rutgers punter bill belichick is loving this he is absolutely salivating on this just absolutely loves it um and the patriots need a punter i mean you know how much better can you get competition and yeah then bringing someone in you know i mean that's they need a punter you know potentially for uh the uh for the future

but uh you know i will see what carlos waitman has i know we talked him up a lot on friday's show and i completely stand by that but bringing in a punter i think is a smart thing as well for some competition a name stands out here to a lot of patriots fans and i think it should um third one up from the bottom merck jonah tavvi um yes folks if you do recognize that last name there is indeed a relation he is one of the four tovi brothers of course his brother jelani doing great work for the new england patriots starting for the bats um along their front seven uh jonah is someone that i think has flown under the radar and i don't understand why uh this is a fit naturally to bring a brother tandem

in we know the patriots are not averse to doing that we've seen them do it with the mccordies we've seen them do it with the grunkowski's uh you know they will bring guys in and make it a family affair here in new england uh but there is more of a reason to like jonah when you look at the work that he's done with san diego state uh and of course he's celebrating right now along with all the other aztecs and their final four birthth, as is my good buddy Murph with the Yukon Huskies. Tip of the cap, bud. A tip of the cap, a tip of the cap. I'll keep reminding myself that I have to tip my cap for that.

No, I'm only kidding, folks. It's the Big East. You gotta love it. I'm a Providence guy through and through, but if there's a Big East team, yeah, if there's a Big East team, you root for them with everything that you got and i am 100 husky uh you know for the next couple of days leading up to the national championship game but uh we digress folks we're going to bring it back to new england we're going to get back to nfl and bring it back to the draft uh right this kid definitely you want to talk about an explosive motor this This kid's got it. Take a look at some of the footage that he has with the Aztecs,

and I think you'll definitely see it. He can be an anchor, a star of a run defense. Definitely did so at San Diego State. He can set an edge. He can set an edge. And how many times have you folks read my keys and see me put out in bold? And this kid can do it and you're grabbing them here at 192 and think of think of the think of the raw battles for the last pork chop in the freaking

in the uh the locker room between the tavai brothers yeah absolutely um just the size the power uh that you can see in this kid can drive his blockers backwards he can reset the line of scrimmage. A lot to like, and I'm really surprised we haven't seen him pop up on a lot more drafts. He's only six feet tall. Yeah. We hate to say it here, you know, that only six feet tall.

I know a lot of people out there would kill to be six feet tall. But he's only six feet tall, and that's why he's here. He's probably a single single gap a one gap type player that's a good point but he's somebody that you're going to be able to to rotate in they're they're single gap plays in every single game yeah exactly and uh to me you can learn yeah you can learn and you know what i'm glad that you mentioned uh his frame because i think sometimes i think being built as stout and as compact as he is, I think it can have a definite advantage or give a definite advantage to him because he's so quick to pop out of the line.

He's so quick to pop out of the box. I like this pick, and I think the New England Patriots are going to have an eye on him. A lot of the national candidates are not seeing it. Very good burst out of those smaller guys you really do it's not somebody that's going to go in there and overpower the six foot seven um you know offensive tackle but you could find a use for them and and when you're picking here at what what is that 192 i'm blind don't get old people i'm yes 192 so at 192 you you couldn't do better. You really couldn't. That's true.

It really, really is. And I think it adds a nice, you know, maybe a cherry on the top or a bow on the gift here on this draft. I loved it. I'm not going to make any secret about this. This is a solid A draft. Yeah, without any questions. Yeah.

You know what? You've convinced me. I'm going to pull A plus on this one, too. You know, I even like the BYU guy byu guy you got yeah yeah really really good good stuff for him i know some may look at it and say well you addressed wide receiver uh you know a little bit late but folks don't let that deter you because the patriots can still fill some of that position of need with free agency even though i opened up the show today by painting a bleak picture of the deandre hopkins and jerry judy situation first of all it doesn't mean it still can't happen look um cuts are coming yeah you people all keep forgetting cut

downs are coming all right there's going to be talent let loose that is that are going to be able to sign with anybody they want right you. You know, it's going to happen. So don't just focus on who's available now and who's available in the draft. Cutdowns are coming, and that's what a lot of people forget out there. Yeah, absolutely. And I think a lot of people are maybe selling that short a little bit. And to be honest, I don't think that's smart. I think they shouldn't be selling that short. I

think the Patriots do have to look to all ways in order to be able to move this team forward. And one of the best ways that they do that is to get some of these guys off of the cutting room floor, bring them into an environment where they can succeed. And I think they'll be able to do that this year in New England. Murph, what can I say? It's always a blast when you join me here on Locked on Murph Monday. It's even more of a blast when we get to call it, you know, when we get to call it Mock Draft Monday. Always, always an honor, always a pleasure. So, folks, thank you so much for tuning in today

and for making Locked on Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage and, of course, hopefully, your first listen every day. If you haven't made us your first listener, or if you have, please make your second listen to the Locked on NFL podcast, the scouting report with the draft dudes. You definitely want to check this one out. Locked on NFL scouting, one of the best in the business with my good friends and colleagues, Joe Marino and Kyle Grabs.

They walk you through all the ins and outs of navigating your way through building a franchise. Definitely check it out wherever you get your podcasts, wherever you listen and download it, subscribe to and follow. And also don't forget to download, subscribe to and follow Locked On Patriots as well. A proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. On behalf of my good friend, the counter Murphy Fisto himself of E2G Sports, I'm Mike DeBate.

Continue to stay safe, stay well, be the change that you wish to see in the world. Have a great day, everyone. And we'll see you tomorrow here on Locked On Patriots. Sour cream and chive Pringle. Pirate Pringle. I don't care if you don't want me to say it. Pringle.