Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - North By Southeast(ern): New England Patriots Top SEC Draft Prospects — 4/15/2021

Episode Date: April 15, 2021

The New England Patriots have had several prominent players with roots in the NCAA Southeastern Conference (SEC,) Joining host Mike D’Abate is SEC Draft expert Andrew Caraway. The pair discuss the top prospects, both on offense and on defense, in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft from the SEC. They also discuss the Pats’ observation of Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields’ second Pro Day on Wednesday.Support 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 “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You are Locked On Patriots, your daily New England Patriots podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. All of you, Foxborough faithful. You are now locked into the Lockdown Patriots podcast. Today is Thursday, April 15th, 2021. And today we take a deep dive into the 2021 NFL draft prospects of the SEC. Right here on your daily home for news notes and analysis, infused with the occasional opinion on your six-time Super Bowl champions,

the New England Patriots. Today's episode of Locked On, Patriots, is brought to you by rockauto.com. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. Visit rockauto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Greetings and salutations, Patriots Nation, and thank you for joining me here on this Thursday episode of the pod. My name is Mike DeBate, your host of the Locked On Patriots podcast, which, of course, is a proud part of the Locked On podcast network,

your team every day. And you know that phrase, your team every day, means that your questions, your comments, and your feedback are always welcomed and very much appreciated. So share that feedback, send it to the internet by reaching out to me and following me on Twitter at MDABATEFPC. And while you're out there doing some Thursday traveling through the Twitterverse, please

be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Patriots fans, two weeks from today, Thursday, April 29th, is the start of the 2021 NFL Draft. And it's hard to believe that we're only 14 days away from one of the most exciting days of the NFL's year. This year, a lot of eyes are going to be on the New England Patriots, and not just because they have the number 15 pick in the draft. It's a lot higher than the Patriots are used to picking, but mostly everybody wants to know will the Patriots trade up, will they stand pat at 15, or will they trade back? I know, just the thought of the latter since shivers up and down the spine of just about everybody listening to this podcast right now.

But when it comes to Bill Belichick and the Patriots' brain trust, anything and everything is possible. And for the better part of the last month, the coverage hereichick and the Patriots brain trust, anything and everything is possible. And for the better part of the last month, the coverage here on Locked on Patriots has been pretty draft-centric. It's been a lot of coverage on free agency. Of course, we've had a couple of high-profile retirements, first Patrick Chung and then earlier this week Julian Edelman. But barring anything unforeseen in the next two weeks, the 2021 NFL Draft will be king here on Locked

On Patriots. And today, I have a special treat for all of you here on the pod. I've said before many times, probably my favorite thing about being host of Locked On Patriots is the opportunity to interact with all of you, the great fans out there in Patriots Nation. We try to make Locked On Patriots as interactive of an environment as possible, whether it be through asking for your contributions to the midweek mailbag episodes, or through Interactive Mock Draft Monday, which was a huge hit for the pod last year, and again,

this past Monday, folks, you knocked it out of the park. Murph and I will be back at it again this coming Monday, breaking down your great mock drafts. Don't forget, Friday at 5pm is the deadline, still time to send in your mock drafts for the week. But getting back to my original point, today here on the pod, it's my pleasure to welcome one of Locked On Patriots' most valuable contributors in that department. Last year, this gentleman submitted so many great mock drafts, so many great questions for our midweek mailbag, always providing us with great constructive feedback, helping

Locked On Patriots become a better show each and every day. And because of those submissions, it gave me the opportunity to interact with this gentleman quite a bit. And I found out he's one of the smartest and most informed draft minds when it comes to the NCAA Southeastern Conference. You know it as the SEC, and powerhouses galore in this conference, folks. The University of South Carolina, Texas A&M, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Auburn, University of Florida, the Alabama Crimson Tide, and perhaps the one nearest and dearest to his heart, the University of Georgia.

I know I didn't list all the schools, folks. We do have limited time here on Locked On Patriots, but here today to discuss some of the great prospects, and there are tons from all of the schools that I mentioned and more, is a man whose name I'm sure you've seen several times on my Twitter feed, the Locked On Patriots Twitter feed. In fact, you just heard it this past Monday on Locked On Murph Mock Draft Monday, my good friend Andrew Carraway. And as always when it comes to the draft, Andrew has definitely done his homework. He has seen and scouted several of these players up close and personal, particularly those in the SEC, but he also has a great deal of knowledge when it comes to quarterback Justin Fields, and we all know that the Patriots

sent quite the contingent to Columbus, Ohio yesterday for Justin's second pro day of the offseason. When it comes to the Patriots quarterback position, is Andrew inclined to say that Fields is the choice, or is he going with the field? He'll answer that question, and most importantly, he'll also provide us with the best SEC fits for the New England Patriots on the offensive side of the ball and on the defensive side of the ball. Folks, a great listen coming up here today on the pod. I'm excited to welcome Andrew's wisdom and counsel.

And in just a moment, he will join me right here on the hot seat as we discuss what he believes to be the ideal potential Patriots from the SEC when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, when it comes to repairing or maintaining your vehicle, why would you spend 30%, 50%, even 100% more for the exact same auto parts at a chain store or a new car dealership? It's still possible to take pride in your ride and even save a little in the process. Visit my good friends at rockauto.com.

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RockAuto.com's prices are always reliably low, and they're the same for professionals and do-it-yourselfers just like you and me. Why spend up to twice as much for the same parts? Go to rockauto.com right now and see all the parts available for your car or truck. Make sure to put Locked On in their How Did You Hear About Us box so they know we sent you. Amazing selection, reliably low prices, all the parts your car will ever need. rockuto.com let it be said that Locked On Patriots is not interactive. From the midweek mailbag episodes, which will be back in full force soon here on the pod, to the interactive mock draft Monday segments, which are continuing again here on Locked On Patriots with Murph this Monday,

to days like today where the listener becomes the expert. And the great work that this man has provided to all the interactive segments here on the pod has been an invaluable asset to Lockdown Patriots. To lend his expertise on the top SEC prospects for your New England Patriots in the upcoming NFL draft is my friend, the director of college recruiting at Callaway High School, incidentally the Georgia State champions, by the way, the host of the West Georgia Football Podcast and a longtime Patriots fan.

Andrew Carraway joins me here today. Andrew, welcome to Locked on Patriots. Man, Mike, I really appreciate you having me on. It's been a dream of mine to come on the show and talk some Patriots football, so I was glad we were able to make this happen. I am as well, my friend, and I'm so glad that we had a chance to have this conversation today. It's a conversation I've wanted to have for a while, Andrew, because you provide such amazing insight, especially when it comes to evaluating talent for the upcoming draft. Dare I say, bud, you were one of my all-stars for

Interactive Mock Draft Monday back in 2020. You knocked it out of the park again this past Monday. So I'm thrilled to have you here today because folks, Andrew puts the work in, especially when it comes to the SEC. His beloved Georgia Bulldogs are always in the mix of elite programs in the country. But Andrew has such great insight when it comes to the entire conference and the SEC, once again, as they always are a treasure trove of prospects for the upcoming 2021 NFL draft. Folks, we'll get to that shortly, but yesterday the Patriots not only sent Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator, but assistant director of player personnel Dave Ziegler, National Scout Matt Groh all watched Justin Fields work out yesterday.

And we know that in his first pro day back in March, Patriots front office consultant Elliot Wolfe was in attendance to watch Justin work out. Andrew, the Patriots have the 15th pick in the first round of the NFL draft. Justin Fields is expected to be off the board by that point, but many analysts have speculated that this might be the year that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick could make a move in the draft to acquire one of the highly touted quarterbacks, and Fields is one of those names that keeps being rumored. Personally, I've always admired Justin Fields' game. I think it translates well to what the Patriots might be trying to do at quarterback, but his draft stock has been fluctuating a little bit lately. A lot of reasons for that. Physical attributes have come

into question. Some are questioning his mental and emotional commitment to football, but you've seen Justin Fields play. You've scouted his abilities. I've said that the patch should be taking a very close look at him, but in your opinion, should Justin Fields be in the Patriots' line of sight? Do you think he'd be a good fit or a not-so-good fit here in New England? And do you think that the large contingent they sent yesterday to Foxborough indicates that the Patriots might be high on this kid? Well, I mean, I think there's two ways to answer that. You could say, obviously, the easy answer, yes, by just the sheer amount of people they sent. But it also could be a smokescreen as well,

because we've heard stories of how sometimes you try to let people see what's in your right hand while holding your left hand behind your back. So it might be one of those misinformation campaigns the Patriots are so good at. But I tell you, Justin Fields is an interesting prospect. Obviously got to see him play for a year at the University of Georgia. Granted, not in his starting capacity because Jake Fromm was the starting quarterback. But and also seen him play in high school, too, at Harrison High School out of Atlanta, Georgia.

And he's always been an impressive prospect. Always had good size, 6'3", 228 pounds. So he's a big old kid. He's got a talented arm, and he put up some great numbers at Ohio State. So I definitely can see why the Patriots would be interested in his services. I do have my concerns, though, about him in general. Just Ohio State quarterbacks in general in the NFL seem to have just had some troubles transferring or translating their game to the pro level for some reason. I think a lot of it has to do with the scheme they run there. Yeah, I think you'll find a lot of people that will share your concerns when it comes to Justin Fields. Look, he continues to be a polarizing figure in this draft. I think he will be right up until draft day.

It just seems to be the nature of the coverage of Justin Fields this year. But make no mistake about it. The Patriots were not the only team that was in Columbus yesterday that was looking to scout his services. Teams that are reportedly in the mix for his services, the San Francisco 49ers, the Denver Broncos, the Atlanta Falcons, just to name a couple. A large contingent of NFL franchises wanted to see what Justin Fields could offer yesterday. Maybe he showed them something, maybe he didn't. It'll be interesting to see if his stock either goes up or down as a result of yesterday's pro day. Staying on that subject for just a moment, Andrew, the other quarterbacks to which the Patriots have been linked include a trio of SEC quarterbacks, guys

that you've seen up close and personal. Putting aside North Dakota State's Trey Lance, who continues to be a pie-in-the-sky option for the Patriots, a lot of people are thinking if the Pats are going to trade up, Trey Lance is the guy to do it for. But your wheelhouse, again, is three guys that you've observed a lot in the SEC. Kyle Trask of Florida, Kellen Mond of Texas A&M, and Mac Jones of Alabama. You have a really sharp eye tuned in to Kyle, Kellen, and Mac. And I know you have some pretty strong feelings on all of these quarterbacks.

When you look at what the Patriots might do at quarterback, Andrew, based on what you said about Justin as well, do you think for the Patriots, it's fields that they move up for? Or do you see them going to the field. And simply, that's not a shot at Justin. Obviously, I think Justin is an incredible dual threat talent. You know, I did see, you know, he was a 19-year-old kid at the University of Georgia. I did watch him stare his receivers down and struggle to read coverage and depend on his legs a little bit too much. But obviously, as he adapted for the Ohio State system, he grew and matured as he got older and turned out to be a really good quarterback. He showed incredible mental toughness, physical toughness,

in that college football playoffs, taking the hit against Clemson and then being able to play against Alabama. So definitely has the toughness and tangibles that I think Coach Belichick values for sure. But I think it's just more likely just given the fact that how much it would cost to trade up and get Justin Fields. I'm inclined to say that I would I would choose one of those quarterbacks out of the field as being one that that the Patriots would probably land. And I've seen Mac Jones play in person a few times. I've seen Kyle Trask at the world's largest outdoor cocktail party quite a few times.

And then Kellen Mond, who's an interesting prospect in his own right. So those three guys definitely are interesting. Jones is my favorite. I know some people aren't a fan. You get kind of infatuated with the mobile quarterback, kind of the latest trend in the NFL with the mobile quarterbacks. But I also warn people to temper their enthusiasm as to, you know, you see teams with really good mobile guys like Lamar Jackson with the Ravens, and he hasn't really been able to advance in the playoffs.

And kind of when it matters the most and being able to throw the ball accurately, read the defense and make good decisions, you've seen him struggle there. So Matt Jones, smart quarterback, very cerebral, plays the best program in the country at Alabama, 6'2", 214 pounds. I think he's a plug-and-play guy. You know, obviously he's not going to be Tom Brady, and who's going to be Tom Brady, but I think he may give you what you thought you were going to have

with Jimmy Garoppolo when you drafted him. And then, obviously, Kyle Trask, 6'4", 240 pounds. He's an interesting prospect. He didn't even start in high school, and he ended up going to Florida and played in a very quarterback-friendly system for Dan Mullen with the Gators. And he kind of was up and down when I watched him. He really depended heavily on his weapons. Obviously having guys like Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney, that doesn't hurt.

But he's an interesting prospect. I would see him more as a project. And I've seen him being compared to possibly like a Ben Roethlisberger, just given how big he is. And I think that's probably kind of a good comparison with Big Ben. And then Kellen Mond, to me, is kind of a wild card. I was not overly impressed with him when I saw him play in person and just in general. I think he makes a lot of bad decisions and forces the ball a lot, but when you

watch YouTube highlight videos, they don't tend to show those plays. So got a lot of upside, but I do question the decision-making process. Excellent insight, Andrew, on all three quarterbacks. And look, the SEC expertise is why we brought you on here on the pod today. And again, you're knocking it out of the park. I like what you had to say about Kyle Trask, because Kyle is someone that Steve Balistrieri and I talked about last week here on Locked On Patriots. We talked about his size. We made the Roethlisberger comparisons as well.

He might not be the greatest athlete in the world. He might not win you a whole lot of games with his legs, but he's got a strong arm. He's a big guy. He can stand in the pocket, take a hit, and he can be a tough option to bring down and someone that can extend plays. So maybe he's a fit in New England. If he is, it probably would be in the middle part of the rounds of the draft, more of a developmental project, like you said, but I could see them taking a flyer on Kyle if the quarterbacks that they've been targeting haven't already been chosen. Mond is interesting to me because his draft stock continues to rise a little bit, and I think it's because he's that dual threat type of quarterback, someone that can extend plays with his legs. He does show an awful lot of poise. I do agree with

you in that there is some concern over decision-making abilities, especially when he looks to the perimeter. He can make some questionable throws down the field, kind of hopes that some of those plays will bail him out in that regard. Mond, again, is another prospect. He's a project-type quarterback, and I would see the Patriots maybe taking a shot at him day two. I definitely don't think he's a day one pick. But again, he's another player that continues to rise up on a lot of draft boards. So these next couple of weeks are going to be very interesting when it comes to

what we thought were developmental project quarterbacks like Kyle Trask and Kellen Mond. Of course, you mentioned Mac Jones, and I talked about Justin Fields being polarizing. I think Mac might be the most polarizing quarterback in the draft, maybe even more so than Justin Fields. Look, the knock on Mack is his lack of athleticism, only average, maybe below average arm strength. I think his arm is a little stronger than people give him credit for. But the one thing that you can't knock him for is his football IQ.

He's one of the better anticipatory throwers in this draft. I think he's above average when it comes to those about-to-be-open throws, throwing guys open. Mack Jones is very, very good at that. He releases the ball, he can estimate where the targets are going to be, and he brings that balance and savvy to the position that, to me, can make him a pretty decent pro. My colleague Jordan Reed at TheDraftNetwork.com said the following about Mac, that in order for him to succeed at the next level, he's going to need the three Ps surrounding him. He's going to need playmakers, he's going to need a play caller, and protection. He'd have all three of those in New England. Last year, he would have been in trouble here in New England, obviously, but this year, Patriots went out and got some

playmakers on offense. Say what you will about Nelson Aguilar, he can get open, was really a deep threat last year. I like the addition of Kendrick Bourne to this team, who can play either on the outside or in the slot. Jacoby Myers continues to be a slot weapon. At wide receiver, the Patriots have options. Tight end options, you've got several. Obviously, Jonu Smith, Hunter Henry. I look for Devin Asiasi to have a big year as well. So, I'm not ready to say that Mack is the guy for New England, but I don't know if Pat's Nation should be as sour on him as they are. I think there are a lot of options. My options, 1-1-A, still remain Justin Fields and Trey Lance. But if you choose to stay

put at number 15, and for some reason Mack Jones is still there, I'm tempted to take him if I'm Bill Belichick. Again, folks, that's just me. But Andrew, I thank you for your insight on those quarterbacks. And folks, you're hearing it today. Andrew Carraway is a true force when it comes to draft evaluation. And I'm sure that you've enjoyed listening to him as much as I've enjoyed speaking with him. But we're not done yet, because in just a moment, Andrew will lend his expertise on the SEC and his thoughts on the prospects within the

conference that might make great Patriots. More draft talk with Andrew Carraway when the Locked On Patriots podcast continues. Locked On listeners, football on the field might be over, but the NBA and the NHL are in full swing. It's the perfect time to put your prognostication skills to the test, and if you do, there is only one place that has you covered and one place we trust betonline.ag betonline is the fastest and easiest way to bet on all of your sports action but betonline even covers awards tv shows and reality tv they give you real time updated odds and props on almost anything you can imagine. Simply put, BetOnline has you covered for all the news, all the scores, and all the

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first deposit when you use the promo code LOCKEDON. BetOnline, your online sportsbook experts. Locked On listeners, April 19th through the 26th, listen to the ultimate Mock Draft 2021, featuring analysis from NFL experts Michael Irvin, Jason LaConfora, and Brian Baldinger. And of course, our local experts for every team, making trades and picking the next stars of their team.

Subscribe to the ultimate Mock Draft 2021, presented by Locked On and Odyssey on the new Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Odyssey is your audio home for all the sports, podcasts, music, and news that matter to you. That's A-U-D-A-C-Y. Patriots fans, Andrew Carraway joins me here today on the pod. And Andrew, the Patriots are being heavily linked to a lot of quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL draft.

And we talked about a few of them in the previous segment. The fans really want it. The media knows it's a hot topic. But we know that Bill Belichick is going to do what he believes is best for the football team. And if you really listen closely, you can almost hear Bill saying that exact phrase at the podium right now. But I digress, folks. That could open up a variety of options on the table starting on April 29th for the Pats. Now, Andrew, we know that Bill loves to dip into those power conferences and you being the Georgia Bulldogs expert that you are, you have a praiseworthy sharp eye when

it comes to the SEC. I know we've talked quarterbacks we talked about them a lot in the previous segment and feel free to throw some in if you wish here but I'm particularly interested in your thoughts on players on the offensive side of the ball with an SEC background that might make great potential Patriots in 2021 have at it but who's got your sharp eye on offense when it comes to Patriots prospects in the upcoming draft? Well, I appreciate that. Offensively, I'll start with the offensive side of the ball. These are all guys I've seen play many times in person. I've seen their highlights on SEC Network and just overall just talking about them in groups of friends and in the coaching realm with my job, as obviously I talk to colleges all day long

for trying to get our high school kids recruited. But a couple of prospects that come in mind for me, and I went off of what we talked earlier, Mike, was I went off of what the Patriots would need and what they would look for, and I try to keep these prospects realistic here. Obviously, everyone's going to talk about Devontae Smith and Christian Barrymore and all those guys.

I'm trying to think of guys that we actually have a legitimate shot at, and a couple on the offensive side that really stuck out to me over their career. So wide receiver Elijah Moore from Ole Miss. He's 5'9", 185 pounds, runs a 4-5-3. Had 86 catches for about 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns in 2020. I think with the retirement of Julian Edelman and Elijah Moore's ability to play in the slots and on the outside,

I think that makes him a very, very, very good prospect for the Patriots. 5'9", like I said, 185 pounds. He's able to play inside and out. He's physical, really electric with the ball in his hands after the catch, showing the ability to return kicks as well. I think he's a great prospect to keep an eye on for the Patriots, especially in the second round of the draft. Two more receivers to keep an eye on, obviously Jalen Waddell for Alabama. I have a feeling with his injury last year, he may be a candidate to slip in the draft,

maybe even to 15. And I'm not saying he will slip, but I keep an eye on it. 5'10", 182 pounds, 4'3", 940-yard dash, and has a pretty good career, 106 catches, 2,000 yards, and 17 touchdowns. And, you know, he's a guy that's kind of the Swiss Army knife that Belichick really, really values. He can play inside and out. He can return punts, return kicks, plays on special teams. So Jalen Waddell's definitely a guy I'd keep an eye on. And then finally, for the receivers, Seth Williams from Auburn University,

6'3", 211 pounds, runs a 4'5", 40-yard dash, and a huge physical specimen. He's got the speed to separate, where I know that's something that the Patriots struggled with with Nikhil Harry, the ability to separate. Seth Williams made a lot of contested catches against favorites like Patrick Sertan and J.C. Horn at South Carolina. So he had 132 catches, about 2,200 yards, and 17 touchdowns in his career at Auburn. And Auburn likes to run the football, and there touchdowns in his career at Auburn. And Auburn likes to run the football, and there's no secret around that around these parts. Auburn in the past has wanted to run the football,

so those statistics for Seth are very impressive given the offense they've played in and the quarterbacks, you know, obviously with, you know, Bo Davis down there right now, or excuse me, Bo Nix. And then he also played with our backup quarterback, Jarrett Stidham. So that's a guy I'd keep an eye on. And finally, last but not least, a running back, Larry Roundtree III. I know this name probably sounds foreign to a lot of you because so much emphasis has been made on Najee Harris, who played Alabama. But Larry Rountree III plays running back for the Mizzou Tigers.

He's 5'10", 210 pounds. He has 3,700 career rushing yards and 40 touchdowns. And Mike, he reminds me a lot of a former running back that was pretty good for the Patriots, Stephen Ridley, back in the mid-2010s. And I think he might be a guy that the Patriots would have a lot of interest in in the fourth or fifth round of this draft, being able to be a physical runner between the tackles, but also catch the ball in the backfield. Once again, great insight, Bud. And I'm glad that you mentioned Seth Williams from Auburn because I know he's listening. My good friend and colleague from Locked On Auburn, Zach Blackerby, is listening

to this right now. He's got a grin going from ear to ear because anytime Auburn guys are mentioned as potential Patriots, he's loving it. And I do like Seth Williams' game. Look, he could end up being what the Patriots hoped Nikhil Harry would have been last season. Someone that's very good in the slant, very good in fades, can go up, get those 50-50 balls, make the catches in back shoulder situations. He's good at making contested catches. I think he has the skill set to fit into pretty much any offensive scheme. He's ideally set in that sub-package role as a wide receiver, but he could be an option, and I think he could be an option. And I think he could

be a later round option. Maybe not someone the Patriots would have to use high draft capital to get. You mentioned Roundtree at the running back position. And I think it's interesting that you compared him to someone like Steven Ridley. There are definitely similarities in the way these guys play the game. They have that one speed type running ability. They can create chunks after the contact, not a lot of yardage after the contact, but just enough to be able to either make a first down or advance the ball to the point where the offense is in a good enough position to make something happen.

I think he's best as a niche type back, but the Patriots may see something else entirely in him. So, interesting, because Roundtree out of Missouri is a name that we haven't mentioned, I don't think, hardly at all here on Locked On Patriots. So once again, you're lending the wisdom and counsel that we need to hear today, bud, and I applaud you for it. Thank you so much for that.

And we've talked offense, so now it's time to talk defense. And we all know that Bill Belichick places a premium on defensive players. Defense wins championships, bud. So same question as I asked you with the offense to take it home today. Which players from the SEC this year have the potential to be ideal New England Patriots as we head into the 2021 NFL Draft on the defensive side of the ball? So I'll give you a couple names here, and some of these names will sound familiar, and these, once again, are guys that I feel like the Patriots would have a legitimate chance at drafting, not just taking the top talent off the board, but one that sticks out to me is edge player for the University of Georgia,

Aziz Ojolari, 6'3", 240 pounds, 4'6", 640-yard dash, 63 tackles from his outside linebacker position in two years as a starter, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, two pass breakups. And when there was big plays that needed to be made, Aziz Ojolari, he beat some incredible offensive linemen that are in the SEC and really did a good job of living in the backfield of other teams. And then I'll go to two more linebackers before we go into the defensive backfield. Inside linebacker Dylan Moses of Alabama, 6'3", 240 pounds, same size kid,

a little faster, 4'4", 8", 184 career tackles, 6 1⁄2 sacks, two fourths fumbles, and two interceptions. I think Dylan Moses would be a kid who is a little smaller than Dante Hightower, his predecessor at Alabama, but he's got the ability to not only play the run but defend the pass. In the modern game, it's really important to be able to be a three-down linebacker, and I think that Dylan Moses for sure could be a three-down linebacker for the Patriots. And then finally, last linebacker, like I said before we get a defensive back, inside

linebacker Buddy Johnson from Texas A&M University, 6'2", 234 pounds, 4'6", 540, and he was a thumper at Texas A&M, 94 tackles, five and a half stacks, three forced fumbles, and a pick. I think Buddy Johnson's one of those kids where you need to pick somebody in the fifth, sixth, seventh round, and he's still available. He might give you the same kind of depth that you're looking for at the top of the draft and the guy that might be able to start for you, kind of like an Alandon Roberts did for the Patriots.

I drafted him out of Houston. So those are some guys up front that I would look at, and then obviously we've got some defensive backs here. A couple to start with. There's a corner, Israel Mukawamu from South Carolina, 6'3", 205 pounds, a nice 40, 4'5", 5' 40-yard dash, 76 career tackles, a forced fumble, seven interceptions, pick six, and ten pass breakups. I think that's impressive for a guy his size.

And he might give you the same thing that Brandon Browner gave you in 2014, being able to match up with those bigger guys, kind of be a chess piece that Belichick likes to employ on his defense. So that's why he stood out to me. As a pure corner, Eric Stokes, Jr., from the University of Georgia, 6'1", 185 pounds. He's a speedster, just like Stephon Gilmore, 4'3", 340. 78 career tackles, four picks, a sack,

and 23 pass breakups in his career as a starter for the University of Georgia. So Eric Stokes, Jr., I think is the guy you can get second, third round. He's going to go off the board, I think, in the first three rounds of the draft. But he's definitely a guy I think could come in, contribute, and be a guy that could eventually start and replace Gilmore down the road if he ends up leaving. And then finally, not to forget safety. Safety is a position the Patriots are going to have to address. They're not getting any younger at that position. They got a strong safety

last year in the draft, and, you know, Dev McCourty, he's a guy that's not getting any younger. I think he's going to be 34 pushing 35 this year, and two guys that come to mind for me to draft that will be available, I think, mid, you know, third, fourth, fifth round of this draft is free safety Jacoby Stevens from LSU, 6'2", 230 pounds, 190 tackles in his career, nine and a half sacks, four interceptions, and 15 PBUs.

He might be a guy that kind of reminds people of Kyle Duggar a little bit with his size. But Jacoby Stevens stuck out to me as well for his ability to cover the deep secondary part, the deep half the field but he can also come up and be a thumper and run support so he might be a really good chess piece for Bill Belichick to use and then finally the pure free safety I think he's vastly underrated and being overlooked in this draft but that's a free safety Richard LeCount from the University of Georgia, 5'11", 190 pounds, 4'5", 140-yard dash, 176 career tackles, four forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, eight picks, and 10 PBUs.

And Richard's made some big plays in his career, some huge tackles. He had an interception of Tua Tagovailoa in the 2018 SEC championship game that proved to be pretty critical. So he's a guy I think would be a prototypical Patriot. He's a leader. He's someone that never got in trouble, you know, in his time in college. And I think he'd be the perfect guy to learn under Devin McCourty so those are some defensive backs that I think that the Patriots definitely could could look at in the draft and would be realistic options as well once again great insight bud and thank you for mentioning the safety position because I think it's forgotten a lot especially in this draft I know you had some

good things to say about Jacoby Stevens you you had some good things to say about Jacoby Stevens. You also had some good things to say about Richard LeCount, former Georgia Bulldog, right there. But safety and defensive back is something that the Patriots do have to address because they do have a number of aging players, players that might not be here in New England for that much longer. You mentioned Devin McCourty getting a little bit older. Stephon Gilmore, there's some question as to whether or not he'll be traded in the offseason or whether or not he's entering his final season in New England. JC Jackson right now has put out some interesting Instagram messages talking about getting paid. Will it be here in New England?

Patriots have to face it sooner rather than later. They're going to have to restock what is still, I think, the strength of their defense. But the Patriots have done a lot to be able to upgrade other positions as well. Speaking of the Georgia Bulldogs, Bud, I know you were definitely happy to mention Aziz Ojolari, and Ojolari is a player that I do like. If I'm being honest, I shied away from scouting him as a potential Patriot for a little bit because I think he's better in the 4-3 outside linebacker off the ball role. With the moves that the Patriots have made in the offseason, bringing in guys like Kyle Van Noy, Matt Judon,

I thought the Patriots were shifting more to that 3-4 type defense. So at that point, I wasn't sure that Aziz was going to be able to fit. But over the course of the last couple of weeks, I've started to watch a little bit more on him. And he really has, I think, very good reactive athleticism where he could play in both type of schemes. He's got great pop in his hips. He's got very good hands at the point of attack. He can set the edge. And in the passing game, what I really like about this kid is that he gets home to the quarterback. He's got great effort. He's got that quote unquote nonstop motor that you love to see in an edge rusher. So if the Patriots were to take a chance on him, I wouldn't necessarily dislike it. I think he's got

the versatility to thrive, whether the Pats want to play a 3-4 or maybe even play some hybrid 4-3. I think he could be a good fit here as well. Andrew, what can I say? I really appreciate you dropping by the pod. This was a ton of fun. You lent your wisdom and counsel on the SEC the way only you can. And I know that our listeners and myself as well learned a lot about some prospects we haven't had the chance to discuss here on Locked On. Before I let you go, my friend, please let our listeners know where they can interact with you on social media and the type of draft insight that you'll be providing between now and next Thursday. Oh yeah. You can find me on Twitter at caraway six is my Twitter handle. I interact with you and my good friend, Thomas Murphy, a shout out to him. Always enjoy our conversations, not just about Patriots,

but also about food. So definitely like to talk about different things to cook on the grill. So that's a fun time with Thomas. But, yes, you can find me on Twitter at Carraway6. You know, just looking forward to keeping up with these mock drafts we're doing. In the meantime, we'll be trying to get some of these upcoming kids we've got, rising seniors, get them started in their recruiting process, their journey, become college football players and all of that stuff.

But I'll leave you with this, Mike, and this might be some food for thought for the listeners going forward, quarterbacks to keep an eye on. And we can talk about this more like keep an eye on these two names, Shane Buchel from SMU and Brady Davis from Illinois State. I think those two names are names to follow for the quarterbacks for this 2021 draft that the Patriots might be in on. So keep an eye on those two names. Excellent, folks.

And remember, you heard that here first, or mostly first, here on Locked On Patriots. I put a lot of stock into what Andrew has to say when it comes to quarterbacks, when it comes to draft prospects in general, and most effectively when it comes from the SEC, which is definitely his wheelhouse. So my friend, thank you again for lending your wisdom and counsel today. In the meantime, stay safe and stay well until the next time we get to talk ball here right here on Locked On Patriots. Thanks again, my friend.

Have a great week. Thanks, Mike. Patriots Nation, we are almost ready to wrap up the week here on Locked on Patriots, but not before one great show to send you into the weekend in style. So to ensure that you do not miss a single second of the action, follow the Locked on Patriots podcast on platforms such as the Odyssey app, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, wherever you get your podcasts,

just make sure that you are staying locked in to Locked On Patriots. Once again, my name is Mike DeBate. I thank Andrew Carraway for his time, his insight, and his appearance on today's pod. But most of all, I thank you so much for listening and for continuing to make Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. Until tomorrow, Pats Nation, stay safe, stay well, continue to be the change you wish to

see in the world. Have a great day, everyone.