Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - Patriots Draft Musings Monday - Devonte Wyatt, Jamison Williams and a N’Keal Harry Trade? — 4/11/22

Episode Date: April 12, 2022

The New England Patriots continue their march towards the 2022 NFL Draft. As the Pats prepare for this month’s big event, host Mike D’Abate welcomes fan-favorite Thomas ‘Murph’ Murphy of E2G Sports to break down and discuss Patriots-centric mock draft submitted by Locked On Patriots Listeners, including Georgia defender Devonte Wyatt, Alabama receiver Jamison Williams and a potential trade of wide receiver Jamison Williams.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/id1140512627 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1c5ZxFmwg3WbfxAU3tR5Ve?si=k196wH-yRqifUcQQz8SjIQStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/locked-on-patriots And 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 “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you.Shady RaysEXCLUSIVELY FOR OUR LISTENERS, HEAD TO SHADYRAYS.COM AND USE CODE LOCKEDON TO GET FIFTY PERCENT OFF TWO OR MORE PAIRS OF POLARIZED SUNGLASSES. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Patriots fans, the NFL draft is less than three weeks away. Pat fans are still clamoring for a whiteout, and they're also looking at a punter? Yeah, we're going to talk a little Matt Ariza today right here on Muse the Draft Monday here on Locked On Patriots. I'm Mike DeBate, and you're about to be locked in to the Locked On Patriots podcast. You are... You are...

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, and thank you once again for making Locked On Patriots a daily part of your New England Patriots coverage. I am your host, Mike DeBate. I am the host of the Locked On Patriots podcast,

which, of course, is a proud part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Folks, because it's your team every day, that means your questions, comments, and feedback are always welcomed. Very much appreciated. So share that feedback and send it to the internet by reaching out to me right down there on the Bird app at M-D-A-B-A-T-E-N-F-L. While you're out there giving some weekly love to that Twitterverse,

please be sure to follow the Locked On Patriots account as well at L-O On Patriots account as well at LO underscore Patriots. Of course, Pats fans, today's episode is brought to you by the great folks over at BetOnline. Don't miss the opportunity to use BetOnline for all of your sports betting needs where

the game starts. Folks, as you can see, it is hashtag Locked On Murph Monday. So nice we decided to invite him back after all the fun we Folks, as you can see, it is hashtag LockedOnMurfMonday. So nice we decided to invite him back after all the fun we had on Friday, and he is back here today for a specific purpose, and that is to help us muse the draft here on LockedOnPatriots, as we always do each and every Monday. I bring to you my illustrious guest today, the Count of Murphy Fisto himself,

the only man past, present, or future with his very own branded hashtag. Thomas, the legend Murphy joins me here today. Welcome to Lockdown Patriots. Thank you for joining me in friendship. Thank you for coming to me today, Don Murphy. Sleep deprived. Sleep deprived.

Absolutely. Yeah, we all appear in New Englandland i think are feeling that but you know what it was a win that was absolutely necessary yes maybe who knows maybe the kickstart that the socks need to get back on track here uh but after all this is locked on patriots and we're going to continue to talk patriots here today folks because after all it is is hashtag Mock Draft Monday across the Lockdown Podcast Network platform. But here on the Lockdown Patriots podcast, you all know we muse the draft here. We don't make fun of it.

We don't trivialize it. We take it and we hold it sacred, folks. And that's exactly what we're going to continue to do today. It is our muse and we will muse for tremendous mock drafts that were submitted by Locked On listeners. And Murph, it's always, always an honor to do this with you each and every Monday. I'm so glad that you were able to join me here today and join me here on Friday for some great discussion.

Over the weekend, a lot of people enjoyed watching what we had to say about some of the Patriots comings and goings, but today is draft centric. And before we dive into some of the great mock drafts that we're going to be discussing today, and there are some interesting ones, including folks and the Kiel Harry trade, which I know is going to get a lot of the fan base happy. Bottom line, bud, from the time that the league year opened and i know the league year opened on march 16th but let's face it march 14th was the first day of free agency and you know we kept hearing all the negatives about the patriots moves or lack thereof or they didn't do this

they didn't do that how have your or how now if not i should say I don't want to put words in your mouth. Has your opinion changed about the Patriots' approach to the draft based on what you've seen in terms of free agency so far, most notably the Devontae Parker trade? Because that seems to be a dividing line for a lot of the fan base. Yeah, I really liked the Devontae Parker trade. I thought it was fantastic, but I don't think that trade in itself will affect the way Bill goes at this draft this year. I was more speculative and worried about the move he made with Tampa and how that will lessen the depth on the offensive line.

Um, that that's the, that's the only thing that, that I see as, as a difference that the same holes are there, the same needs, uh, need to be met.

Um, Parker doesn't, um, makes, makes the Patriots deeper at wide receiver, but I'm not too sure that it takes them out of the running for a wide receiver. Let me put it that way. And I do think that more people are giving input as to the drafts over the past two years. And I think that'll continue. Yeah, I think so too. I think it will continue.

And look, bottom line, when you bring in a talent like Devante Parker, and Claire and I talked about this a little bit last week. We talked about it a little bit on Friday as well. Thank you very much. I know Claire will appreciate that, as I always do. She always brings a lot of wisdom and counsel to the end of the program. We always enjoy our times here in terms of the great guests that I'm able to welcome. Of course, we welcome the Don today, and that's exactly what we're doing here, folks. But all kidding aside, when you bring in a talent like Parker and he's able to change the complexity of that wide receiving core, all of a sudden it does change your priority a little bit. And maybe it doesn't change what the Patriots are going to do.

I don't think it drastically changed it. But all of a sudden, you can afford to take a chance on a wide receiver, maybe in a later round or a subsequent round, or maybe a wide receiver that's not NFL ready just yet because of injury. John Metchie, excuse me, a little tickle here in the throat up here in New England. The weather change, you know how it is. But all kidding aside, yeah, for those of you scoring at home, folks, that's three all kidding aside since we started. When it comes to what the Patriots are going to do, I agree with you. Now all of a sudden they can reprioritize. Maybe they do go linebacker in the first round like a N'Kobe Dean.

Maybe they do go cornerback in the first round and they decide to get that outside presence. Maybe they go offensive line. We're hearing a lot of Zion Johnson talkson talk which we talked about on friday here a lot going on right now but ultimately it's going to be in the patriots best interest to serve their needs and that's exactly what they're going to do it may not coincide with what the patriots fan base wants may not coincide with what you or i want but Bill's going to make a decision and always dance to the beat of his own drum, just like he always does, folks. So now that we know our great Don's opinion on what the Patriots are doing in terms of, or what they might do, I should say, in terms of their approach to the 2022 NFL Draft,

it's now time to find out what you all think the Patriots are going to do in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft. Four amazing mock drafts submitted here on Mock Draft Monday, and we are about to muse the draft here on Hashtag Locked on Murph Monday. That's right, folks. The only Locked on podcast throughout the entire network with its very own branded hashtag for its version of Don Corleone. But it's always a pleasure to talk football with you, and we will break down those mock drafts in just a moment. But first, I want to remind you that sports season is in full swing.

Great opportunity to watch some great Masters golf on Sunday. Major League Baseball is back. NHL and NBA playoffs are about to kick off, and BetOnline is your number one source for all of your betting needs and sports information. Find all of the latest sports developments including some of the great sports that I just described for you. The odds, the podcast, the reviews, all the different leads this season on BetOnline.net. They are your continued source for all of your sports wagering information, including live betting, esports,

and scores. Head to the website today or use your mobile device to learn more about the trends and the action. Bet online where the game starts. Patriots fans, it is hashtag LockedOnMurfMonday. It is Mock Draft Monday across the LockedOn Podcast Network platform. And Murph, now we get to do what we love to do, what we wait to do all week long, and that is Muse, the great drafts that our listeners send in. And I'll tell you, they really, really outdid themselves this time.

We say that every week, but they always continue to surprise. And they really do. And some of the creativity that we've seen, some of the drafts that may go a little bit against the grain, just really, really good stuff. So I picked out, we picked out a couple of highlights from this list that we want to share with you today. And the first comes from a first-time submitter here on Locked On Patriots as well. Kaspar coming in with this one.

At Kaspar, 101193 on the Bird app. So check him out. Give him a in with this one at caspar 101193 on the bird app so check him out give him a follow on this one this was definitely a good one um murph right off the bat patriots sticking with the number 21 pick here going on the defensive side of the ball you want to talk about a thumper of a defender this guy definitely fits the bill Devante Wyatt coming in from the University of Georgia um I look at this and I say this definitely fits I think if they're going to go with the defender out of Georgia I know we have our eye on another particular guy but at this point I mean I I don't think Devante Wyatt is necessarily a consolation prize if the Patriots are going to go in a different direction uh this kid is a surefire hit when it comes to a first rounder. Your thoughts on the first round pick before we start getting into some of the meat and potatoes of this one?

A pure block shredder from the point of attack. This kid is just a nonstop get after the ball, get after the ball carrier, get after the quarterback. Wherever you need him to get after, he's going to get after it. I wish my kids did this with chores around the house, man. He's a strong guy. He's not super powerful. You could do a hell of a lot worse, put it that way.

Nobody sheds blocks the way he does. Nobody scrapes down the lines the way he does it's just fantastic watching this guy work and i would love to do it for the next five to ten years here in new england um there are other ways that that you could go with this pick in sticking here i don't think anybody would be that upset two years from now taking the Georgia senior. Yeah, absolutely. I love Wyatt. And the more I've gotten a chance to watch him, the more I've gotten a chance to really understand his role in that phenomenal Georgia defense this year, which is really one of the best I've seen in college football in quite some time. So many dynamic parts to that off to that defense, excuse me. And I know we talk about Nicole being a lot, but Devante Wyatt, like you said, a block shredder, that someone that can

come in and provide that type of assistance on that defensive line or on the edge is really, I think something where these guys can really, really be, you know, a very, very can play anywhere. He can play anywhere. Traditionally, I know he's listed in the, uh, in the D line, but there, there is an option there to move him around. And, you know, the Patriots love versatile defenders and he's got that ability, the athleticism, the strength. Exactly. Yep. Yep. You do. If you stand them up, I completely agree with you on Wyatt. So I'm high on that pick.

That's one of the reasons why I already immediately liked this draft. Good job here. Um, he does address the edge uh at number um at number 54 uh this was a straightforward draft no trades uh submitted by casper this time but i love the hall that he came away with right uh nick bonito coming in from oklahoma uh this to me at the edge if you pick him up as a number 54 if the patriots decide that they're going to go in a different direction and really address the edge in this part of the draft, I think this is really a potential home run hit right here. Yeah, I really like this pick.

Not a lot of people will agree with me. A lot of folks are calling him undersized. There is no undersized anymore, people. It's just not. It's sub-package after sub-package after sub-package that you're going to run and put in. And this Oklahoma kid is just a high motor guy who excels on the backside. He's athletic enough to be effective in coverage. I love it. i really like this pick it was a ballsy pick as the first round pick was but no bravo bud yeah absolutely bravo was right and i agree with you i think bonito and then we hear this a lot about undersized players um lack

of development um the last night checked unless you you're an NFL quarterback, uh, you know, according to some people that, uh, have wing sauce stuck in the back of their ear, uh, that all of a sudden, uh, you know, it, uh, it really, I think it, it hurts all of a sudden for someone to come in and say, well, okay, well, after one year you've reached your plateau and you're never going to be able to get better. Like something like arm strength can't be worked on. No. Uh, what a load of jesus this is a

family show folks i'm gonna leave it i'll leave it at that uh yeah let's just let's leave it at that but bottom line i think with when you talk about undersized i think murphy make a great point there is no undersized anymore it depends on the scheme fit it depends on the style that you want to get and if the patriots are serious about getting leaner meaner and faster right i'm gonna go after maybe some guys that are technically undersized, maybe even a first-round linebacker. I know we keep hopping on it, folks. I promise you we're going to give everybody there just due this time around.

But Murph and I just want it. We just want it. Just want it. Got to have it. Got to have it. So good, solid selection with Benito out of Oklahoma. Next pick was, again, one that we've talked about several times. Yeah.

Cole Strange coming over at the guard position. The Patriots choosing to address that in the third round. Murph, I like the fact that they're addressing. We talked about this on Friday. You did. You offered several pearls of wisdom and counsel on this one. But I like the addition of Strange or somebody like that in the third round. I think it's a good opportunity for them to address this in, uh, for the offensive line, not necessarily

biting for the first round pick. That seems to be the flavor of the month around here right now. That's it. And that's, that's what people need to, to, to understand. They keep talking about you're, you're able to get wide receivers in the, in the third or fourth round. You're able to get a linebacker or a cornerback in the third or fourth round. This is where the meat and potatoes of this draft is with regards to the offensive line and the interior offensive line. And it's been that way for years and years. I love Dr. Strange. I would love to see him here. I think this is a tad bit early for him. I think you get him around later.

But I'm not complaining if he's the guy to go there in the third. Yeah, absolutely. I think that there's definitely an opportunity there. And I love the versatility that Cole brings to the table. And playing at a system like Chattanooga not necessarily a hand and glove fit when it comes here in new england but it's a situation where he is versatile enough to be able to move around that line and i think that's something that the patriots absolutely love they really value that and i think they're going to try to get someone in here in the draft and

folks just because murph and i may not be jumping or chomping at the bit to get a whole line in the first round doesn't mean we'll be dissatisfied if they don't do it. There are some great players. Look, if Zion Johnson is walking through that door in training camp in just a matter of less than a month, I think we'll be very satisfied with it. But bottom line, there is dynamic talent available in this draft that can be gotten at the right time if you have the right scouting department. And by all accounts, I think the Patriots should be able to do a pretty good job there. Next pick, he goes three needs at the defensive position, three marquee needs for defensive. Well, I should say two positions with three players. Fourth round, he picks up LSU's Cord cordial flot which i'm surprised he's not

getting a little bit more uh you know in terms of uh you know in terms of maybe a little bit of play uh not necessarily the best system fit here but i think versatility to be able to succeed and then two linebackers that i thought were great great picks here right at the if you're going to wait into the fifth round to address the linebacker position, you're not going to really do a better job than getting these guys in that frame. Appalachian States to Marco Jackson comes to the Patriots, a pick number 158, pick number 170, the Shaq Mason pick. They pick up Oklahoma State's Malcolm Rodriguez. These were two intriguing picks to me.

Murph, when you look at the defensive style here, how about this stretch of three to really shore up big needs on the defense yeah i thought it was it was you know after a couple of reaches up top to to bring it back in and and take players of need that that can come in here and contribute right away i love all of these picks well done well done. Somebody did their homework here. Absolutely. And again, Kaspar, that's why we're choosing to do these types of highlights

essentially and really kind of give these great listeners that we have here on Locked On Patriots to really do an amazing job, Murph. We're giving them the opportunity to give that platform because they really do their homework. And we appreciate you very very much so rounding out this draft uh Murph if we're going to give Kaspar a grade here uh what was your grade I think for the overall haul and not taking the bait on a trade I think a drafting need for need uh I got a solid B plus here for

Kaspar what is your thoughts I'm right there with you in a B plus, A minus. Yeah. Yeah. With the rising. Even with the rising, you know, he did a great job. He filled every freaking need that you could you could possibly ask for. Like I said, Dr. Strange was a bit of a reach at at what was it? Number 85.

Yeah. Number 85. And and I think he could have gone a bit earlier there, but no fantastic, fantastic draft. Yeah, absolutely. And, uh, you know, good job, Casper. Thank you so much for submitting. And, uh, again, uh, we, uh, we look forward to, uh, even further submissions from all of our great listeners as we head toward the draft and we are heading closer and closer. Our next submission was one of my favorites, and I know the fan base is going to love this.

I alluded to it earlier. User on Twitter, Umac Jones at The King. The King has submitted a draft here. The King10535792 on Twitter. Definitely check it out. We'll definitely tweet these out from the Locked On Patriots account to kind of give everybody a chance to see what we're looking at here. He begins with a trade, and the Patriots walk away with the number 15 pick

and the number 83 pick in the third round. In order to get those valuable pieces of draft capital, Patriots part with a first rounder in 2023, a second rounder in 2024, and at long last, the fan base would rejoice on this one. Wide receiver Nikhil Harry going to the Philadelphia Eagles. So Murph, just right off the bat, I think with the exception of the Professor Matt Chatham, I think you, me, and Steve are the only people left in the region that still hold some value to Nikhil Harry. You know, I just, I think at this point, I've tried to be an advocate to keep him around. I still think there's talent there. I think we're seeing maybe square peg in a round hole.

Maybe Nikhil just needs a fresh start. But what are your thoughts on this type of a trade? Do you see Nikhil being moved here? I think that's basically my thought process. I don't understand why Philadelphia would do this. I really don't. Well, yeah, I think that's, yeah, that's on the mind right there as well. I know Philly is in need of wide receiver help.

We've been, you know, they've talked about that as a need on the draft. I'm not sure Harry is the type of guy that will be able to go in and maximize, you know, what Jalen Hurts does well. Although, you know, these guys, jump ball receivers are very interesting to me. They're always, I think, a very interesting case study because they can succeed in a place where you don't expect them to succeed, or they could fall flat in a place where it looks like they're a good fit coming into new England.

People were, I know a lot of people were saying, I didn't like Harry from the start. Those people that are saying they didn't like Harry from the start are people that didn't know Harry from the start, because this kid came in and a very specific skills set of what the patriots were looking for they were looking for a jump ball receiver someone that could really kind of take on almost that rob gronkowski role nikhil never rounded into it for a lot of different reasons and i unfortunately

do believe we've probably seen him play his final snap into england but at the same time there was a an expectation that he could do it, that he could do something here that would be beneficial to the Patriots. Obviously, like we said, it just didn't work out. I don't know if Philly would be able to do this, but I applaud you, Hugh Mack Jones, for this. The King definitely, he earned his crown on this one. If you can get him to bite, if you can get Philly to bite

or a team to bite on a trade like this you're a pretty good gm so that's off to you yeah i love that i love the pick man i'd love to have some wave here the problem is i think philly would love him in in in their uniform down there and in uh in pennsylvania it's it's it is what it is you You've got to applaud the pick. You've got to – I'm not sure that Philly would be as high on this as whatever computer algorithm said okay. Yeah, I mean, and in a lot of ways, I think Murph makes an interesting point. I mean, if Philly has a need at wide receiver, why wouldn't they just use the number 15 pick to pick Chris Olave there?

I mean, obviously the Patriots trying to sweeten the pot first rounder in 2023 but don't forget you're giving up the phillies giving up their first rounder this year so is a first a second and a player like nikhil have enough upside i probably not folks but again uh you know i i applaud him for making the uh the effort you have to put these uh trades in and the algorithm definitely got it there so uh chris olave coming away of course and then the patriots holding on to their number 21 effort. You have to put these trades in, and the algorithm definitely got it there. So, Chris Olave coming away, of course, and then the Patriots holding on to their number 21, really using this draft to really beat themselves

up, and this is a pick I love the more I look at it, and that's Andrew Booth Jr. coming out of Clemson. True alpha corner on that end. Really, really great on the outside. Can switch in and play a little bit versatility on the inside. This kid, to me, they had him in for a workout last week,

meeting the New England Patriots. I like Andrew Booth Jr. the more I'm looking at him. He's an option, Merrick. He's another one of those guys that I'm starting to come away with the idea that if he's there at number 21, it's going to be hard to walk away from him. He's an island guy. He's the guy that's going to let me run match quarters for the next four or five years.

He's the guy that's, that is going to be sitting there and saying, yes, give me the best wide receiver on the other team and watch me shut him down. That's what this kid loves to do. That's what he loves to strut about. That's what he, this kid is a, he's fricking Deon Sanders a he's freaking deon sanders for christ's sakes when it comes to when it comes to attitude and i love that i'm not saying talent i'm just saying attitude and uh but but no he he has the ability to walk on the field right now

and be one of the top 10 cornerbacks in the NFL. Yeah, he does. Right out the gate. Yeah, he really does. And you're talking a big-time program like Clemson. He's used to playing in big games. He's not going to shrink from the responsibility. He's NFL-ready. He's one of the very few guys in this draft in terms of –

there are a lot of guys with a lot of upside. I think they're a pretty deep draft when it comes to corners, and we've talked about a few of them. But he's one of those guys. He's one of those select guys. McDuffie, I think, is another one. I know we hear undersized for him a lot too, but he plays at a much bigger position.

He plays bigger than he is. Elam, I think, has that thumper ability as well. But Booth, to me, is just such a complete package at the cornerback position. Again, he's one of those guys you can't lay off. If it wasn't for the injury concerns that he's had over the past few years, the kid would go in the top five. And Bill loves that. He doesn't shy away from that.

If he can get a top five pick at 22, he's going to take it. Good pick. Absolutely. Cut it up. Nope, definitely not um Patriots also addressing linebacker with their first pick in the number number 54 in the second round their first pick in the second round I should say um and they go Bama here but not wide receiver bud they're gonna go with Christian Harris the linebacker out of Bama uh we're not

seeing it not seeing too many Bama guys pop up on a lot of mock drafts. I know we see Jamison Williams and John Mechie a lot because people love their game as wide receivers, but Harris is interesting to me at the linebacker position. I think he could be effective here in New England, and the Saban-Belichick connection always gives Bama guys a little bit of a leg up in the competition anyway. You know, he's a three-year versatile starter on that line. He has the size that everybody loves. He has the size that everybody loves.

He has the speed that everybody loves. The only thing I don't like about him is the fact that he misses tackles. It's just not always a lockdown, drag him to the turf on every single play um but but i like the kid and and where you're you're grabbing them here you you can't argue yeah absolutely and you really you can't argue in that regard um you know harris to me would be interesting and again that alabama connection is always something that you have to keep an eye on when it comes to bill belichick and what he does in the draft and how he's able to do it. It really is unreal how those guys just seem to thrive here in New England,

and we'll see. We'll see if Belichick takes the bait on that one. He's another one of those sideline-to-sideline guys. The lateral mobility is just unreal. It's off the charts. I don't have his cone numbers here or anything but he's a fit he's he's a definite fit absolutely absolutely uh for those of you that are fans of offensive line build up when mac jones developed i think he delivers here we go pretty good

prospects here uh dylan parham uh coming out of memphis at the guard position i like this pick if he's there at the third round and you're coming away with a guard as talented as Dylan Barham is and guys that can really be, you know, that type of presence that you need at the guard position, I like this pick a lot. I thought this was a really good one for the area that he got it. I do, and I agree wholeheartedly. This is what we were talking about a little bit earlier.

The talent is there in the later rounds. They're not guys that are going to come in here and be all pros. But, you know, there's only three or four of those guys in the draft, you know, at offensive line. This kid is smooth and athletic. He has a great lateral movement. Once again, you know, people are worried about his size, 6'3", 3'13". His arm length isn't exactly what you would be looking for in an interior offensive line,

but it's more than adequate. He moves his feet really, really well and has fast hands. I really dig the pit. Well done, Guy. Yeah, absolutely. And I like Parham as well. I think a guy that can come in here and really be a factor on that offensive line. Two guys we've talked about before getting in the fourth and the fifth rounds.

Zach Tom, who for some reason is getting a little dirt on the uniform there for people picking him. But I like Zach coming out of Wake Forest. Chris Paul coming out of Tulsa. That's an excellent pick. Oh my God. Absolutely. Really. You'll love this kid as well. I mean, at number 158, if you can get him in the fifth round, you're doing something right. This is definitely someone who's done their homework and knows the value of that type of player at that position. Great, great stuff. And again, if whether you're drafting against algorithms or whether you're drafting against, you know, live people, King, this is great. This was a really, really good one. I don't want to necessarily skip ahead, but i'm going to a little bit because to round out this draft to round out this

draft um matt areza uh this is something that people are kind of rumbling about but no one is really hitting it head on there have been a few there have been a couple of analysts that have mentioned this as a possibility but a lot of people are shying away from this. Murph, we all know the leg of Jake Bailey. Steve Balistrieri and I used to watch him in training camp and in minicamp boot these things to the moon. And we've often joked and said that, you know, he's put a couple in the Foxborough air that still haven't landed yet. Tremendous leg. And Bailey has been phenomenal here. But I'm going to read you a number.

I'm going to read you a number from our good friend, Miguel Benzon, the Pats cap, the salary cap guru. There's nobody finer in this business when it comes to salary cap related information. And Miguel, you are the true goat. And I give you all of your props on this one. You know what Jake Bailey's cap hit is for 2022 coming up?

No, no, please. $4,058,520. It consists of 3.986. You got to love Miguel who rounds to the absolute. I love right down to the last. He is phenomenal. He truly is. And I'm going to give him all of that rounding too,

because the work that he puts into it, folks, he deserves every decimal point that we provide him here on Lockdown Patriots it consists of 3.986 million dollars in salary and 72,520 dollars signing bonus proration none of this salary is guaranteed no so I put it to you my friend that much i knew patriots the patriots are stockpiling late round picks here it looks like they've acquired a couple you know within the past couple of trades uh you know obviously bringing in a fifth from the devante parker trade does this have merit could the patriots be looking at a punter this year? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. If Bill can save this much money. This kid is called the punt god, people.

Yeah. And he got that nickname playing midget football, playing Pop Warner football. This is what this man does. And if you can get him in the seventh round and shave $ million dollars off your off of your cap at the same time uh yeah bill's gonna do it he might do it in the fifth round you know everybody thought two years ago everybody thought that bill belichick was going

to address the kicker position as an undrafted rookie free agent we had talked about the hot rod we talked about guys like rodrigo blankenship and we talked about Tyler Bass. And I think at one point here on Locked On Patriots, Steve and I talked about even mocking them in Patriots uniforms just to see what they were going to look like, because it was almost a foregone conclusion that they were going to go a kicker in the draft. And they did. And they went with Justin Rohrwasser in the fifth round, which really raised the ire of the fan base. I was almost going to say something else, but we maintain our family rating here, folks,

for a reason. I can definitely see this. And in all of our submitted drafts so far, having Ariza listed as a draftee rather than someone that the Patriots are going to take a flyer on when it comes to an undrafted rookie free agent, I think is smart thinking because I think this kid comes off the board in the draft. I don't think he makes it to the undrafted free agent. There's too much talent there. There's too much to bite onto.

And you know Bill Belichick loves his punters. Right. Just think Ray Guy. If you had a chance to draft Ray Guy, God, I forget where Ray Guy was drafted. He was probably drafted in the first round, for Christ's sakes. No one knows that crazy bastard. But if you have the chance, this is who this kid is.

He's Ray Flippin' Guy. And he doesn't look like him. Don't get me wrong. I can't see this entire league passing on him for seven rounds and allowing him to be a free agent and go where he wants to go. You know, no, you're going to be here. You're going to start your career here. And I would love to see him start his career in New England. I really would because I could watch this kid kick all day. And the way our offense has been running for the past you know eight or ten games

he might be used real well yeah exactly he might be used really well and look unfortunately this is a year coming off of jake bailey having some struggles a couple of months blocked uh whether you want to put that solely on the responsibilities of jake bailey i think is a little unfair i don't think but you know anytime you have a punch, you have to shoulder some. It's the $4 million. It's the $4 million cap it. This is not a knock on Jake Bailey at all. And I'm not telling people not to go

out there and get their money if God bless Jake Bailey and his little kids for having a dad that is as good as he is. I'm sorry for my allergies. No, it's okay um they are but no if he's if he's around i would i would take i would use the pick i would lock him up and and and just let's let's move on and and use that money elsewhere absolutely and you know what

bottom line i think that's a great place to uh wrap up the king's draft so in terms of start to finish in terms of uh you know the uh the ingenuity i give him a solid b with a b plus rising here i like the uh i like the forward thinking of the harry trade i like a riser coming in here but i really like the linebackers in the middle part of this draft as well so uh be with a solid B rising for the King. What say you, Don Murph? I agree. A solid B on this draft.

The meat of this entire thing is in the middle rounds and what he did there. Up top is a bit of wishful thinking, and that's the only thing that's keeping me from giving you an a but uh other than that you know bravo that you got it done uh but no a solid b draft please bring back more absolutely without any question and you know folks it definitely is always a lot of fun to break down all of the great mock drafts that are submitted here the king and caspar did a great job of giving us their thoughts on what the Patriots might do, but we're not done yet here, folks. Two very interesting mock drafts coming

up for your viewing pleasure, for our musing pleasure here on Locked On Patriots. But first, it's Team Butchie's favorite part of the show, Murph, the part where I get to talk about one of my favorite all-time products, and that is the great folks over at Built Bar because whenever you want to reach for a sweet treat and over the

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That's Built.com. That's Bilt.com. Visit today. Enter the promo code LOCK15 for 15% off your next order. Bilt.com. Pats fans, it's almost time to wrap up the mock draft mailbag here on Locked On Patriots. And one of the great things that we love about draft season, Murph, is interacting with our listeners, our viewers, some great, great drafts that were put out. We talked about the Kings draft in the previous segment.

We talked about Kaspar's draft. But it's time for a submission from a great supporter of our show. And we always, you know, really always are very grateful for everything that he does for the show. And that's Matt Urban. And you can find him on Twitter at Matt to use Urban. Definitely check him out on the bird app and enter the old mock draft simulator. And there was a little bit of a trade down here. The New England Patriots not going until number 37.

They got a, you know, they got a couple of interesting picks here he goes with davante wyatt at number 37. um i think this is an accurate place of where davante may end up going in the draft i don't necessarily know if he's the number 21 slot that we saw casper from the beginning. Right. But in a lot of ways, Murph, he's kind of like a Christian Barmore from last year. If you take him in the first round, you're doing a good thing. If you get them in the second round, you're really doing well.

Um, I like this. I like the fact that he, I like the fact that Matt was patient. He took his time. Yep. Zeroed in on a player, knew that he'd be there when he wanted to get him.

And then he pulled the trigger on it and was able to, you know get a little draft capital back in return what more can he ask for i like this move yeah i thought it was a fantastic move this is a this is the place where a lot of people before the combine and before seeing all those numbers they they were feeling that he was going to go and to to be able to get a talent like this at 37 brilliant bravo and like like you just said i couldn't uh agree more it's it's a home run absolutely yeah really really well said and again i really like the way this kid plays and i like what he brings to the table uh number 54 was a pick the patriots held on to uh they get their wide receiver and a guy that I'm surprised is getting a lot of negative publicity. Christian Watson out of North Dakota State. I do like Watson as a wide

receiver here. I don't like him as in the first round, but I do like the speed that he brings to the table. He does show pretty good speed at the combine. I know this is a pick that kind of rubs you the wrong way a little bit. This is one of the very, very few instances in which Murph and I differ a little bit on opinion. What is it about Watson that kind of still makes you a little uneasy? You know, his short area agility just is not what I would like to see. Like you said, it's better in this round than it was in the first. I took a little heat for trashing the kid.

But, folks, I went back and I watched more film. And I see the same things that I saw before. Blocking and defeating zone coverages are question marks for him. He doesn't separate underneath really well. He's got that great frontline speed to get down the field, but I would go in another direction. That's just me. It's just a personal preference.

I definitely see where you're coming from on the short area quickness, and that is something that is a concern if you're a New England Patriots receiver. However, when you look at someone that can get down the field if you can try to work on that a little bit especially with guys that have the ability to be effective in short area on this roster someone like a kendrick bourne or maybe even uh someone like a jacoby myers if they can you know mold him a little bit in that regard uh sometimes you may look at that and say okay well that's worth the effort that's worth a shot um i agree with you the to me the addition of davante parker makes it a little less likely yeah that they would go in this direction but especially

parker with two years on his contract exactly that's a big factor too people are not this is not a one and done folks right if the patriots i mean unless things just don't work out and they do decide that you know either a cap savings or a cut or a trade is the way they want to go there are two years left on this deal and i don't think the patriots are looking at this and getting ready to ship him out the door i think they want davante for those two years then i think they're going to do what's necessary to keep him here so interesting on watson not necessarily a bad move um number 80 coming up at the cornerback position somebody we haven't talked about an awful lot and I really like this guy the more I'm looking at him from the Cincinnati Bearcats Kobe Bryant coming in here at the cornerback position here's

a guy with a lot of different talent I just said here's a guy folks I. I'm sorry. I'll, uh, I'll go to, uh, I'll go to Collinsworth jail on that one. I'm sorry, Chris, but, um, Bryant to me brings a little bit of, uh, an interesting skillset to the table, uh, when it comes to what the Patriots are needing, when you look at their cornerback, uh, contingent right now, the way it's built, uh, especially with the additions of guys like Terrence Mitchell. And then of course the addition of Malcolm Butler. How do you think Bryant would fit into this type of scenario in New England? I think he'd fit in pretty well. You know, he, he lacks high end speed. His flexibility isn't really good. You're going to have to coach up.

He doesn't have the best footwork, but this is the 2021 Thorpe award winner people. So you can't, you can't cut him up too much. He has good length. He's really smooth in his movements. He runs a route with a receiver really, really well. I think he's a solid cornerback number two in the league going forward. He's a good man corner somebody that once again would allow me to to to run more of my favorite defenses and uh and so that would be

great yeah absolutely and again uh you know matt always and that's always got his finger on the pulse of what a lot of the fan base is starting to think but hasn't what completely articulated it yet mac matt is very good about getting ahead of that and a lot of the fan base is starting to think, but hasn't completely articulated it yet. Matt is very good about getting ahead of that. And a lot of the feedback that we get from him on a daily or weekly basis is of such, whether it be our written work. I've seen him comment on a lot of our written work, Murph, but also the stuff that we do here on Locked On.

So forward thinking there, Matt, and I'm glad that you were able to put that into practice. Interesting pick to me here at number 170. I know we're jumping ahead a little bit, but we haven't talked a whole lot about running backs in this draft. I think there's a reason for that. The Patriots are well situated, but there still may be some third down receiving options or maybe some guys that can come in and give you a little bit out of that position. Mississippi's Jerrion Ealy coming in at number 170. Your thoughts on this and why the Patriots might go running back in the later rounds? Yeah, I don't have a lot of thought on this. I'm sorry to say I really don't. I haven't seen enough of him to really make a definitive

forecast of him coming in here. And I apologize about that. And it was like I said, it was a late night. And I jumped onto this a little bit too soon. But I could see the Patriots going in this direction with him. He's a fine ball player. He's somebody that could come in here and fill a role, maybe not this year, but maybe next year. He could definitely be one of the redshirt guys that Bill brings in. Yeah, I mean, when you look at an old miss guy and somebody that cannot come in from that type of of option he really i think has uh the opportunity to maybe come in here and be an

early impact player on third downs that's really where he made his bones quite honestly bud if you were going to talk godfather uh you know that's that's really you know when we were going out with cheerleaders he was doing this and um I think, you know, very patient. He's better suited in a zone offense, you know, so that may, you know, be. But if you're looking at that change of pace, scat back type of player that can come in and be an effective weapon here, I wouldn't necessarily frown on this one i think there's an option here for him to be able to come in and maybe provide some uh some good uh uh contributions in that area especially knowing that yeah yeah especially knowing that yeah absolutely white now you've got uh you know ty montgomery who could you know come in and play that role a little bit as well because he's got the versatility um folks don't sleep on malcolm perry in that role i know a lot of people have not seen that but believe me i watch this kid a little bit uh in terms of the fit there um and you know the time that he spent with

the dolphins there's something to bite onto there so keep an eye on him uh in the uh the coming days and months as we move toward um training camp but uh good solid i think matt put in a a good draft i like uh wyatt and i like the aggression i like him trading down and still being patient to where he was and he put their melton in there just to piss me off well that's a that's that's a requirement i have to get one pick with a bull melton late round pick just to tick off murph and as you can see folks it worked it worked to a degree that we absolutely love um your draft great on Matt's draft. I'm giving him a solid B with a slight B plus rising, but most likely I would say a B for me.

Yeah, it's a B draft, definitely. He got some nice picks here. Isaiah Thomas, I really like. Mike Rose is a fantastic pick there at 200. He's somebody that can come in here and learn and get after it. But no, a very solid draft from top to bottom. If you gave it anything lower than a B, you were just being a jerk because Bo Melton is on here. Well, on that note, folks, we're going to round things out here on Mock Draft Monday, and we thank you for joining us here on mock draft Monday,

uh, every each and every week here on the lockdown podcast network. We do have one that we're going to leave you with today. And that is a submission submission. Excuse me. Sorry. A little Freudian slip there from Joshua Mitchell. Yeah.

First time submitter here on lockdown Patriots. Follow him on the bird app or find them on the bird app at JCM one 42. Uh, quite a few of us in this draft, I thought this was interesting because he gets the Maverick award, in my opinion. He felt the need for speed on this one.

At wide receiver, he moves up, believe it or not, Murph. This was a move that the Patriots made to move up in this draft to secure the number 16 pick in the draft and does it to draft Jamison Williams. We talked about this a little bit earlier. Again, I mean, this is a matter of dynamic talent sitting there on the board. I don't necessarily know if the Patriots draft up to get Jamison, but if they can snag him at number 21, he's still on the

board. He's a guy that even if guys that we absolutely love are sitting there, that this is going to be a tough one to lay off of. Jamison is just that talent. It really would, man. He is that generational. He is. I'm not as worried as

everybody else is. We talk about Mechie to no end because he fits in here at a position that you – but, God, man, if this kid is there, if you could trade up to get him, which I don't think Bill will do, but if he's there and Bill passes on him, I will have a stroke. I really will. You know, it was a rough trade to make on the Patriots' end here. But, I mean, bravo.

And then he just goes out and he really kills it in this draft. Ansra out of Oklahoma. Channing Tindall out of Georgia. I mean, give me all the Georgia ham. All of it. All the Georgia ham. It was fantastic. He got McCallum there at 107, brilliant, freaking.

That was my favorite thing in this draft. You know, that really is. That stuck out to me. It woke me up and kept me up for three hours last night. This was there. This is a fantastic. He double-dipped at corner. Cam Taylor-Britt is a really solid pick there.

Solid, absolutely. You know, fantastic. We got our guy Zach Tom, another wide receiver, Tyquan Thornton. I like him a little more than other people, but, you know, I mean, Joshua obviously likes him too. Volson is a fantastic pick down there at 170 and uh percy butler there there you go there you go we we bring it in a safety here that's going to come in and learn from the best and and you got them down there at the bottom you won't see him in 2022 folks but in 2023 2024

2025 this is a guy that could could be making uh plays here in new england absolutely he really could and a little bit of tight endage mixed into this draft too as well with uh with deese uh coming in uh claire will uh maybe we'll mention him a little bit on wednesday when uh when when she drops by the uh the pod but uh yeah overall a solid effort uh josh again the patriots are definitely focusing on speed there's no question about it we know it you know it and bill belichick has said that this team needs to get faster gerard mayo really was very detailed a little more detailed than we usually see coaches get uh when in terms of what this team needs to do to improve uh when the team closed out their media availabilities for the year in 2021 heading into this season so speed is going to be a factor and i think josh is definitely and

he did it and he hit it yeah he hit it yeah b plus for josh in my opinion on yeah b plus draft b plus maybe even an a minus with some of the stuff that he did down at the bottom uh i'm sorry i ran through your draft so quickly bud bud. It definitely deserved more time. We just don't have more time on this show. They don't let us go 90 minutes. Absolutely, folks. And in that regard, all the great mock drafts that you've seen here today, including a late submission by our man LJ.

We did not forget about you, my friend. We will be evaluating your draft live and in living color on the Bird app. So please, by all means folks make sure to follow the locked on patriots podcast or the account i should say on twitter at lo underscore patriots for all of the mock drafts that we did today including our opinion on what lj has to say folks what can i say i thank this great man for joining me each and every monday taking time out of his busy schedule um the great work that he does for E2GSports.com, not only being a phenomenal Patriots columnist, but also one of the best and brightest when it comes to covering MLB. If it happens in Major

League Baseball, to me, it hasn't happened yet until I hear it from Murph and I hear his take on it. I truly mean that. The best in the business, and I don't say that with any hesitation. Before I let you go, my friend, please let everyone know where they can interact with you, other than just that Bird app title that you've got sitting on the bottom of our screen, and what they can look forward to in the coming days and weeks here from the great Penn and

the great voice of Thomas Murphy. Of course, a lot of great Red Sox and American League East coverage over there at E2G Sports. I've got a new piece out this morning on the Garrett Whitlock signing. Go check that out. Bravo, high and bloom. It's probably the best thing that you've done since you've been here.

Other than that, you can catch me tomorrow with Steve Balistrieri and, of course, Clazzy Claire Cooper. And joining us this week, he's made a little time for me. He's made a little time for us. Mike the Abate will be in, and we are going to be talking more drafts. It's always nice to get together with Mike and talk football. We will go at it the same way we do here with a little bit of extra class added in there with Steve and Claire.

Other than that, follow me at TeamRF207. And you can find all my stuff there being tweeted and retweeted by my great friends and family over there on the Bird app. Absolutely. And, folks, I can't stress it enough what an honor it is to always join Murph on the microphone here on Locked On Patriots, to be able to join Steve on the microphone, and of course, Claire. These people are family to me in every sense of the word, and I really, really enjoy the opportunity to invite them to my house each and every week, and it's always nice to be invited to their house as well.

So I look forward to it. Definitely check us out there on One Patriots Place on e2gsports.com. But Murph and I will be right back here next week breaking down all of the action when it comes to your New England Patriots and amusing the draft as we always do heading into the 28th of the month. Until next time, folks,

please continue to stay safe, stay well, be the change you wish to see in the world. On behalf of the great Thomas Murphy, I'm Mike DeBate. Have a great day, everyone.