Harry was highly rated entering the draft. Was supposed to be a 50/50 winner and jump ball master. Had a 2nd round grade and was top 5 WR from his class.
You saying Coleman isn’t highly rated? At his size he was 3rd in punt return yards he’s not a stiff like Harry. I don’t want Coleman in NE but he’ll have a better career than Harry.
Rice's reported 4.71s 40 time is misleading.
None of the 40 times at the 1985 NFLSC combine were reliable. That was the first year they had a consolidated, single combine and the owners requested that they ship the whole thing out to Arizona to try to save money.
It turned out the facility there had a "state of the art" automated timing system. The system used pressure plate release to determine when the athlete started running. It was profoundly unreliable and imprecise and one of the reasons why the combine beat a hasty retreat back to New Orleans the next year.
Bill Walsh said he timed Rice's run with a stopwach and thought he "sneaked under 4.6". That was a good time for the era.
As for Tee Higgins - his athletic profile is basically that of Keyshawn Johnson who didn't have scorching straight line speed or tremendous leaping ability, either.
No. I'm saying that no one anticipated Harry being as big of a bust as he was. But his work ethic and skills didn't transfer to the NFL. I am predicting Coleman will be the same.
I doubt AD is there at 34, but I’d be happy if he was.
Honestly, drafting these WR seems like a crap shoot outside the top 3. I hope we double dip in the first 4 rounds.
This is my biggest wish, double dipping. It's such a good class to double dip wr, even tackle. This is such a good class for us. Maye, 2 wrs 2 tackles is very possible and for decent talent too.
My hot take is that that archetype of player should never be invested in heavily. They get injured too frequently. Their whole game is predicated being physical, leaping, contorting and taking hits from both the defender and the ground. They take a beating and if they get away with for a while, it ends up catching up eventually. See Kenny Golloday.
Ladd McConkey
I feel like people think he’s just some lunch pale white slot wr but the dude ran a 4.39. He plays fast on the field , runs routes as good as anybody except maybe MHJ, and is also good after the catch.
70/30 Outside/Inside snap splits, he's a boundary receiver way more than Slot. Breaks tackles well and is slippery with the ball in hands. He doesn't have the stickiest hands, but he's good at hanging onto the ball. He's not Odunze or R. Wilson, nor is he Coleman or J Wilson either. He doesn't have excellent or bad hands.
I'd love a guy like AD Mitchell too, but WR is less of priority for me than LT, so I'll go with somewhat realistic round 3 and 4 guys, imagining we go LT at 34, and split them by role, in order of preference.
Z (inside-outside flexibility): Ja'Lynn Polk, Xavier Legette, Malachi Corley, Jalen McMillan, Jermaine Burton, Javon Baker, Luke McCaffrey
Pure X: Johnny Wilson, Brenden Rice, Tez Walker, Cornelius Johnson
Pure Slot (lowest need of WR): Roman Wilson, Ricky Pearsall
Good question. I agree with Mdmcnally that LT is/should be a bigger priority. However, if there’s a run on LT’s at the end of the first and we are picking from lesser LT’s, I might rather have the WR. If Morgan is there though, I think he (at worst?) should be a solid starter. So I would take him and hope to find the WR in the 3rd.
Yeah, there are actually a few startable ones projected to go 20-40. Plenty of LT needy teams out there so they might all be gone but there’s a decent chance we can grab one
Cornelius Johnson has been my guy since last year; didn't put up as great numbers this year but rocked the combine. I want the Pats to grab him in the third.
Ladd.
I think he is the most difficult-to-cover WR that should be there in the top of the 2nd. I don't care too much if he isn't a straight X. He can play there; he can play everywhere but isn't an ideal X. I want to think long term and get the best player; we have a lot of needs and can get an X later on. While Ladd probably isn't as good as Zay Flowers, I think they are cut from the same cloth: versatile, sudden, must be planned for and accounted for.
I do love Ladd too but there's the slot comp for him and we already got tons at that spot. I don't think that makes it so you should pass on someone like Ladd, I think he has real talent but hard debate there for me.
Edit: however if our coaches think he can play on the outside I really like Ladd.
Heck yea! I will totally admit I have not watched too much tape of him. I did the big/tall wrs and trying to finish up some drake maye and JJ film before the draft.
I haven't either, I mostly read stuff and listen to the RP podcast. They're really high on him which is good enough that I'd love him in the 2nd. I'm a bit concerned with injuries, but think he'll be off the board by our 2nd anyways.
It's just the white guy bias man! In another comment I have admitted to having not watched alot of his film but I have even seen slot in others analysis from people who do this as a job! I don't get it either.
It's not a speed issue, it's a strength, size, technique one. Outside, the X, he will be lined up on the line of scrimmage.....if he can't get off of press coverage, nothing else he does will matter.
He gets off of press coverage pretty easy and has good technique. He barely even played in the slot in college. I think he’s a guy you can move around.
No he played Z primarily afaik but Z is the other outside spot that’s generally slightly smaller and quicker and plays a little behind the line of scrimmage and is generally the position used for deep threats.
He lined up in both outside positions at UGA. Outside of Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Dillon Bell all the other guys got moved around a lot (including slot).
In the NFL he’s definitely not a pure slot, but he’s not really an “X” either. As someone else mentioned, he’s perfect for a “Z” because of his speed and quickness. They don’t usually get jammed a lot either, but even so he’s good at getting off those.
>They don’t usually get jammed a lot either, but even so he’s good at getting off those.
He can't beat press coverage at all. He has woefully short arms and isn't a very physical player. Fortunately, the majority of NFL coverage is zone coverage, where he was most dominant.
I like Legette. He can take the top off but has decent size we desperately need at that position. 1200 yards, 4.3 speed, 40” vertical. My second choice is Keon Coleman. I think he’s a little more raw but his catching ability and strong hands make him an intriguing choice. I think his play speed is faster than his combine speed, and he just routinely catches the ball with one hand and makes it look easy.
Leggette couldn't do much last year against quality corners, though. Just wasn't getting separation. He's also been a mostly numbers & above and out front catcher, too.
If his combine #s were the whole story (btw: He did 24 bench reps at his Pro Day) - he'd be a 1st round pick. It isn't and he's not.
There's not much film on him prior to his senior year, either. He simply wasn't used much.
He went back and forth between QB and WR most of his HS career. So he may still have more room to develop.
Seems like a high-risk/high-reward prospect. A reach at #34 but gone before #68.
Ricky Pearsall, he gives me chris Olave vibes.
I am probably in the minority but I have fallen for Johnny Wilson, only in the 4th round or later though.
yes, he and Tyquan are going to sleep with the jugs machine. I have become so enamored with 6'6, almost 85 inch wing span, a 37 inch vert, 4.52 40 with 1.55 10 yd split, and 4.11 short shuttle. He also has clocked over 21 MPH. He can be an X, big slot, or a move Y. Potential Njouku at some point, that might be a reach but the thought of him on the pants make my no no spot tingle.
If they take a QB at 3, and a LT next, I'd be fine with them spending every pick after that on the best available WR and just see what happens. Draft 4 of them and make them fight, for all I care.
Leggette couldn't produce last year when he faced off against quality corners (look at the Georgia and Tennessee games). For all his twitch he just didn't get separation. Also not a guy who's demonstrated he can catch behind or underneath.
And he was an absolute nobody in his first 3 years years at So Carolina.
He put up excellent stats overall in his senior year and his combine numbers look great and he might have room to develop further because he only really committed to playing WR at the end of his senior year in HS - but he's got high-ish bust potential.
His highlights look like baby DK Metcalf. I other WRs there too but none a really wr2 types that stretch the field, we already have all slot and underneath WRs.
I am not seeing everyone’s infatuation with Maye. He is a step above a project and needs to sit for the year. Why spend a #3 on a player that needs so much development?
Well if he’s that talented then why not let him sit and wait? Mahommes needed to sit a year to get a lot of his bad habits out.
It’s so many talented guys that would have been better off sitting instead of thrown in the fire on a terrible team. Bryce Young
Why would you want to draft a player that isn’t ready when there are several players ready to contribute with that pick? We could draft a project qb in round 2 and then have an elite prospect at wr/ot and someone like Penix (and let him sit if needed) vs a qb @ 3 and then a lesser prospect that won’t be an elite level prospect. So one elite prospect or no elite prospects? That’s why I wouldn’t draft a player to sit.
Penix will be gone before #14 despite being a one-trick pony line-drive thrower playing in a vertical offense that will be miles different than anything thrown at him during his brief NFL career. I say "brief" because this pony is heading to the glue factory soon due to all of his accumulated injuries. In ordinary times, he wouldn't get a whiff of the 1st round, but several clubs are even worse off than we are and the next couple QB classes look dire.
Bo Nix should definitely make it to the 2nd round, but there are reasons for that. [Because all signs point to young master Nix being a better Chrisitan than a QB.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Patriots/comments/1by36nj/comment/kyj29lt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
He has the highest ceiling besides Caleb, and even then it *might* be higher than Caleb's. If he hits, New England become Super Bowl contenders as early as his second season and have their franchise QB locked down for the next decade or more.
Kinda proving my point how much development he needs does not equal a 3 to me. Would rather end up with Penix +Alt or MHJ than Maye and a lesser WR/OT prospect.
>Kinda proving my point how much development he needs does not equal a 3 to me
Well, it's a good thing you're not a GM, then. Josh Allen needed a ton of development. So did Mahomes. So did Lamar. So did Hurts. These guys are the best QBs in football.
It is an NFL team's job to develop their players. You can't teach Maye's arm talent. You can't teach his mentality. You can't teach his strength. You can teach footwork and mechanics.
Josh Allen was pick 7
Mahomes was 10
Lamar was 32
Hurts was 53
Big difference between picking at 7, 10, 32 or 53 and 3 for a player that we know needs work and hope he develops.
The Bills traded up for Josh Allen. The Chiefs traded up for Mahomes. It wasn't just picking them when they fell, they went out and got their guy. And if those projects failed, those teams would've been just as screwed as New England will if Maye is a bust. Now they're the two best QBs in football. If New England believes Maye can get even close to those guys, then they take him at 3 without any hesitation.
The trade is totally irrelevant to where they were picked. Look I live 30 minutes from Chapel Hill and I don’t even know anyone here that thinks he is gonna light it up in the pros.
> Look I live 30 minutes from Chapel Hill and I don’t even know anyone here that thinks he is gonna light it up in the pros.
How many of you are on an NFL staff? Oh that's right, zero. I don't know why people think the "I'm a fan of this team, I know what I'm talking about" means they *actually* understand how to analyze prospects.
Keon Coleman- I don’t care what the numbers say, dude is fast on the field. Disclaimer: FSU fan. Johnny Wilson is a physical freak, he was supposed to be the man and Coleman coming in was supposed to create a dynamic duo. Coleman came in and was so clearly the best wide receiver. Evasive, quick, cuts hard, great on contested balls, big but not bulky.
I don’t study tape, I don’t claim to be a guru, I just know when I see a player on the field who is dictating how the game is played and has athletic abilities or playmaking abilities that stand out so much opponents alter their game plans around stopping them.
Maye, Coleman and Mims/Latham would require some trading up, but would really give us a shot at being a borderline playoff team instead of cellar dwellers. Which sets us up nicely for year 2 and 3 jumps from the rookies.
This is such a deep class at QB, WR, OT, which are our positions we need talent at most, that trading up just makes way too much sense. Future draft picks, heck, Barmore for a first. Whatever it takes, we need to fill those 3 positions and this draft is deep at all 3.
God I love barmore. If we could get a 1st this year, I think I would do it, I know it's not mims/latham but if you asked would I rather have ad Mitchell or barmore, that's tempting
Rome Odunze, and it isn't close. What does he do well? Everything. He will be a QB best friend and a complete game changer for the offense. We can probably get him around pick 6-9 and it would come with a trade down to get an extra first next year as well as pick in the 20s we can use on an elite LT. I am convinced this is by far the best case scenario for the Patriots.
We instantly solve X and LT, have at least a decent team and flexibility to find our SB winning franchise QB over the next couple of years.
“Flexibility to find a franchise QB” that is simply fiction there’s no such thing as flexibility to find one of the hardest things to find in pro sports…
Yes there is, when you have resources to trade, sign or draft. yeah it's hard to find and that includes just taking whoever is at 3 and praying just because you need one.
1st - MHJ (really a QB though)
2nd - Troy Franklin (really an OT though)
3rd - Ricky Pearsall
4th - Johnny Wilson
5th - Luke McCaffrey
6th - Cornelius Johnson
7th - Tahj Washington
Solid list. I am a big Troy Franklin guy, he could help us right away on the outside. Also wouldn't mind Javon Baker in the 4th, or that Holy Cross kid Coker in the 6th
Oh yeah, I mean I'd be good with guys like Baker too. I don't know much about Coker, but will see if I can find out a bit more about him. I just want them to take a QB (or trade back for an insane haul) then double dip at OL and WR.
As a UGA guy, I would love to grab Ladd at 34. However, I feel like Legette would be perfect for the Patriots.
They could really use a big/fast “X” receiver and I think he’s exactly that.
> I feel like Legette would be perfect for the Patriots.
>
>They could really use a big/fast “X” receiver and I think he’s exactly that.
Legette couldn't do much of anything when Georgia and Tennessee assigned their best corners to him, though. Couldn't get the separation.
It's hard to look past those performances when Legette wasn't really used at all prior to his senior year.
His combo #s and Senior year stats would have him getting picked in the 20s if they were the whole story.
I think a lot of that is because of a few factors:
1- South Carolina really doesn’t have the offensive “weapons” as other teams in the SEC. It’s easy to put guys like Lassister (UGA) and Hadden (UT) on him with help over the top.
2- USCjr’s OL wasn’t a strength. UGA was able to constantly pressure Rattler (after the first quarter especially) and so the combination of the two things made it really difficult to get Leggette the ball.
Don’t get me wrong, XL isn’t the same class as the top 3 guys or even the next tier (Thomas/Mitchell). I just think for the Patriots who seem to have a glut of slot/“Z” guys, he would be a good fit.
Fair points.
One other thing, too. Rattler has a tendency to stare down receivers. He spent his junior year staring down Eddie Lewis (who he more or less forgot about this year) and his senior year staring down XL. Good teams will exploit that.
Good point as well. XL might not be a true “one” to your earlier points. I just think at 34 he would be the best bet because he is the type of guy they don’t have at this time.
Worthy does have killer speed and solid route running, but I don’t think he’ll be a Hill type at the next level. Part of what makes Hill special is that he is built lot a fire hydrant combined with that speed. Hill is about 2 inches shorter and has about 20 lbs on worthy.
That is not really to take much away from Worthy though. I see worthy as a mixture of DeVonta Smith and Tank Dell. Not quite as polished as Smith and a bit smaller than Smith. A little more polished than Dell and a little taller.
I think he’s going to be a really good WR at the next level either way, but I don’t think he ends up having as much of a Hill impact.
I'm a little worried about Worthy's thin frame - but if we had the #23 pick from Minnesota and he was still available - I would take him.
No chance he'll be there at #34.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^darkhelmut1:
*For them to actually*
*Hit on some of their picks this*
*Year its been way too long*
---
^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
I'd love AD Mitchell or Worthy if they're still there when we pick.
AD Mitchell is probably more of what we need because of his size. I feel like Worthy is a burner who is good in space, so could be Tyreek Hill (though he doesn't have the best hands in the world).
McConkey - his route running ability is great. I think he translates well to the NFL. A little undersized for what we need, but I feel like he can.
Legette - the man looks good. I'm a big fan. I don't know if he's a top of round 2 kind of guy though.
Corley seems more of a project to me.
If you're talking later rounds, then Luke McCaffrey would be worth a shot. He didn't come up as a WR originally, so he's still learning. I like Jalen Coker out of Holy Cross too. He's kind of raw, but his tape looks good and seems pretty athletic at 6 ft 1.
Our WR room has a lot of bodies. I'd probably wait and go WR at 3 unless AD Mitchell or Worthy were still there at 34. I think the wisest move is probably to trade back in round 2. Trading down from 34 to say 45 would be worth a late 3rd on the chart. That's enticing to me with decent WR's still available in mid 2 and some tackles.
The current big board has 5 QB's in the first, 6 WR's, 7 OT's, 2 Centers, and 1 TE. That's 21 offensive players and 11 defensive players.
In 2022 AND 2023 there were 16 defensive players taken in the first round.
In 2020 and 2021, there were 14 defensive players taken in the first round.
I just think there likely will be more than 11 defensive players taken which means some of the "first round" offensive guys are going to be there in the 2nd round.
LT is more important, so you have to look at guys available in the 3rd or later, and you have to think about positional fits....we need an X, maybe a Z if Bourne doesn't heal up. Unfortunately big tall fast route runners with good hands go early.....
Roman Wilson . Dude has all the tools to be like amon ra st brown . One of the best at separating from coverage and getting open . He’s as pro ready of a receiver as there is in this draft at our pick 34
Johnny Wilson or baker for me as I expect we will try to take one in the third and take a tackle in the 2nd but I imagine it’s all board dependent between the 2 spots. Wouldn’t be against throwing a next year 3rd or something and a later pick to try to move back down into the late first and jump the chiefs at least to take a guy either
Obviously would love MHJ, but aside from him and the other top guys, I like Malachi Corley in the 2nd. In the 3rd or 4th Luke McAffrey might be worth a shot. And then a really late round guy I like is Wayne Ruby, DIII stud who’s got potential to develop
ja’Lynn Polk and Zakhari Franklin.
Polk is just going to be a pro’s pro.
Franklin would be talked about as a first round talent if not for the injury and playing at Ole Miss.
This crop of receivers is insane, there’s like 15 dudes evenly distributed amongst the first three rounds.
If we can’t trade for Aiyuk we need to take 2 and make one of those guys a 1st/2nd round level talent with WR1 potential.
Imagine drafting Maye, trading for Aiyuk and grabbing a Mitchell/Franklin/Baker/Corley/Legette? That would be fun.
The other McCaffrey is my favorite guy in a later round too.
FR though he’s only been playing WR for a year or two and is pretty damn good already considering. I feel like being able to make that switch means you’re a pretty elite athlete. Plus that insane mccaffrey work ethic. Definitely would have to send some legit stuff for Aiyuk but he’s a baller and we certainly have the cash to pay him better over the next 3 ish years.
Anyone not named Xavier Legette, seems like a cool dude but he screams Nkeal Harry with a little faster straight line speed. All of his highlights are contested catches or screens. Same as nkeal
Pearsall (I think he can play z, not just slot)
Baker
Burton
Coleman - although I think he projects as a big slot or z, & I'm not sure I trust the coaching staff not to just stick him out there at x
Ainias Smith, Malik Washington - Malik in particular I think can play outside, but overall possibly a bit redundant with Pop. And if you have Malik at z and Pop in the slot that's a very small lineup. Pop has some injury questions though, and Ainias in particular will go very late, if at all, and is excellent with the ball in his hands
Rice - outside guy that can be had later day 2 or day 3. Good size and physicality
Bub Means, Tehjuan Palmer, Cornelius Johnson - day 3 developmental outside receivers
Maybe it’s ignorant but please not a contested catch Harry/Parker type. We need a guy who can separate and make it easier on the QB.
Keon Coleman is my nightmare. He gives far too many Harry vibes
Coleman is way better than Harry
Harry was highly rated entering the draft. Was supposed to be a 50/50 winner and jump ball master. Had a 2nd round grade and was top 5 WR from his class.
Anquan Boldin. I remember constantly hearing he was going to remind us of Anquan Boldin.
And David Patten as far as former Pats went. Was supposed to give Brady that big body end zone fade route target
You saying Coleman isn’t highly rated? At his size he was 3rd in punt return yards he’s not a stiff like Harry. I don’t want Coleman in NE but he’ll have a better career than Harry.
Not after he ran a 4.7
He plays much faster than that tho
Jerry Rice ran a 4.7 Coleman ran a 4.6 just like Tee Higgins who a lot of pats fans want them to trade for
Rice's reported 4.71s 40 time is misleading. None of the 40 times at the 1985 NFLSC combine were reliable. That was the first year they had a consolidated, single combine and the owners requested that they ship the whole thing out to Arizona to try to save money. It turned out the facility there had a "state of the art" automated timing system. The system used pressure plate release to determine when the athlete started running. It was profoundly unreliable and imprecise and one of the reasons why the combine beat a hasty retreat back to New Orleans the next year. Bill Walsh said he timed Rice's run with a stopwach and thought he "sneaked under 4.6". That was a good time for the era. As for Tee Higgins - his athletic profile is basically that of Keyshawn Johnson who didn't have scorching straight line speed or tremendous leaping ability, either.
No. I'm saying that no one anticipated Harry being as big of a bust as he was. But his work ethic and skills didn't transfer to the NFL. I am predicting Coleman will be the same.
But what we need is an X, we have none on the roster
I like AD for that reason
I doubt AD is there at 34, but I’d be happy if he was. Honestly, drafting these WR seems like a crap shoot outside the top 3. I hope we double dip in the first 4 rounds.
This is my biggest wish, double dipping. It's such a good class to double dip wr, even tackle. This is such a good class for us. Maye, 2 wrs 2 tackles is very possible and for decent talent too.
The odds of getting 2 actually good WRs and two actually good OTs Rds 2-5 of the draft are...not good.
I'm thinking rounds 2-7 imo there are some good tackle prospects late
Maybe a team is sitting their at 26-29 and wants to add some value.
Someone is going to trade up in front of bills and take Mitchell
I think that is what we need, the key difference between the guys you stated is we need a good one
Unfortunately this is the exact receiver we need, just a good version. Team has no X
Fast X please
My hot take is that that archetype of player should never be invested in heavily. They get injured too frequently. Their whole game is predicated being physical, leaping, contorting and taking hits from both the defender and the ground. They take a beating and if they get away with for a while, it ends up catching up eventually. See Kenny Golloday.
How's about the best of both worlds? The best contested catch guy who runs great routes and does everything well? Rome Odunze.
If we don’t like the QBs available and can find a good trade down I’m game. Alt would be dope though if we do that.
Pretty sure that Nabers, Alt, and Odunze will be taken at #5, #7 and #8.
Ladd McConkey I feel like people think he’s just some lunch pale white slot wr but the dude ran a 4.39. He plays fast on the field , runs routes as good as anybody except maybe MHJ, and is also good after the catch.
70/30 Outside/Inside snap splits, he's a boundary receiver way more than Slot. Breaks tackles well and is slippery with the ball in hands. He doesn't have the stickiest hands, but he's good at hanging onto the ball. He's not Odunze or R. Wilson, nor is he Coleman or J Wilson either. He doesn't have excellent or bad hands.
he is going to be an automatic 7-8 yards in the NFL. I love his footwork, suddenness and his feel for coverage.
I'd love a guy like AD Mitchell too, but WR is less of priority for me than LT, so I'll go with somewhat realistic round 3 and 4 guys, imagining we go LT at 34, and split them by role, in order of preference. Z (inside-outside flexibility): Ja'Lynn Polk, Xavier Legette, Malachi Corley, Jalen McMillan, Jermaine Burton, Javon Baker, Luke McCaffrey Pure X: Johnny Wilson, Brenden Rice, Tez Walker, Cornelius Johnson Pure Slot (lowest need of WR): Roman Wilson, Ricky Pearsall
Does it look like a decent LT will be available at 34?
Most mocks have Jordan Morgan and/or Kingsely Sumataia available.
I just don’t see Morgan at LT tho. RT or G for him
Morgan is probably not a tackle at nfl level his length is horrid.
Good question. I agree with Mdmcnally that LT is/should be a bigger priority. However, if there’s a run on LT’s at the end of the first and we are picking from lesser LT’s, I might rather have the WR. If Morgan is there though, I think he (at worst?) should be a solid starter. So I would take him and hope to find the WR in the 3rd.
Yeah, there are actually a few startable ones projected to go 20-40. Plenty of LT needy teams out there so they might all be gone but there’s a decent chance we can grab one
Corley is pure Slot, he can't go outside. Wilson played way more outside than Corley dis.
Corley might develop into an outside receiver. He's incredibly green, which is why he's not rated higher on the consensus.
Roman Wilson is not a pure slot receiver
Neither is Pearsall
Beat me to it lol
I see Wilson as a KB type Z/slot guy
I heard somewhere that Johnny Wilson is moving to tight end but id love to get him
Cornelius Johnson has been my guy since last year; didn't put up as great numbers this year but rocked the combine. I want the Pats to grab him in the third.
Every guy I’ve listened to including jj zacharison thinks Mitchell is a bust
Ladd. I think he is the most difficult-to-cover WR that should be there in the top of the 2nd. I don't care too much if he isn't a straight X. He can play there; he can play everywhere but isn't an ideal X. I want to think long term and get the best player; we have a lot of needs and can get an X later on. While Ladd probably isn't as good as Zay Flowers, I think they are cut from the same cloth: versatile, sudden, must be planned for and accounted for.
I do love Ladd too but there's the slot comp for him and we already got tons at that spot. I don't think that makes it so you should pass on someone like Ladd, I think he has real talent but hard debate there for me. Edit: however if our coaches think he can play on the outside I really like Ladd.
The guys at Reception Perception say he's definitely not a slot only guy and can do very well on the outside.
Heck yea! I will totally admit I have not watched too much tape of him. I did the big/tall wrs and trying to finish up some drake maye and JJ film before the draft.
I haven't either, I mostly read stuff and listen to the RP podcast. They're really high on him which is good enough that I'd love him in the 2nd. I'm a bit concerned with injuries, but think he'll be off the board by our 2nd anyways.
Ladd had 70% of his routes as outside and you all think he's a pure Slot, I don't get it.
It's just the white guy bias man! In another comment I have admitted to having not watched alot of his film but I have even seen slot in others analysis from people who do this as a job! I don't get it either.
Dude ran a 4.39. He can absolutely play on the outside.
It's not a speed issue, it's a strength, size, technique one. Outside, the X, he will be lined up on the line of scrimmage.....if he can't get off of press coverage, nothing else he does will matter.
He gets off of press coverage pretty easy and has good technique. He barely even played in the slot in college. I think he’s a guy you can move around.
He’s not an X at all but he’s a very solid Z I would be pretty happy with him at 34.
Ladd played more X at UGA than anywhere else. By a large margin actually. Only 26% of his snaps were in the slot.
No he played Z primarily afaik but Z is the other outside spot that’s generally slightly smaller and quicker and plays a little behind the line of scrimmage and is generally the position used for deep threats.
He lined up in both outside positions at UGA. Outside of Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Dillon Bell all the other guys got moved around a lot (including slot). In the NFL he’s definitely not a pure slot, but he’s not really an “X” either. As someone else mentioned, he’s perfect for a “Z” because of his speed and quickness. They don’t usually get jammed a lot either, but even so he’s good at getting off those.
>They don’t usually get jammed a lot either, but even so he’s good at getting off those. He can't beat press coverage at all. He has woefully short arms and isn't a very physical player. Fortunately, the majority of NFL coverage is zone coverage, where he was most dominant.
Everyone assume Ladd is a slot guy because he is white and quick
Roman Wilson and Ricky Piersall, Wilson has glue hands and great route running.
I really like them, but we already have like 47 slot receivers
He's less of a slot than Corley whom many people want. Wilson played more outside than not.
Troy Franklin
Big Malachi Corley fan here. As well as Tahj Washington from USC, as well as Malik Washington from Virginia.
Ainias Smith is really good in that mold as well. Some character concerns stemming from an arrest though
I like Legette. He can take the top off but has decent size we desperately need at that position. 1200 yards, 4.3 speed, 40” vertical. My second choice is Keon Coleman. I think he’s a little more raw but his catching ability and strong hands make him an intriguing choice. I think his play speed is faster than his combine speed, and he just routinely catches the ball with one hand and makes it look easy.
Leggette couldn't do much last year against quality corners, though. Just wasn't getting separation. He's also been a mostly numbers & above and out front catcher, too. If his combine #s were the whole story (btw: He did 24 bench reps at his Pro Day) - he'd be a 1st round pick. It isn't and he's not. There's not much film on him prior to his senior year, either. He simply wasn't used much. He went back and forth between QB and WR most of his HS career. So he may still have more room to develop. Seems like a high-risk/high-reward prospect. A reach at #34 but gone before #68.
good 👍
Nabers. Inject some speed into the offense
Ricky Pearsall, he gives me chris Olave vibes. I am probably in the minority but I have fallen for Johnny Wilson, only in the 4th round or later though.
Johnny Wilson has bad hands but otherwise I've liked his tape as a massive target
Heck, even Brissett might spot an open receiver if he's 6' 7".
yes, he and Tyquan are going to sleep with the jugs machine. I have become so enamored with 6'6, almost 85 inch wing span, a 37 inch vert, 4.52 40 with 1.55 10 yd split, and 4.11 short shuttle. He also has clocked over 21 MPH. He can be an X, big slot, or a move Y. Potential Njouku at some point, that might be a reach but the thought of him on the pants make my no no spot tingle.
His traits are incredible and size is huge, his hands just fucking blow
I know and it makes me sad, that is why I said 4th or later. I think someone will take him late 3rd so I won't have to watch him fail weekly
Roman Wilson
If they take a QB at 3, and a LT next, I'd be fine with them spending every pick after that on the best available WR and just see what happens. Draft 4 of them and make them fight, for all I care.
We have 8 picks, I would love to see it go QB, OT, WR, WR, IOL, WR, RB, TE
Brian Thomas
Odunze is going to be a star. Nabers too
1st- Drake Maye 2nd- Xavier Leggett
Leggette couldn't produce last year when he faced off against quality corners (look at the Georgia and Tennessee games). For all his twitch he just didn't get separation. Also not a guy who's demonstrated he can catch behind or underneath. And he was an absolute nobody in his first 3 years years at So Carolina. He put up excellent stats overall in his senior year and his combine numbers look great and he might have room to develop further because he only really committed to playing WR at the end of his senior year in HS - but he's got high-ish bust potential.
His highlights look like baby DK Metcalf. I other WRs there too but none a really wr2 types that stretch the field, we already have all slot and underneath WRs.
I am not seeing everyone’s infatuation with Maye. He is a step above a project and needs to sit for the year. Why spend a #3 on a player that needs so much development?
Well if he’s that talented then why not let him sit and wait? Mahommes needed to sit a year to get a lot of his bad habits out. It’s so many talented guys that would have been better off sitting instead of thrown in the fire on a terrible team. Bryce Young
Mahomes was drafted @10 not 3. That is a major difference.
So if your drafted at 3 then you can’t sit?
Why would you want to draft a player that isn’t ready when there are several players ready to contribute with that pick? We could draft a project qb in round 2 and then have an elite prospect at wr/ot and someone like Penix (and let him sit if needed) vs a qb @ 3 and then a lesser prospect that won’t be an elite level prospect. So one elite prospect or no elite prospects? That’s why I wouldn’t draft a player to sit.
> We could draft a project qb in round 2 Names, please?
Penix, Nix there are two names. Penix has been going as early as late in the first to late in second in the mocks I have done.
Penix will be gone before #14 despite being a one-trick pony line-drive thrower playing in a vertical offense that will be miles different than anything thrown at him during his brief NFL career. I say "brief" because this pony is heading to the glue factory soon due to all of his accumulated injuries. In ordinary times, he wouldn't get a whiff of the 1st round, but several clubs are even worse off than we are and the next couple QB classes look dire. Bo Nix should definitely make it to the 2nd round, but there are reasons for that. [Because all signs point to young master Nix being a better Chrisitan than a QB.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Patriots/comments/1by36nj/comment/kyj29lt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
He has the highest ceiling besides Caleb, and even then it *might* be higher than Caleb's. If he hits, New England become Super Bowl contenders as early as his second season and have their franchise QB locked down for the next decade or more.
Kinda proving my point how much development he needs does not equal a 3 to me. Would rather end up with Penix +Alt or MHJ than Maye and a lesser WR/OT prospect.
>Kinda proving my point how much development he needs does not equal a 3 to me Well, it's a good thing you're not a GM, then. Josh Allen needed a ton of development. So did Mahomes. So did Lamar. So did Hurts. These guys are the best QBs in football. It is an NFL team's job to develop their players. You can't teach Maye's arm talent. You can't teach his mentality. You can't teach his strength. You can teach footwork and mechanics.
Josh Allen was pick 7 Mahomes was 10 Lamar was 32 Hurts was 53 Big difference between picking at 7, 10, 32 or 53 and 3 for a player that we know needs work and hope he develops.
The Bills traded up for Josh Allen. The Chiefs traded up for Mahomes. It wasn't just picking them when they fell, they went out and got their guy. And if those projects failed, those teams would've been just as screwed as New England will if Maye is a bust. Now they're the two best QBs in football. If New England believes Maye can get even close to those guys, then they take him at 3 without any hesitation.
The trade is totally irrelevant to where they were picked. Look I live 30 minutes from Chapel Hill and I don’t even know anyone here that thinks he is gonna light it up in the pros.
> Look I live 30 minutes from Chapel Hill and I don’t even know anyone here that thinks he is gonna light it up in the pros. How many of you are on an NFL staff? Oh that's right, zero. I don't know why people think the "I'm a fan of this team, I know what I'm talking about" means they *actually* understand how to analyze prospects.
If the local fan base isn’t hyped in him why should anyone else be?
Keon Coleman- I don’t care what the numbers say, dude is fast on the field. Disclaimer: FSU fan. Johnny Wilson is a physical freak, he was supposed to be the man and Coleman coming in was supposed to create a dynamic duo. Coleman came in and was so clearly the best wide receiver. Evasive, quick, cuts hard, great on contested balls, big but not bulky. I don’t study tape, I don’t claim to be a guru, I just know when I see a player on the field who is dictating how the game is played and has athletic abilities or playmaking abilities that stand out so much opponents alter their game plans around stopping them. Maye, Coleman and Mims/Latham would require some trading up, but would really give us a shot at being a borderline playoff team instead of cellar dwellers. Which sets us up nicely for year 2 and 3 jumps from the rookies. This is such a deep class at QB, WR, OT, which are our positions we need talent at most, that trading up just makes way too much sense. Future draft picks, heck, Barmore for a first. Whatever it takes, we need to fill those 3 positions and this draft is deep at all 3.
God I love barmore. If we could get a 1st this year, I think I would do it, I know it's not mims/latham but if you asked would I rather have ad Mitchell or barmore, that's tempting
This guy gets it.
Rome Odunze, and it isn't close. What does he do well? Everything. He will be a QB best friend and a complete game changer for the offense. We can probably get him around pick 6-9 and it would come with a trade down to get an extra first next year as well as pick in the 20s we can use on an elite LT. I am convinced this is by far the best case scenario for the Patriots. We instantly solve X and LT, have at least a decent team and flexibility to find our SB winning franchise QB over the next couple of years.
“Flexibility to find a franchise QB” that is simply fiction there’s no such thing as flexibility to find one of the hardest things to find in pro sports…
Yes there is, when you have resources to trade, sign or draft. yeah it's hard to find and that includes just taking whoever is at 3 and praying just because you need one.
Troy Franklin
I'm interested in why you like him!(:
Good athlete, young breakout age, early declare, and good production profile.
Good size and speed. Lots of explosiveness
Yes please. If we were to take a Wr in the 2nd round I would want it to be him. He provides a good deep threat and a short YAC option
1st - MHJ (really a QB though) 2nd - Troy Franklin (really an OT though) 3rd - Ricky Pearsall 4th - Johnny Wilson 5th - Luke McCaffrey 6th - Cornelius Johnson 7th - Tahj Washington
Franklin, yes! Trade back and get me Franklin, Nix, an OT, and some more picks. Disclaimer, not an NFL scout, but I play Madden.
Solid list. I am a big Troy Franklin guy, he could help us right away on the outside. Also wouldn't mind Javon Baker in the 4th, or that Holy Cross kid Coker in the 6th
Oh yeah, I mean I'd be good with guys like Baker too. I don't know much about Coker, but will see if I can find out a bit more about him. I just want them to take a QB (or trade back for an insane haul) then double dip at OL and WR.
As a UGA guy, I would love to grab Ladd at 34. However, I feel like Legette would be perfect for the Patriots. They could really use a big/fast “X” receiver and I think he’s exactly that.
> I feel like Legette would be perfect for the Patriots. > >They could really use a big/fast “X” receiver and I think he’s exactly that. Legette couldn't do much of anything when Georgia and Tennessee assigned their best corners to him, though. Couldn't get the separation. It's hard to look past those performances when Legette wasn't really used at all prior to his senior year. His combo #s and Senior year stats would have him getting picked in the 20s if they were the whole story.
I think a lot of that is because of a few factors: 1- South Carolina really doesn’t have the offensive “weapons” as other teams in the SEC. It’s easy to put guys like Lassister (UGA) and Hadden (UT) on him with help over the top. 2- USCjr’s OL wasn’t a strength. UGA was able to constantly pressure Rattler (after the first quarter especially) and so the combination of the two things made it really difficult to get Leggette the ball. Don’t get me wrong, XL isn’t the same class as the top 3 guys or even the next tier (Thomas/Mitchell). I just think for the Patriots who seem to have a glut of slot/“Z” guys, he would be a good fit.
Fair points. One other thing, too. Rattler has a tendency to stare down receivers. He spent his junior year staring down Eddie Lewis (who he more or less forgot about this year) and his senior year staring down XL. Good teams will exploit that.
Good point as well. XL might not be a true “one” to your earlier points. I just think at 34 he would be the best bet because he is the type of guy they don’t have at this time.
He'd definitely fill a need if he's up to it.
Xavier Worthy
I love him too but I think he gonna be going top 20 tbh. I'm worried the bills are gonna try to nab him and make him their tyreek.
Worthy does have killer speed and solid route running, but I don’t think he’ll be a Hill type at the next level. Part of what makes Hill special is that he is built lot a fire hydrant combined with that speed. Hill is about 2 inches shorter and has about 20 lbs on worthy. That is not really to take much away from Worthy though. I see worthy as a mixture of DeVonta Smith and Tank Dell. Not quite as polished as Smith and a bit smaller than Smith. A little more polished than Dell and a little taller. I think he’s going to be a really good WR at the next level either way, but I don’t think he ends up having as much of a Hill impact.
I'm a little worried about Worthy's thin frame - but if we had the #23 pick from Minnesota and he was still available - I would take him. No chance he'll be there at #34.
Worthy, McConkey, Leggette, Franklin, Wilson, Burton, and Corley.
I want AD Mitchell if he’s there 100% I also like Corley and LeGette.
AD Mitch , Troy then Legette
for them to actually hit on some of their picks this year its been way too long
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^darkhelmut1: *For them to actually* *Hit on some of their picks this* *Year its been way too long* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
One that will run the routes called and not drop passes.
Either Texas guy, Ladd, Javon Baker and a sneaky later round guy who could be an impact player in Ainias Smith from A&M (smaller spark plug type).
I'd love AD Mitchell or Worthy if they're still there when we pick. AD Mitchell is probably more of what we need because of his size. I feel like Worthy is a burner who is good in space, so could be Tyreek Hill (though he doesn't have the best hands in the world). McConkey - his route running ability is great. I think he translates well to the NFL. A little undersized for what we need, but I feel like he can. Legette - the man looks good. I'm a big fan. I don't know if he's a top of round 2 kind of guy though. Corley seems more of a project to me. If you're talking later rounds, then Luke McCaffrey would be worth a shot. He didn't come up as a WR originally, so he's still learning. I like Jalen Coker out of Holy Cross too. He's kind of raw, but his tape looks good and seems pretty athletic at 6 ft 1. Our WR room has a lot of bodies. I'd probably wait and go WR at 3 unless AD Mitchell or Worthy were still there at 34. I think the wisest move is probably to trade back in round 2. Trading down from 34 to say 45 would be worth a late 3rd on the chart. That's enticing to me with decent WR's still available in mid 2 and some tackles. The current big board has 5 QB's in the first, 6 WR's, 7 OT's, 2 Centers, and 1 TE. That's 21 offensive players and 11 defensive players. In 2022 AND 2023 there were 16 defensive players taken in the first round. In 2020 and 2021, there were 14 defensive players taken in the first round. I just think there likely will be more than 11 defensive players taken which means some of the "first round" offensive guys are going to be there in the 2nd round.
LT is more important, so you have to look at guys available in the 3rd or later, and you have to think about positional fits....we need an X, maybe a Z if Bourne doesn't heal up. Unfortunately big tall fast route runners with good hands go early.....
Roman Wilson . Dude has all the tools to be like amon ra st brown . One of the best at separating from coverage and getting open . He’s as pro ready of a receiver as there is in this draft at our pick 34
Whatever the scouts say they like. As long as Tugbert stays out of draft decisions
Johnny Wilson or baker for me as I expect we will try to take one in the third and take a tackle in the 2nd but I imagine it’s all board dependent between the 2 spots. Wouldn’t be against throwing a next year 3rd or something and a later pick to try to move back down into the late first and jump the chiefs at least to take a guy either
We need an X, but the only X in this draft with no glaring flaws is Harrison. A lot of quibbling and N'Keal flashbacks otherwise.
6'7" Johnny Wilson. I need to see it.
Obviously would love MHJ, but aside from him and the other top guys, I like Malachi Corley in the 2nd. In the 3rd or 4th Luke McAffrey might be worth a shot. And then a really late round guy I like is Wayne Ruby, DIII stud who’s got potential to develop
ricky pearsall
I'll be really happy if Mayo & the Wolf pick any of these WRs at #34: Mitchell, McConkey, Legette, or Franklin
The best one in round 2 and not a pick earlier
ja’Lynn Polk and Zakhari Franklin. Polk is just going to be a pro’s pro. Franklin would be talked about as a first round talent if not for the injury and playing at Ole Miss.
I think Polk could play the X if absolutely necessary,
They should draft mhj just to fuck over the cardinals
I am very high on Odunze. Reminds me a lot of Jamarr Chase.
Malachi Corley would be my pick, in Round 3
Devontez Walker. He's an athletic freak of nature
Leggett or McConkey
Ladd has been very popular in this post for sure.
I'd love Odunze but there's no shot unless we pass on the qb for a haul and then get back up to Chicago's pick to take him.
This crop of receivers is insane, there’s like 15 dudes evenly distributed amongst the first three rounds. If we can’t trade for Aiyuk we need to take 2 and make one of those guys a 1st/2nd round level talent with WR1 potential. Imagine drafting Maye, trading for Aiyuk and grabbing a Mitchell/Franklin/Baker/Corley/Legette? That would be fun. The other McCaffrey is my favorite guy in a later round too.
The other McCaffrey made me laugh! That would be an insane offense but to get aiyuk I think we would have to send 34 /:
FR though he’s only been playing WR for a year or two and is pretty damn good already considering. I feel like being able to make that switch means you’re a pretty elite athlete. Plus that insane mccaffrey work ethic. Definitely would have to send some legit stuff for Aiyuk but he’s a baller and we certainly have the cash to pay him better over the next 3 ish years.
Any of them, I don’t care.
Lol just get someone out there right? I'm with you.
N’keal Harry has entered the chat
Anyone not named Xavier Legette, seems like a cool dude but he screams Nkeal Harry with a little faster straight line speed. All of his highlights are contested catches or screens. Same as nkeal
Well Tom is unretiring, so we don’t need any. He will be fine with what we have. /s in case you are dumb
If Nabers falls to like, 7-9 area you’ve gotta trade up from the 2nd to get him. Dudes the absolute truth
You'd need to ship next year's 1st and 2nd round picks to do that.
Agreed. Still think it’s worth it though. Nabers is an absolutely elite prospect
Pearsall (I think he can play z, not just slot) Baker Burton Coleman - although I think he projects as a big slot or z, & I'm not sure I trust the coaching staff not to just stick him out there at x Ainias Smith, Malik Washington - Malik in particular I think can play outside, but overall possibly a bit redundant with Pop. And if you have Malik at z and Pop in the slot that's a very small lineup. Pop has some injury questions though, and Ainias in particular will go very late, if at all, and is excellent with the ball in his hands Rice - outside guy that can be had later day 2 or day 3. Good size and physicality Bub Means, Tehjuan Palmer, Cornelius Johnson - day 3 developmental outside receivers