2011 Patriots Draft
 

So... With the 2010 NFL Draft in the books it's time to look ahead to next years draft, where the Patriots have two selections in each of the first two rounds. SI.com has just published their first 2011 NFL mock draft, which is very premature. But I'm posting it because that Patriots draft is just insane! :D

2011 NFL Mock Draft

Post your thoughts about the 2011 NFL Draft here.

Wow. That is a hell of a draft. I prefer Jones to Green, but besides that I would be thrilled. The name of the game next year is WR and DE, but Romeus is a hell of a value. Crick is a guy I have my eye on entering next year. He probably won't tear it up as much without Suh, but with a little bit of weight he's an excellent 3-4 DE canidate. Dareus is also a guy to keep an eye on.

I liked Crick next to Suh, but I'm always a bit weary of the "sidekick". It's a lot easier looking great when you play next to a player like Suh, so I'm going to look real hard at him next season. I want him to be dominating, although not at Suh's level, if we're going to select him. I like Green over Julio, but any of them will do.

I wouldnt complain with green. Doesn't Jones have durability concerns?

So who are the best 5-tech prospects? I'm thinking we'll be in that market.

And probably OLB / pass rushers . . . how about them?

The 5-tech class is going to be amazing next year. I'd say these guys are all top 15 talents, might not get drafted that way but they all have every skill you could look for in a 3-4 end

1. Cameron Heyward Ohio St.
2. Marcel Dareus Bama (Jr.)
3. Adrian Clayborn Iowa
4. Allen Bailey Miami
5. Jarret Crick Nebraska

Then you could throw in Marvin Austin (UNC) and Da'Quan Bowers (Clemson) as possibilities, they have unreal talent but 5-tech might not be there best fits.

DE/OLB has some nice prospects, not too many top guys right now but I'm sure some players will step up.

1. Robert Quinn UNC
2. Greg Romeus Pitt
3. Von Miller TAMU

5-tech and WR will be absolutely loaded next year, which is amazingly convenient.

Prediction-

They trade Oaklands first(10-15 range) to the low to mid 20s and pick up another 2nd.
With the first of their picks, either their own or the traded pick in the 20s they take a 5 technique. I'm thinking Clayborn.
They then trade the next first into the early second and pick up a 4th.
A RB like Ingram will fall to the second as will one of the WRs(I remember seeing mocks with Benn, Williams and LaFell all in the top 20 last year)
They will take a RB and a WR in the second.
They will also trade another 2nd for a future 1st.

I think we'll still be looking for OLB's next year, and definitely RB's and OL's. Possibly WR's depending on how Tate and Price look this year.

Yeah I want a WR, but we have invested some pretty good picks on WR's the last two years in Tate and Price. There are some big talents at WR this year, but I wouldn't put it pass the staff to not take a wideout if they like the young guys. We have a lot of young depth at some positions we all see as needs, but we will see who steps up and that is what the staff is waiting for too. It is so hard to speculate what we will do come draft day, especially 360 days early haha

Tate and price are not number ones though. They're number twos.

Price actually could be a top receiver, he has a lot of talent. Kind of in the Greg Jennings mold, might not be that good, but could be that type of receiver. We do have a lot of slot types though in Welker, Edelman, Tate, and if you want to say Price you could throw him in there.

I'm hoping we get Julio or Green, I think they are rare receiving prospects. I like Floyd, Baldwin, and Brown a lot too. They all have the ability to be stars in the NFL, but it's hard to speculate on where we go. I'd love to see one of those guys in a Pats uni.

Honestly, I would take any of those guys with a top ten pick and not think twice, except maybe Floyd.

Floyd is a great talent but I love Julio the most. Green is right behind him, he is an absolute monster. Julio doesn't have the production that some of the others have, but he is such an amazing all around talent. Bama is a run first offense anyways and Julio has a blanket over him all game, I don't know who I would compare him too. Probably Andre Johnson. I think all of those guys are can't miss prospects, this could be the best receiver class ever.

The 1996 NFL Draft says hi.

Keyshawn Johnson, Terry Glenn, Eddie Kennison, Marvin Harrison, Eric Moulds, Bobby Engram, Terrell Owens, Muhsin Muhammad, Amani Toomer, Jermaine Lewis, and Joe Horn (according to wiki). But still, the receiving class next does look insane.

This class has every bit as much potential to be good. It's absolutely disgusting the amount of talent that's in this class, even outside of the guys mentioned. Miami's receivers, Malcolm Williams, Ronald Johnson...the list goes on. Tons of top end talent, tons of depth.

IF Herzlich comes back and shows he is still a player, I would want him on the Pats so badly. Before his sickness he was literally the perfect LB prospect for us; he has the perfect size, is a good athlete, is a phenomenal pass rusher, makes plays in coverage, is versatile, is tough, and is a sure tackler who can make the big hit too. I am just hoping he gets healthy, but if he suits up again and shows he can get it done I want him on the Pats.

What do you do with Spikes, Mayo, Guyton, and McKenzie? I realize two of those guys are unproven and 1 of them is average at best, but are you really suggesting the Patriots spend a 1st round pick on a position with good depth?

I'm hoping for the same thing next year as this year: OLB, DE, WR, and RB.

I can't see him being more then a mid-late round pick after missing a season to cancer.
You always have the off-chance of it coming back and the side effects that the treatment causes wouldn't be highly looked upon.

Would he be an ILB only?


It's too early to see what we'll spend our early picks on.
If Pryor and Warren work out at DE, B.Tate, Edelman and Price show life and our OLine wakes up then our options are open.
OLB is still a need, RB will def be a need, a KR/PR would do wonders.
Maybe a FB? A new RT? A stud DE? A big blocking TE to replace Crumpler
I swear- we're not that far off from being great.
Our WRs are going to be the biggest question mark.

Give me Allen Bailey and Ryan Williams.

Then give me some lotion.

I love Herzy as a Vrable type of guy in our 3-4, he has (had) a ton of versatility and talent. He can get to the QB, he is an outstanding pass rusher. He also is a playmaker in coverage. He might not be the same guy if he comes back and plays, but before he got sick he was the perfect LB prospect for us.

To be honest, I haven't seen a ton of BC games, but I always assume you take a 43 OLB and make him a 34 ILB. Most of them don't have pass rush technique or physical size to consistently be a pass rusher.

I'm not giving up on the DEs yet, but my judgement says that the DE is the biggest need for NE to get younger and better at. Pryor would be a nice young player to emerge though.

I don't think Tate, Edelman, or Price are going to be #1s anytime soon. I'd LOVE to see Johnathan Baldwin in a Patriots uniform. (or AJ Green, Michael Floyd, Julio Jones).

FB? Those are kind of archiac at this point. They are nice, but you can take a TE or an OT to do it. The Patriots need an OT. They don't need a RT specifically, but it's easier to get a RT later than a LT. (Vollmer was my Patriots ROTY... so I'd be happy with either tackles). Stud DE :D! Blocking TE = Rob Gronkowski (who has good hands too).

The WRs will improve as much as Tom Brady improves. He had times where he needed to play better and times where he was way better than his WRs. This group of WRs are good enough. Is he? I hope so. I wouldn't be shocked to see Wes Welker play this year. Randy Moss will be playing for a contract. This could be a MAJOR year for the Patriots.

Before he was sick Herzy looked like he was a perfect 3-4 LB prospect, with Vrable out he was the best possible replacement. He could play outside or inside, that versatility would be huge. We don't really need an inside guy now, but I think he could be a star here on the outside. Besides, we move all of our guys all over the place anyways. If he gets healthy and shows he can still play, he will get drafted. If somehow he plays like he did as a junior, I want him on the Pats.

I know you usually don't see 4-3 OLB's translating to 3-4 OLB, but Herzy looked like he was a perfect 3-4 LB prospect as a junior. I thought he could play anywhere in either a 3-4 or 4-3, I would love to see him come back next season.

How do you guys like OG David DeCastro from Standford? I just made a mock on another site where our two first rounds went like this:

Ryan Kerrigan
Michael Floyd
David DeCastro
Lee Ziemba

How does this look to you? I think DeCastro is a good fit for us, but I haven't seen enough of him. Does he has a real mean streak? I want offensive linemen who goes for the knockout on every play, but his talent is undeniable. I have this feeling that he'll declare if Luck does.

DeCastro is another nice looking center prospect but I don't see him declaring. If he does he could be in that early second round mix, there are a lot of center prospects that offer some versatility that would be great additions for us...

-Wisniewski, PSU
-O'Dowd, USC
-Pugh, Auburn
-Pouncey (maybe), UF
-DeCastro, Stanford

All of those guys will be taken in the late first to the second probably and I would love to add one.

I really don't view DeCastro as a center, but I really like his potential as a guard. I didn't even know that he could play center..