New England Patriots NFL Team Column
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28 April 2008 |
New England Patriots 2008 NFL Draft Recap
Round | Pick# | Overall Pick # | Player | Position | School |
1 | 10 | 10 | Jerod Mayo | LB | |
2 | 31 | 62 | Terrence Wheatley | CB | |
3 | 15 | 78 | Shawn Crable | LB | |
3 | 31 | 78 | Kevin O’Connell | QB | |
4 | 31 | 129 | Jonathan Wilhite | CB | |
5 | 20 | 153 | Matthew Slater | Kick-off return | UCLA |
6 | 31 | 197 | Bo Ruud | LB |
The Patriots had a very good draft this year. By addressing their most pressing issues at the cornerback and linebacker positions, they have become a better team, at least on paper. I will be honest, I did not know a single one of these players before the draft, and they were not mentioned in any of the mock drafts that I read (of which I read a lot). However, that does not mean anything as I believe the Patriots staff does the most research and has the smartest approach to the NFL draft; an approach that is now emulated by most other teams. Take for instance the Kevin O’Connell, a perplexing 3rd round pick, which seemed to add an unknown player for a position that already has two backups.
Coupling this with the fact that, Mario Manningham was taken one pick later by the now hated Giants, leaving fans dumbfounded. The viewers or radio listeners response went something like this, “Who?….a QB?....Why would we need one?....Manningham was still on the board?...Damn it!....Oh well, I will wait and see what the pundits say about this pick.” Now a day later, after realizing that unproven Matt Cassel will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2008 and seeing highlights of O’Connell, a nimble 6’5” 225 pound QB that runs a 4.61 forty and has a nice touch on the ball, the pick seems very reasonable, because it sets the Patriots up for success in the future.
As far as grading the NFL Draft, I am in the wait-and-see camp. The Patriots got a B- in 2005 for drafting Logan Mankins late in the first round. Now, 3 years later, Scouts Inc. 05’ Re-draft article has Mankins at number 7th overall, giving the Patriots a B+. The 2008 draft did not have any clear steals like in 2004 when Vince Wilfork slid from a top 10 pick all the way down to 21. However, I liked the fact that we moved down from the number 7 pick and got a great inside linebacker. I disagreed with the idea of moving up and picking up Dorsey. This move would have cost too much and Dorsey has some health concerns. Also, I do not believe the Patriots had Keith Rivers, OLB from USC, ranked higher then Mayo.
Hear me out here, apparently the Patriots could have traded the 10th picked and moved even further down, but they knew that the Lions where probably going to draft Mayo, negating the argument that Mayo was a reach. This kind of perception leads me to believe that they had a great pulse on other teams needs and guessed that Rivers would be off the board by the 10th selection. With this in mind, they still traded down to the 10th pick. Also, USC players have a way of not being as great at the pro level as they are projected. Ever since wideout, Mike Williams, who I thought was a shoe in hall-of-famer out of USC a few years ago did not pan out, I have been skeptical of USC prospects.
Therefore, this draft was a success, because it was a typical Pioli and Belichick draft. A great team added a few linebackers that could become the backbone of this team down the future, a valuable second round pick from the Chargers in 2009, a QB that will replace Cassel and save the Patriots money, as well as two corners that could become the next
4 February 2008 |
An Obituary for the Patriots and My Sports Innocence
I feel like a kid who just found out that Santa doesn’t really exist. My sports innocence is lost, changed forever, like a first love that forever leaves an indelible mark on future relationships. I was too young to understand the significance of Billy Buckner in 1986, started watching the Celtics after Reggie Lewis’s passing. In 2003, when Aaron Bleeping Boone rocked
This is different. We were Mr. Clutch, all-American boys, the greatest ever. We talked and walked the professional walk. Flashy, unstoppable with a never ending well of resources that would just come in waves against game opponents, who were just an afterthought in discussions. We wrapped ourselves in a blanket of greatness, lulled to sleep by Brady’s twinkling eyes, as inner warmth spread from the knowledge that Godfather Belichick would never let us get burned.
The saddest part of the loss is that everyone will focus on the blown chance as apposed to how memorable this season has been. Everyone in this predominantly Red Sox town lived and breathed Patriots. There has been so much media scrutiny and pressure; we even followed the O-linemen’s ever changing facial hair. Now, the only thing that people will remember is that this is the game that showed the world that Brady and Belichick are not as good as Lombardi and Bradshaw. I believe it is the media coverage that is the sole reason for this new revelation in comparison of greatness. Current players should not be measured against passed greats until they themselves start fading into history. Their resume is not yet finished and there needs to be a time separation to objectively view a career. This is why players are not eligible to enter the Hall of Fame until several years after they retire.
Is Tom Brady the greatest quarterback ever? Before, you would have said yes. But today? I for one believe that the fourth quarter drive was vintage Brady, the one from Friday and Saturday. This applies to every other Patriot. They all had a great season, several of them future Hall of Famers and class acts all the way. They are the type of role models that we want in sports, and why my mother loves them. She cannot fathom why the rest of
I don’t know if people are clamoring about bad calls, or about the slippery field, or any other excuses one could come up with. I believe that excuses are like ***holes: everyone’s got one and they all stink. It was a great, hard fought game and the Giants were a better team that day. I wish there was no offseason, I want there to be another game next week (the Pro Bowl doesn’t count). However, the world will keep turning; the Patriots have the 7th pick and most of the nucleus coming back. They will be as hungry as ever, and the media scrutiny will be just as great, for it cannot be any greater then it was this season. It will be exiting and I predict us doing very well again, but I have lost my sports innocence and will always keep my guard up.
18 January 2008 |
Patriots-Chargers Preview:
In another installment of “..And now for something completely different”, I will again go against the grain of everything that has been said by pundits on TV this week. I, for one, believe that the Chargers will be a very tough match-up for the Patriots. While I will not go as far as predicting an upset, for that would be blasphemy worthy of excommunication from
Remember way back in August, when the two most terrifying teams outside of Foxborough were the Colts and the Chargers? And remember back to last week of how nervous Pats fans were of facing
I don’t understand why that feat has been completely overlooked by everyone. The team showed tremendous resilience and responded brilliantly to extreme adversity at the biggest point in the season. It seemed surreal to watch TV cameras zooming on the Chargers sideline and see Rivers and Tomlinson laughing on the sideline with the score on top of the TV showed a surging Chargers ahead of the defending super bowl champions.
With this image in mind, it seems odd to use the reasoning for this weekends predictions “if it happened once, it can’t happen again”, which is exactly what the ‘experts’ have been using. I believe that the adversity actually worked in the Chargers favor. For starters, I don’t like Phillip Rivers. He is pompous and immature. I keep seeing him yelling at his teammates whenever something goes wrong. He has had a bad year and he acted like a baby when he lost to the Patriots last year, as did Ladainian Tomlinson. However, Billy Volek played well and didn’t screw up at the wrong time, which Rivers has a tendency to do. Also, the two headed running back monster that is Darren Sproles and Michael Turner gives teams a different look that they are not as prepared for. As a result, I don’t think those two injuries will actually affect their respective positions for this week. This is not to say that over the course of a season there wouldn’t be a drop off in performance, but for this week it will not affect the team. Also, I am a strong believer of the wounded old lion philosophy: a team rallies around adversity and plays better then expected, just look at the Redskins after Sean Taylor was shot.
So if you don’t believe that these two injuries change the Chargers ability to play well, how then has the perception changed from August that they are a terrifying team to play? It doesn’t. They have a great defense, a great running game, very good receivers; especially with the addition of Chris Chambers from
Prediction: 24-20 Patriots
9 January 2008 |
Patriots- Jaguars Preview: An Alternative View
“And now for something completely different…”
I am tired of hearing about how tough a match-up the Jacksonville Jaguars are for the Patriots. I, for one, believe that the Patriots are overwhelming favorites. While the score on paper might be close, the Patriots should be in no danger of loosing at any point in the game. The best case scenario for the Jaguars is to repeat the heroic efforts of the Philadelphia Eagles, who put up a gargantuan effort to keep the game entertaining, but ultimately succumbed to the inevitable. The New England Patriots are trying to become the best team of all time and are well on their way to doing so. Therefore, it should be a forgone conclusion to say that they are better then the Jaguars in EVERY single significant category.
Here is a little chart to illustrate:
Category | Patriots/overall rank | Jaguars/overall rank |
Defense: | ||
PTS/G | 17.1- 4th | 19.0- 10th |
YPG | 288.3- 4th | 313.8- 12th |
Sacks | 47- 2nd | 37- 11th |
Offense: | ||
PTS/G | 36.8- 1st | 25.7- 6th |
YPG | 411.3- 1st | 357.4- 7th |
Sacks (allowed) | 21- 5th | 31- 15th |
After studying this chart, a few things can be concluded: the touted Jaguars defensive and offensive lines are actually statistically worse then the Patriots and the Patriots have a better overall offense and defense. To further cement the obvious difference in quality, an examination of the respective teams strength of schedule is in order. The Jaguars have a respectable record against playoff teams this season at 3-3. They lost to the Titans once and the Colts twice, while beating the Titans in a rematch, as well as, defeating the Stealers and Chargers. Of the remaining 7 playoff teams (not counting themselves) they have a 1-2 record. On the other hand, the Patriots are 6-0 against playoff teams and 4-0 of the 7 teams left. They beat the Chargers, Cowboys, Colts, and Giants. Besides
However, there is also a subjective component to my reasoning. First off, a lot of claims have been made about the Jaguars giving the Patriots a run for their money in 2006, with Maurice Jones-Drew running amuck for 131 yards. I believe this is a faulty argument because the Jaguars were playing for their playoff lives, which the Pats subsequently squashed. Also, Jones-Drew ran for 131 yards on 19 carries for a 6.9 yard per carry. Do you recall the play when he looked like was down, but fell on top of someone, got up and ran in for a touchdown? That fluke play was for 74 yards. If you take that 1 play away, his stat line looks like this: 57 yards on 18 carries for 3.1 yards per carry. Not too impressive, huh?
Now I am not arguing that the Jaguars don’t have a great running game or good linemen, I just don’t believe they can win. There are many glaring differences between last year’s game and the upcoming one. In no particular order: this is a home game and that was away. The Patriots have significantly improved this year on offense, while the Jaguars have kept mostly the same personnel. The Patriots are coming off of a bye week. Speaking of bye weeks, since coming to the Patriots in 2000 Bill Belichick is 7-2 coming of a bye week, including first round playoff byes. His losses were in 2002 against the Broncos and in 2000 against the Bills, back when Doug Flutie was their quarterback. Finally, Bill Belichick always focuses on taking away an apposing teams strength and making them beat the Patriots with their weaker assets. Therefore, I have full confidence that they will contain the Jags run game at least somewhat, forcing them to rely on Garrard’s arm. While he is an accurate passer and makes few mistakes, one can hardly make a statement that he has the experience or the talent to carry his team on the road to a win over a juggernaut like the Pats.
P.S. the weather forecast is 27 degrees, cloudy, with wind of 3 mph, perfect conditions for a Jaguar feast.
Prediction: 34-21
27 December 2007 |
New England Patriots Continue to Roll
The game began with a lot of pre-game hoopla. Everyone was ecstatic about the possibility of the Patriots winning by 50 and hoped that Moss and Brady would set single season touchdown records. While earlier in the week meteorologists had predicted snow for the game, the 45-degree weather seemed to set up a perfect, record setting day. What ensued for the next hour and a half was one of the most ridiculous sports viewing experiences in recent memory. Randy Moss quickly caught 2 touchdown passes, moving him and Brady within one of tying their respective records. All the while, the attitude and bravado exuded by fans at home reached new heights.
People were genuinely upset with Laurence Maroney for gaining so many yards, screaming ‘Brian Westbrook would have fallen on the 1’, for they only wanted a Brady to Moss connection. The fans were even happy with Miami moving the ball, using the logic that it gives Tom Brady a better chance of getting 500 yards passing so that he could break Marino’s single season passing yards record. This reasoning also applied to Patriots offensive penalties (it extended the field for Tom Brady to pad his stats). I can only image how intolerable any of these rambunctious living rooms were for non-Pats fans. For them, I can only offer the fact that eventually your revenge will be a sweet consolation. Sweet being a colossal understatement, as the rest of the NFL fans have been foaming at the mouth for revenge for the better part of a decade.
With half-time over, everyone was back in their seats and ready for a few more celebratory tosses to Moss to finish off a great Sunday afternoon. What ensued was one of the most lackluster halves in the Patriots season: 4 punts, 2 interceptions and a fumble. The at-home fans got restless, ‘Why are we forcing the ball to Moss’, ‘Brady isn’t playing very well’, and ‘Christ! If it wasn’t for our defense it would be 28-21’. By the way, Cleo Lemon was the biggest boob of the game for jumping around the pylon. Most people were left with a feeling that the game was boring and that the second half, to put it bluntly, sucked.
Yet while it was so bad, the team’s approach was almost the same in both halves: Tom Brady threw to Moss whenever possible. As they were in no danger of loosing, they played for the accolades, just like they would have done it if they were tossing the football in the parking lot outside of Gillette Stadium. The only difference is that in the first half, the Dolphin corner let a pass go through his hand---what should have been a sure interception but lead to a Jabbar Gafney touchdown. While in the second half, the defense actually swatted down some poorly thrown passes.
It was amusing to watch how exited everyone was during the first half as apposed to how disgruntled they were by the end of the game. However, the takeaway from this game should be that the players are children on the inside, just like the rest of us, and were just going for records. This attitude will be gone by the playoffs, as there will be no more record chasing. Yet despite such immaturity, the running game seems to be sufficient and the defense is rounding into form, just in time for the playoffs…
17 December 2007 |
New England Patriots Win Spy Gate Bowl
The Patriots extend their unbeaten streak to 14 in spite of horrendous weather conditions, which quelled all pre-game discussions of a 70 point blow out. This was an ugly affair, wrought with uncharacteristically wobbly passes and dropped balls. For most non-New Englanders this game could seem pretty standard: 131 yards rushing, inaccurate throws and a sub-par 51.1 QB rating. One might think it was Kyle Boller’s Ravens running up and down the field. This game was a grind it out event in which the fun and gun offense took a back seat to a staunch defense and a meticulous running game. Behind Lawrence Maroney’s 24 carries, the Patriots were able to lead wire-to-wire with the use of effective clock and field management. On the opposing side it was the Jets’ inability to capitalize in the red zone that was their Achilles heel and gave them little chance of staging a fourth quarter, into the wind, comeback.
Regrettably, I did not put my pre-game predictions down on paper, for I would now be touting my logic behind believing it would be a close scoring game. The possibility for this prediction to backfire on my young journalistic career would have been as devastating as if I suffered a monumental defeat from my mentor while being pelted with ice-balls. Now I am stuck with only my 20/20 hindsight vision for the reasons this outcome was obvious:
· The weather would slow down both offenses keeping it a low scoring contest
· Mangini is a good coach (anyone who is a Belichick protégé is good in my book)
· Jets were probably fed up with hearing that they will be the first receivers of a 100 point game. Or other absurd insinuations, such as the Sports Guy’s proposed Eff-you transaction of de-activating the punter Chris Hanson, which would force the Pats to go for it on every 4th down.
· This was the Jets season’s Superbowl. Like the Ravens and the Eagles before them, they would be fired up with their A game.
Despite the close score, the Patriots were in control the whole game, winning the time of possession battle (33:37), while keeping the Jets to 4-of -17 in 3rd and 4th down conversions. The defense carried this team to victory with large contributions from Seymour and Eugene Wilson who were seemingly directly responding to my call out of their lack of production in last week’s column. The result seemed to please Belichick greatly as he raised both his hands when Nugent missed his 4th quarter field goal attempt. Bill proceeded to walk with a huge smile towards midfield for his much publicized post-game handshake. I for one never understood why this was even a story. Athletes, since they are in pee-wee leagues, shake hands after contests. It is embedded into the process like a motor skill with any lack of personal meaning and only a token gesture to sports in general.
Players and coaches would never have a problem shaking hands with opposing teams even if it was with ‘ManJudas’. Anything less then a meaningless, ceremonial handshake would be considered stupid and childish, creating more media havoc, something Belichick would never willingly submit his team to. However, we did see his more personal side after the game as he hugged and talked to all Jets players who walked by him. It was interesting to see how they sought him out and it showed the true sportsmanship that occurs in sports. As well as the respect other players exhibit towards Bill Belichick that is usually not conveyed in a contrived mandatory handshake.
11 December 2007 |
Patriots Dominate Steelers and Remain Undefeated
I am starting this correspondence on week 14 and therefore the first one will be a little ad hoc. The much ballyhooed game against the Steelers had the predictable result for everyone in
The much talked about guarantee was amusingly discussed at water coolers all around
I enjoyed the tongue lashing that Tom Brady gave Anthony Smith after scoring the first touchdown. What was surprising was that in middle of this amusing banter #92, James Harrison, came to his teammates rescue and shouldered Brady rather harshly in the back. This showed solidarity within the team and makes me believe that Smith might not go the way of Freddie Mitchell, whose weightless guarantees all but drove him out of Philly.
The rest of the game had an air of inevitability. The Steelers defense was outmatched by Josh McDaniels’ bunch while the Pats defense stepped it up when it really mattered. The vaunted Patriots defensive line is playing better after getting embarrassed by the Ravens. If there is anything to be picky about this season its the disappointing play of this group. As Andy Gresh pointed out on the Mohegan Suns Sports Tonight show, Ty Warren was consistently blocked inside by the Ravens tight ends. On the other end, Richard Seymour has had a disappointed season since coming back in week 6 from knee surgery. To date he has 16 total tackles through 6 games with 10 solo tackles. A few days ago against the Steelers he had 6 tackles with 0 solos. This is very uncharacteristic of the captain and perennial all-pro lineman. This year Vince Wilfork has been the one anchoring this line, and the rest of the guys need to step up as they come towards the home stretch of the season.
The rest will be some of my observations from games past and overall trends:
· Tom Brady has a lot more zip on his passes this year. He consistently throws a perfect spiral and rarely misses his target. His flawless mechanics really maximizes his strength which was evident as he rifled a pass through Moss’s sure hands in the end zone against the Steelers. It might be noteworthy to note to all the fathers out there that Brady has had a throwing coach since the age of 13.
· I like Lawrence Maroney. I think he will be big in the playoffs. He has a great stiff arm and has the ability to make people miss. He needs more touches to get into the flow. So once the weather gets bad enough that Brady can’t run a west coast offense, he will be able to show exactly why Marion Barber had to split time with him at
· The return of Chad Jackson is promising as he is the leagues best 1 armed bear-crawler, a move he has repeatedly used to tack on 3-4 extra yards.
· Where has Eugene Wilson disappeared too? Him and Asaunte Samuel were at one point young promising secondary’s.
· Kareem Brown’s cut from the team was disappointing. He was good at
10 June 2007 |
The New England Patriots held their mini camp this past week. Everyone was there except cornerback Asante Samuel. Samuel has decided to sit out until the 10th game of the season, because he feels he is not getting his worth in a new contract. In my opinion he should just get the heck back on the playing field and accept the $7 million they are offering him, and work trying to get the contract done during the season. It was reported this week in the Boston Globe that the New York Jets were interested in the cornerback, but not for the two first round draft choices that the Patriots are asking for.
Here are some observations from the mini camp:
Randy Moss made a number of nice catches during the 11 on 11 drills. One in particular was when Moss went down the left side of the end zone, Brady let go a long pass that Moss lept in the air for while he shielded the cornerback from getting the ball and came down with it. The cornerback was new comer James, a free agent signing this past year. Donte Stallworth showed he still a burner, but didn't seem be in position when the ball was thrown in his direction, he is most likely still learning the play book. The two new comers from Miami, Wes Welker and Sammy Morris, both seemed to be in sync with Tom Brady throughout the whole mini camp, both looked very sharp in the passing drills as well as special teams. The offensive line seemed to get the most work done, Belichick and the coaches seemed to work this unit extra hard throughout camp, by making them do the play over and over until they got it and a number of lineman had to do laps around the field. In one such instance the coaching staff made all the offensive lineman run a lap together in a funny moment half way through while the coaches were yelling, they all held hands in unison.
Defensively the surprise was Adalius Thomas, he was moved to the inside throughout camp. I though that he was being brought in to be outside, If this holds true, then Vrabel will move to his natural position of outside linebacker. Tedy Bruschi showed no lingering affects of his operation last year on his hand. Eugene Wilson and Rodney Harrison were back on the field showing no lingering affect of their injuries that sideline them last year either. It was nice to se Junior Seau back in the fold and working with the defensive side of the ball. Ellis Hobbs made a number of nice plays including an interception on a 7 on 7 drill. Cornerback Troy James did not look out of place, but looks like he has lost a half step. The rumors have it that the Patriots are looking for a nose tackle type to back up Vince Wilfork.
Players that sat out during camp:
WR Chad Jackson-recovering from knee surgury
CB Asante Samuel-contact talks
S Mel Mitchell-knee
CB Eddie Jackson-knee
CB Antwain Spann -unknown
S James Sanders-unknown
S/CB Brandon Merriweather-hamstring
LB Eric Alexander-shoulder
TE David Thomas-lower body injury
DL Richard Seymour- unknown
Patriots Tidbits:
The following player did not look out of place during camp and held there own against the veterans. Rookie running back Justice Harrison and cornerback, Michael Richardson, linebacker Oscar Lua, they all performed well. Remember this is a camp where you wear only shorts, so it is hard to evaluate, last years stud if everyone recalls, was WR Chad Jackson who very seldom saw the playing field.
One last note on the passing of defensive lineman Marquise Hill, it would have been an uphill battle this year for him to make this team, but we are not talking about the football player but the person, Hill gave more of his time to charity than most, whenever you need someone in Boston or New Orleans, Marquise would always be the first to answer the call. He will be missed. I for one and all of Patriot nation wish to send condolences to his family may he rest in peace.
2007 NFL Draft Review
With the luxury of a full roster, New England used the 2007 NFL Draft for to choose best player available. They traded away their 28th pick for San Francisco’s first round pick, and then they traded their third round pick for Oakland’s third. This insured five picks within the top 100 in what seemed to be a very deep draft. You also have to take into account that the Pats traded their 2nd round for Wes Walker, and 4th rounder for Randy Moss. Below is a quick look at the Draft Class of 2007:
1st rd: Safety Brandon Meriwether, Miami
6’ 0” 192 lbs. with 4.5 speed. He excels in pass coverage. Locks up Tight End’s and has the ability to run with the wide outs. He has a nose for the ball, has great hands, and will make the tough interception. Reads and reacts quickly to the run. He has been compared to Ed Reed of the Ravens.
4th rd: DT Kareem Brown, Miami
6’4 ½ 303 lbs. with 5.1 speed. Has good footwork and strength at the point of attack. He is good at taking up space on the defensive line. Also, he lacks acceleration to be a good pass rusher and has to be consistently aggressive or he’s lost in the play.
5th rd: OT Clint Oldenburg, Colorado St.
6’5 299 5.2 speed. Good Technique, quick downfield on Screens, needs time to add bulk.
6th rd: DE Justin Rogers, SMU
6’4 250 lbs. Small defensive end with a good motor. He might be better suited for outside linebacker, will need time to learn new position.
CB Mike Richardson, Notre Dame
5’11 190 lbs. 4.6 speed. Has good size and football sense, but lacks speed and not a sure tackler.
RB Justise Hairston, Central Conn St.
6’1 210 4.55 speed. Legs never stop, fights for every yard. Lacks quick bust but has the agility to make gap shooter miss.
OT Corey Hilliard, Oklahoma
6’ 5” 315 lbs. 5.3 speed. Top Athlete, plays every position on the line, hard worker plays with aggression.
7th rd: ILB Oscar Lua, USC
6’0 245 lbs. 4.9 speed. Read and reacts to inside run quickly, but lacks speed. He has trouble going to sideline to sideline.
C Mike Elgin, Iowa
6’3 ½ 293 lbs. 5.15 speed. He’s quick and agile, technically sound, and very coachable with football smarts. He will need time to develop however.
4 May2007 |
2007 NFL Draft Review
With the luxury of a full roster, New England used the 2007 NFL Draft for to choose best player available. They traded away their 28th pick for San Francisco’s first round pick, and then they traded their third round pick for Oakland’s third. This insured five picks within the top 100 in what seemed to be a very deep draft. You also have to take into account that the Pats traded their 2nd round for Wes Walker, and 4th rounder for Randy Moss. Below is a quick look at the Draft Class of 2007:
1st rd: Safety Brandon Meriwether, Miami
6’ 0” 192 lbs. with 4.5 speed. He excels in pass coverage. Locks up Tight End’s and has the ability to run with the wide outs. He has a nose for the ball, has great hands, and will make the tough interception. Reads and reacts quickly to the run. He has been compared to Ed Reed of the Ravens.
4th rd: DT Kareem Brown, Miami
6’4 ½ 303 lbs. with 5.1 speed. Has good footwork and strength at the point of attack. He is good at taking up space on the defensive line. Also, he lacks acceleration to be a good pass rusher and has to be consistently aggressive or he’s lost in the play.
5th rd: OT Clint Oldenburg, Colorado St.
6’5 299 5.2 speed. Good Technique, quick downfield on Screens, needs time to add bulk.
6th rd: DE Justin Rogers, SMU
6’4 250 lbs. Small defensive end with a good motor. He might be better suited for outside linebacker, will need time to learn new position.
CB Mike Richardson, Notre Dame
5’11 190 lbs. 4.6 speed. Has good size and football sense, but lacks speed and not a sure tackler.
RB Justise Hairston, Central Conn St.
6’1 210 4.55 speed. Legs never stop, fights for every yard. Lacks quick bust but has the agility to make gap shooter miss.
OT Corey Hilliard, Oklahoma
6’ 5” 315 lbs. 5.3 speed. Top Athlete, plays every position on the line, hard worker plays with aggression.
7th rd: ILB Oscar Lua, USC
6’0 245 lbs. 4.9 speed. Read and reacts to inside run quickly, but lacks speed. He has trouble going to sideline to sideline.
C Mike Elgin, Iowa
6’3 ½ 293 lbs. 5.15 speed. He’s quick and agile, technically sound, and very coachable with football smarts. He will need time to develop however.