#17 New England Patriots (from Oakland Raiders)
What They Need: Um…Nothing. That’s what it seems like coming off a 14-2 campaign. With two picks in each of the first three rounds, whatever holes the Pats feel they have, they’ll be able to fill. New England is the best run franchise in the NFL by miles. They are always in the playoffs, they draft well, and they always have tons of picks. Running back by committee has been the strategy for New England lately, and that’s worked okay because the short passing game is so efficient for them. Still, I think having a true feature back would be a huge addition for New England, and with so many picks, they could afford to take a runner at this spot. A vertical receiving threat could help as well. Most of New England’s targets are underneath, slot-type players (i.e. Wes Welker and Deion Branch). Taylor Price and Brandon Tate are young speedsters, though I don’t know if either one is the complete package. The offensive line is a really strong group, and by franchising Logan Mankins, the Patriots will retain their best lineman for at least another year. Sebastian Vollmer is more physical than traditional New England linemen and provides a real presence at right tackle. Dan Koppen is ol’ reliable at center, and Matt Light is still very sound in pass protection at left tackle. They could use an infusion of young talent on the offensive line, but I think with so many picks they can add depth later in the draft. On the other side of the ball the Patriots could look to add a 3-4 defensive end. Ty Warren is solid but aging. He’ll start again next year, but I’m not sure they have another really good defensive end on the roster. They have nose tackle all figured out with the beast Vince Wilfork manning the middle. The linebacking corps is full of young, live bodies, and New England invested two high picks—second rounders Brandon Spikes and Jermaine Cunningham—at that position last year. New England’s recent stockpile of draft picks is also evident in the secondary where young guys like Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, and Brandon Meriweather should all secure starting roles. They could however use another strong corner.
Who They Might Pick: To me this pick will come down to three spots: running back, defensive end, or corner. With their relative lack of glaring needs, New England will employ the “best player available” strategy to those three positions. That would mean Mark Ingram could be a strong possibility, really the only running back worthy of a first round selection. 3-4 defensive ends are relatively plentiful in this year’s crop of prospects. Cameron Jordan from Cal, JJ Watt from Wisconsin, Adrian Clayborn from Iowa, and Cameron Heyward from Ohio State would all be nice fits. In terms of corner, the top two guys—Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara—will be gone, but Jimmy Smith is extremely talented and may be still be available.
My Advice: Take Mark Ingram. The Pats also pick twenty-eighth in the first round and can nab a 3-4 defensive end or corner like Aaron Williams at that spot, but there won’t be another runner of Ingram’s caliber available in the whole draft. Ingram is a smart guy who has played big time SEC football and is the perfect back for the Patriots’ system. He can catch the ball, doesn’t fumble, has great balance, and comparisons to Emmitt Smith are reasonable. Not that he’ll have the same career as Smith, but he flashes the same strength, instincts, and deceptive quickness that Smith had. Imagine a New England offense that had a bell-cow running back to complement their lethal passing attack. Frightening, I know.
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| For the seventeenth pick, the New England Patriots take Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama. |
#18 San Diego Chargers
What They Need: What they need is playoff success, right now. They have to approach this draft with a sense of urgency because just about everyone’s job is on the line. Head Coach Norv Turner will not survive another mediocre season. We don’t yet know what will happen with malcontent receiver Vincent Jackson, but Phillip Rivers made chicken salad out of chicken you-know-what all of last year. He put up historic numbers passing to practice squad players. With superstar tight end Antonio Gates and last year’s first pick Ryan Matthews coming back healthy, I don’t foresee the Charges drafting for the skill positions with this pick. The offensive line is a pretty good group, so I don’t think San Diego will go down that road with this selection either. Defense seems to be the order of the day. Luis Castillo has been a really good 3-4 end, and Antonio Garay came out of obscurity to be an absolute menace at nose tackle last year. Still, they could use one more really good defensive lineman to complete that group. Former top pick Larry English hasn’t shown much of anything in his first couple of years, but I don’t think they’re giving up on him. That doesn’t mean they won’t look for another pass rusher to perhaps push English. Shaun Phillips is a sack artist who seems to get better every year. Quentin Jammer is a very good cover man. Antoine Cason has been solid but not exactly what the Chargers expected after drafting him in the first round a few years back. If Eric Weddle stays a Charger, the safety position is a strength; if he leaves then San Diego will need help.
Who They Might Pick: To me this pick comes down to the front seven on defense. Specifically, the Chargers will look for either a 3-4 defensive end or rush linebacker to push or replace Larry English. In the NFL, which should stand for “Not For Long,” San Diego will likely only wait on English one more year. Yet you simply can’t wait to generate a pass rush; it’s a must. Aldon Smith might fall to this point and could be a nice presence. I doubt Robert Quinn falls this far though. Akeem Ayers is a dynamic athlete from UCLA that seems born to be an NFL edge rusher. He’s very fluid and natural on the field even though he doesn’t have the insane combine numbers of some other guys. If they want to look at defensive end then the usual suspects of Watt, Jordan, Clayborn, and Heyward would be viable options.
My Advice: The Chargers have to add a guy that’s going to make a difference next year, so to me that means taking a pass rusher. Going for a 3-4 end can be a gamble because even the best prospects are often unprepared to line up toe-to-toe with massive NFL offensive linemen on every play. A pass rush specialist can often get one-on-one matchups off the edge with backs and tight ends and doesn’t have to play every down to make an impact. The Chargers should take Akeem Ayers and hope that between him and English, they can find a complement to Shaun Phillips. If Ayers could be an 8-10 sack player, the Chargers would be a very imposing defense.
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| With the eighteenth pick, the San Diego Chargers select Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA. |
--from Adam
(images from zimbio.com)
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