Draft Primer

Today the “Patriots Draft Primer” segment will take a look at the Quarterback position.  

Where we stand:

The Patriots quarterback room is currently made up of Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham, and Jacob Dolegala.

Rumors and analyst commentary have been circulating in recent weeks that Cam Newton’s passing ability will be much better in 2021. Personally, I think that is a cop out statement. It really can’t be any worse than it was in 2020 so of course it is going to be better. Newton has never been known for his accuracy and perhaps his best days are behind him. The Patriots aren’t asking Cam to be Tom, but he must be better than what he showed last season. His style of play seeks out contact at times which is no way to sustain a healthy QB in the NFL. He needs to take care of the ball (both when throwing and when mobilizing outside of the pocket) and know when to get down. Newton’s mechanics, mainly his footwork, were awful during 2020. I expect to see a better performance in 2021 but I am not sure it will be enough, and he isn’t the long-term answer.  

I am a big Jarrett Stidham fan from his days at Baylor. He showed promise early on as a gun slinger that translated well to his first year at Auburn. The talks after the 2017 season were that Stidham would be a first round selection in the NFL draft the following year. Stidham was truly a victim of circumstance during the 2018 Auburn season that saw him play behind a decimated offensive line along with his top two pass catching options out with injuries. Gus Malzahn’s wonky Auburn system also did no favors for a QB looking to show off his arm talent. The other rumored landing spots of Texas Tech, Texas A&M, or Oregon would have been better landing spots to showcase his skills.

During his first preseason Jarrett put up the best preseason numbers of any quarterback in the Belichick era, including those of Tom Brady and Jimmy G. However, his in-season performances have been less than stellar whenever he has seen game action. Having no 2020 preseason most likely hurt his development, but one would have to think that with all the shake up in 2020 if the staff felt like Stidham had what it took then he would have received a few starts down the stretch. Stidham has the arm, poise, and maturity to be the Patriots starter, but he has yet to show the decision-making ability. I want this to happen so badly, but I think this ship has sailed. Stidham has two more years remaining on his contract.

Today kicks off our new segment titled “Patriots Draft Primer” that will focus in on a highlighted position of need leading up to the April 29^th NFL Draft. We begin with the Wide Receiver position.

Where we stand:

News broke today that Julian Edelman is doubtful to play a full 2021 season due to his knee injury. Even if he sees some field time Julian is a shell of his former self. The wear and tear of injuries from being Brady’s security blanket over the years is taking its toll. I wouldn’t be shocked to see Edelman hang them due to this.

Aside from Edelman the WR room consists of:

Nelson Agholor
Kendrick Bourne
N’Keal Harry
Jakobi Meyers
Gunner Olszewski
Devin Smith
Isaiah Zuber
Kristian Wilkerson
Matthew Slater (Primarily Special Teams and a blocking decoy)

What we need:

The two traits that this Wideout group lacks are a speed deep threat to take the top off the defense and a big bodied receiver not named N’Keal Harry.

Lets first address the need for speed. The Patriots have been one of the slower wideout groups in the NFL over the past decade. It is almost as if Belichick is afraid of speed. In a league where offenses are spreading wide receivers out and passing more than ever it is fair to say that speed kills. Just take a look at the Chiefs, Bucs, Cowboys, or Falcons Wideout rooms that are laced with speed. The Patriots have also struggled to gain separation which can be solved be increasing our WR speed. They partially addressed this with the addition of Agholor, but I would like to see another piece. Speed depth is crucial in building an offense that is a threat. The chiefs for example have arguably the top WR in the NFL with Tyreek Hill. Surrounding Hill’s speed they had burners in Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman, and Byron Pringle who all had around or below 4.4 speed. This speed depth helps create mismatches against lesser cornerbacks and has the defense secondary always on their heels thinking deep.

Next let’s look at the need for a big bodied WR. N’Keal Harry has the size at 6-3 225 pounds but is afraid to use it. The man is bigger than the majority of secondary players in the NFL, yet he goes down so easily on end around carries when a 6-foot corner back attempts an arm tackle while falling down off the block. There is no excuse for this. Harry should be breaking these using his frame and muscle every time. It leads me to believe that this is a mental battle with Harry more than anything else. Harry has been the discussion of numerous trade talks, but in all honesty, I believe the Patriots hold on to him for one more year. His value potential exceeds the 4^th or 5^th rounder we will receive in return. The Patriots may defer on this style of WR given the two big Tight Ends they just signed in Free Agency, but it is still worth taking a look at.

Draft Options:

There are 65+ realistic WR options in this year’s NFL draft. Expect the Patriots to double dip on the WR position in some way during the 7 rounds. Here are some fits that would work in the Patriots system.