It felt like the NFL scouting combine snuck up out of nowhere this year. We’re no strangers to having a quick turnaround from the Super Bowl to the combine in just a few short weeks, but for some reason it flew by this year for me and honestly I’m kind of happy it did, and for more reasons that having a palate-cleansing good guy Bill Belichick appearance on NFL Network.
A tradition like no other.
Bill Belichick surprised @RichEisen and @MikeMayock in the #NFLCombine broadcast booth and it was awesome ⬇ pic.twitter.com/FGWqKgmGZw
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 5, 2018
The advantage for me jumping into the draft now is that all the measurements and times are already recorded and readily available. I don’t touch the NFL draft until, well, now. I come at it with a fresh set of eyes and for the past seven seasons I’ve tried to hold myself to some level of accountability by sticking to the same formula — a 50 prospect draft board where I try to hit as many picks and signings as possible and one solitary mock draft.
Last year I got back on track after my worst Top 50 performance ever, when Cyrus Jones was the lone pick I hit, however I still haven’t hit a mock draft pick in two years after hitting at least two in four of my first five mock drafts. Something to shoot for this year when I release my mock a week or so before the draft.
Before I start jumping into prospect articles I thought a better place to start is with what I look for when “scouting” players. The advantage of focusing solely on one team’s drafts is that you start to get a sense of what they look for.
Here are the top 10 things I look for in Patriots draft prospects.
- Toughness – Not exactly the easiest thing to measure, but if there’s one characteristic that speaks to how the Patriots want to play in all facets it’s with toughness. At their core, they want to be a tough football team, and the list of tough football players that have come through Foxboro in the last two decades is extensive. This is especially applicable in those players in the offensive and defensive trenches. Logan Mankins. Richard Seymour. Players who set the tone and are a total pain in the ass to play against. Can include playing through injuries as well as mauling fools.
- Tackling – This very much fits in with toughness but it has to be its own area of focus because it’s so vital for defensive players. If a player shows a poor tackling technique, looks unwilling to see contact or, gasp, avoids contact I’ll immediately take him off the board. This is especially an area of focus for safeties and moreso cornerbacks. If nothing else the Patriots defense should tackle well and play tough.
- Leadership – Find a multi-year captain and he’s on the initial list immediately. Captain for only his senior year and he’s still getting strong consideration. The Patriots have always gravitated toward college captains, even if they’re not really that talented. That kind of leadership as always been vital, especially in the absence of the most talent.
- Three-Cone Drill – The Patriots’ love affair with the three-cone drill has been well-documented. It’s simply the easiest way to measure small space quickness, something that is absolutely vital at the NFL level at the wide receiver and cornerback positions. Sometimes the top five at those two positions feel like Top 50 Big Board locks without even watching their games.
- Versatility – Players without true positions or who have played multiple positions always pique my interest. Especially those who played quarterback at some point. Anything that indicates an upper level understanding of football from multiple positional view points. This bleeds into special teams.
- Value – This can come in a few varieties but often it comes because a player was injured and hasn’t gotten back to, or reached, his potential. The Patriots have world-class coaching and if they can’t squeeze every last bit out of a player no one probably can. Sometimes this can be a prospect like Garoppolo who wasn’t a 2nd round need, but came at great value due to how the picks unfolded.
- Special Team Aces – Nobody loves special teamers and overdrafting them like the Patriots do. If a prospect is a “special teams demon” they’re getting considered no matter how bad they were on offense or defense or how undersized they were.
- Length – With a scheme that still requires plenty of two-gapping and standing OLB edge-setting, arm length 34 inches or longer is a huge benefit to locking out would-be blockers, shedding them and getting to the ball carrier. 34″ or longer goes on the initial big board every time, even if they’re only 6’2″.
- Football IQ – Any player praised as being a “film junkie” or “coach on the field” or football nerd in any sense is an automatic closer look. Ultimately Foxboro is a place for football junkies who can’t get enough like Belichick and Brady. They might not process at an NFL level and be able to execute under NFL speed, but the desire to understand it is the necessary first step.
- Football Legacy – Was a prospect’s great grandpappy a football legend or innovator or go to Navy? Bill Belichick will be transfixed even if he stinks.
