Underrated draft needs for the Pats
It's common knowledge at this point that the Patriots glaring issues lie in the secondary and at wide receiver. Re-signing Aqib Talib was a good step towards solidifying the pass defense, but I think most fans would agree another piece should be added back there. I posted yesterday on the serious concerns we should have about the current receivers under contract. A number of visits with high caliber receivers suggest the Pats will address this issue in the draft.
While corner/safety and receiver should be at the top of the teams wish list, there are a few areas where I feel the team could use improvement that are being overlooked. But the primary position I feel is being underrated in terms of the team's level of need is linebacker.
The Patriots have a solid foundation at the position, with young thumpers Dont'a Hightower and Brandon Spikes working alongside veteran Jerrod Mayo, who is about as solid as it gets as a run-stopping linebacker.
But all three guys are a liability in pass coverage, and that was consistently obvious over the course of last season. While each of these guys have the strength to put people to sleep (Spikes in particular), as a unit they lack the speed and agility necessary to cover guys coming out of the backfield and slot receivers coming over the middle.
Now obviously covering these guys like a glove is not in their job description. But as I said before, they are generally so ineffective in coverage that they become liabilities and leave the secondary and defense as a whole exposed.
Finding a linebacker in the draft who is a coverage specialist could go a long way towards improving the defense. Having a reliable guy who can defend a back or slot would take pressure off the secondary, and also allow Spikes/Hightower/Mayo to focus on doing what they do best: crushing people and attacking the line of scrimmage.
Furthermore, Spikes is set to hit the open-market next off-season and could likely command a big pay day that the Patriots may not be willing to meet. There is always the possibility they could look to find his replacement sooner rather than later.
Looking at coverage linebackers who could be potential draft candidates for the Patriots should they choose to pursue someone at the position; it appears there are a number of skilled guys available in the draft. In a recent article Field Yates included a quote he obtained during a phone call with Mel Kiper where the draft guru rattled off a number of guys he could see fitting with the Patriots needs:
While I doubt the Patriots would use one of their high-round picks on a linebacker given the serious need in the secondary and receiver; I do think people are generally underestimating how much a great coverage linebacker would benefit the defensive unit, in a multitude of ways.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
While corner/safety and receiver should be at the top of the teams wish list, there are a few areas where I feel the team could use improvement that are being overlooked. But the primary position I feel is being underrated in terms of the team's level of need is linebacker.
The Patriots have a solid foundation at the position, with young thumpers Dont'a Hightower and Brandon Spikes working alongside veteran Jerrod Mayo, who is about as solid as it gets as a run-stopping linebacker.
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| Spikes is a beast, but struggles in pass coverage |
But all three guys are a liability in pass coverage, and that was consistently obvious over the course of last season. While each of these guys have the strength to put people to sleep (Spikes in particular), as a unit they lack the speed and agility necessary to cover guys coming out of the backfield and slot receivers coming over the middle.
Now obviously covering these guys like a glove is not in their job description. But as I said before, they are generally so ineffective in coverage that they become liabilities and leave the secondary and defense as a whole exposed.
Finding a linebacker in the draft who is a coverage specialist could go a long way towards improving the defense. Having a reliable guy who can defend a back or slot would take pressure off the secondary, and also allow Spikes/Hightower/Mayo to focus on doing what they do best: crushing people and attacking the line of scrimmage.
Furthermore, Spikes is set to hit the open-market next off-season and could likely command a big pay day that the Patriots may not be willing to meet. There is always the possibility they could look to find his replacement sooner rather than later.
 |
| Mel Kiper identified K-State's Arthur Brown as a potential LB the Pats could draft |
Looking at coverage linebackers who could be potential draft candidates for the Patriots should they choose to pursue someone at the position; it appears there are a number of skilled guys available in the draft. In a recent article Field Yates included a quote he obtained during a phone call with Mel Kiper where the draft guru rattled off a number of guys he could see fitting with the Patriots needs:
"That's a good question, and that's certainly what you need," he replied. "You look at guys and I think [Kansas State's] Arthur Brown and his instincts and his feel for the game, Khaseem Greene from Rutgers is another kid, kind of in that [Buccaneers linebacker] Lavonte David type of mold. Zaviar Gooden from Missouri can fly around the field, [he's] one of the fastest outside linebackers in this draft. Jelani Jenkins from Florida is another kid, Sean Porter from [Texas] A&M showed ability to get after the quarterback and play in reverse at Texas A&M, playing in two different schemes during his career. ... Taylor Reed from SMU is another one, probably a late rounder or a priority free agent."
While I doubt the Patriots would use one of their high-round picks on a linebacker given the serious need in the secondary and receiver; I do think people are generally underestimating how much a great coverage linebacker would benefit the defensive unit, in a multitude of ways.
@LiamPCunningham
@PatriotsLife
