2022 NFL Draft - Summer Scouting Edition

[SMU_Sox]

@Brand Name and I are looking at prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft. I plan to get through each position group and then write up here who looks like good potential fits for the Patriots. This is also going to be an easy way to check for college players to look for when you are watching the game. Which game? Any game .

Here is a link to our board.

I also want to take this time to introduce you to a fun study and who I think could be the next Pats RT, Darian Kinnard from Kentucky. You can check him out vs Florida and Georgia.



Kinnard is a dancing bear and an absolute mauler in the run game. He is athletic enough to run any scheme but is going to crush it in gap power. In pass pro he is long, tall, and strong although he has some technical issues I get into in his report. If you liked Teven Jenkins you are going to like Kinnard.

 

[Zososoxfan]

Not sure if you're soliciting prospects to consider, but Michigan's c/o 2022 SDE Aidan Hutchinson is worth watching. He was 6'6'', 270, last year, and surprised me by deciding to come back while his fellow DE Kwity Paye got selected in the first round. Hutch was injured for most of last season so it makes some sense. I imagine his size for his position and excellent play against the run will be intriguing to the Pats. He's got a decent rip move to the inside and even played some DT/NT on passing downs. He's not a speed guy to the outside obviously but he can create pressure there. This year will be big for him since he'll be the focus of the OL with Paye gone. Michigan has some interesting upperclassmen OL but no one worth putting on a board yet (Honigford, Filiaga, Steuber, etc.) but Hutch is a guy for 1st/2nd round.

 

[EL Jeffe]

I love Hutchinson. I thought he was better than Paye last year (in the tiny sample before he got hurt). He's very disruptive with size and a motor that won't quit. He's an easy first rounder for me.

 

[SMU_Sox]

Not sure if you're soliciting prospects to consider, but Michigan's c/o 2022 SDE Aidan Hutchinson is worth watching. He was 6'6'', 270, last year, and surprised me by deciding to come back while his fellow DE Kwity Paye got selected in the first round. Hutch was injured for most of last season so it makes some sense. I imagine his size for his position and excellent play against the run will be intriguing to the Pats. He's got a decent rip move to the inside and even played some DT/NT on passing downs. He's not a speed guy to the outside obviously but he can create pressure there. This year will be big for him since he'll be the focus of the OL with Paye gone. Michigan has some interesting upperclassmen OL but no one worth putting on a board yet (Honigford, Filiaga, Steuber, etc.) but Hutch is a guy for 1st/2nd round.

We are always taking suggestions! Right now I’m working off of Andy Lykins’s list which is only offense and it’s 260 players. Like El Jeffe I am a big fan of Aidan’s. I think he’s in that 7.5-8.0 range so he’s somewhere in the middle of the first to the early part of the 2nd round. Had he not broken his leg or whatever his injury was last year and declared he would have been drafted early. He is a v good edge setter.

 

[Cellar-Door]

Can we just pencil this guy in for the Patriots.
View: https://twitter.com/rodger/status/1449247319904423942


Oh, he's a lefty.

 

[BaseballJones]

Looking at the Pats' roster and performance right now....and you are looking to draft a position. What position do you take first? To me, there's a ton of needs: WR, CB, LB, DT, OL.

With the first round pick, which position would you prefer the Pats address? (I know it depends on what actual players are left on the board at that point, so this is more of a philosophical question)

 

[jsinger121]

Looking at the Pats' roster and performance right now....and you are looking to draft a position. What position do you take first? To me, there's a ton of needs: WR, CB, LB, DT, OL.

With the first round pick, which position would you prefer the Pats address? (I know it depends on what actual players are left on the board at that point, so this is more of a philosophical question)

And with regards to those 5 areas you mentioned they just don’t need one player. They need multiple in each area.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

Really depends where they end up. In the top 10 there may be the kind of front 7 beast that you simply don't have access to lower in the draft (unless they are injured or have red flags) or a stud OT you believe you can pencil in for 10 years. I believe those tend to be safer positions while CB and WR carry more risk.

 

[SMU_Sox]

want to take a second to look at the secondary. DMC is 34. He's still an average to above average player but he might have lost a step (again though safeties look worse when the rest of the defense is not playing well). They have run a ton of single high man to man coverage stuff since... 2012? 2013?

The DBs on the roster next year:

S: Mills (could possibly continue to use him as a corner)
S: Dugger (He is a box/slot guy right now)
S: Bledsoe (Rookie late round pick from a bad draft year on IR)
S: Cody Davis - special teamer but has played some safety in the past.

CB: Jon Jones (he might be your FS replacement. He is also your primary slot corner)
CB: JJW - He... he just can't play.
CB: Shaun Wade - got him for cheap but he fits in the press-man corner or box/slot safety type. Not someone you want playing a faster twitchier guy
CB: Bethel - special teamer and depth guy.

You aren't locked into a system with these guys. If they wanted to go to a more zone heavy scheme they could do that.

The issue is unless they need 2 starting outside corners and at least one but probably 2 free safety types. Right now their starting caliber players for those roles are Jon Jones and Mills. Jones as a full time FS is a projection too. He’s their best slot CB so I’d probably keep him there. Press-man starters are expensive in free agency.

They also have to look at ILB, OT, receiving RB/3rd down back/outside runner, and WR (specifically they need a backup X). Lots of positions and holes to fill.

 

[Oil Can Dan]

I know you're looking at things primarily from a Patriot perspective, but could you offer your thoughts on whether this really is a terrible QB draft? I read that there really aren't any QBs worthy of a 1st round pick (not that nobody will take one, though).

 

[jsinger121]

This is looks like a BB type draft pick. A guy who punts, does kick offs and field goals as well.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32591242/why-college-football-see-attraction-punter-san-diego-state

 

[Senator Donut]

This is looks like a BB type draft pick. A guy who punts, does kick offs and field goals as well.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32591242/why-college-football-see-attraction-punter-san-diego-state

I guess you have @Cellar-Door blocked.

 

[jsinger121]

I guess you have @Cellar-Door blocked.

I don’t

 

[Cellar-Door]

View: https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1481050883072962561


As everyone assumed Jameson Williams tore his ACL, was probably a top 10 pick before that, someone might get a real steal.

 

[Super Nomario]

View: https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1481050883072962561


As everyone assumed Jameson Williams tore his ACL, was probably a top 10 pick before that, someone might get a real steal.

Belichick probably values WR less than just about anybody - Harry is the team's only first round receiver in 20 years, and he was pick 32 - but Williams is the kinda guy he might make an exception for. Recruited by Urban Meyer, coached by Saban, big, fast, and he plays special teams:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J689HgTEiIw


There he is as the gunner on punt team. Belichick loves ST obviously, but not just for its value in-and-of-itself but (per Mike Lombardi and others) for the toughness and selflessness it takes. The Tide's top receiver and a projected first-round pick still making tackles on punt team? That sounds like Belichick's kind of receiver. He returned kicks this year too. It also gives him a way to get on the field in certain packages even if he doesn't have the whole offense mastered.

 

[tims4wins]

Belichick probably values WR less than just about anybody - Harry is the team's only first round receiver in 20 years, and he was pick 32 - but Williams is the kinda guy he might make an exception for. Recruited by Urban Meyer, coached by Saban, big, fast, and he plays special teams:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J689HgTEiIw


There he is as the gunner on punt team. Belichick loves ST obviously, but not just for its value in-and-of-itself but (per Mike Lombardi and others) for the toughness and selflessness it takes. The Tide's top receiver and a projected first-round pick still making tackles on punt team? That sounds like Belichick's kind of receiver. He returned kicks this year too. It also gives him a way to get on the field in certain packages even if he doesn't have the whole offense mastered.

This kind of reminds me of the offensive version of Devin McCourty. I remember when the Pats made the pick the first “analysis” was that he was a four down player and the immediate reaction was “BB just drafted a special teamer in the first round”.

 

[Super Nomario]

This kind of reminds me of the offensive version of Devin McCourty. I remember when the Pats made the pick the first “analysis” was that he was a four down player and the immediate reaction was “BB just drafted a special teamer in the first round”.

And McCourty is a great example of special teams as a signifier of the qualities Belichick covets. He played a good amount of special teams early in his career and still gets a few snaps a game there, but STs hasn't really been a major part of his contributions to the Patriots. But his toughness, speed, tackling, and selflessness - all vital ST qualities - have made him maybe the emblematic Patriots player of the latter dynasty. Similarly, I think you'd hope Williams would develop into the kind of player where he's not playing snaps in punt coverage, but the kind of toughness and non-divaness that punt gunning displays would be valuable on offense.

 

[Shelterdog]

20-32, particularly if he could maybe play some next year depending on the medical etc, would be a pretty good place to pick up Jameson. I was also drawn to the special teams--not because you want a starting wideout playing any teams but because, like mentioned above, it speaks to speed/toughness/selflessnes.