Inside the Pylon Does the Draft

ScubaSteveAvery

Master of the Senate
SoSH Member
Jul 29, 2007
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We've published some interesting draft pieces over the last few weeks. Mark Schofield (mascho), Dave Archibald (SuperNomario), Brian Filipiak (nazz45) have all done some great draft profiles.  We have them all listed here.  Of interest for the Pats are profiles on Jordan Phillips and Carl Davis for the Dline and Byron Jones or PJ Williams at CB. 
 
Dave McCullough (soxfan121) and Chuck Zodda (ChuckZ) joined those three writers in doing our first mock draft. They mocked the first three rounds. Here are the selections for the Patriots: 
 
32: Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma
 
DaveM: Phillips is arguably the best NT prospect in the draft, physically resembling Kansas City’s Dontari Poe ‒ strong enough to anchor the line against double teams and with the quickness to slide along the line and make plays outside the tackle box. His pass rush potential is questionable but his ability to eat space and keep blockers off linebackers Dont’a HightowerJamie Collins, and Jerod Mayo makes Phillips the best pick on the board.
 
 
64: Ifo Ekpre-Olumo, CB, Oregon
 
DaveM: Ekpre-Olomu tore his ACL in practice before the Rose Bowl and his draft stock plummeted. The diminutive corner stands only 5’9” – the only real knock on his game before the injury. He’s a ferocious tackler against the run, possesses good man coverage ability, including press-man techniques, and was able to flip his hips and run with any receiver. He may not be ready to start the 2015 season, but without the injury he may have been taken before Marcus Peters. And obviously, New England needs cornerbacks, now and later.
 
 
96: Jeremiah Poutasi, OG, Utah
 
DaveM: Tom Brady’s kryptonite is pressure up the middle; the New York Giants were able to exploit this on the way to two Super Bowl titles. Center Bryan Stork finished his rookie season as a leader on the unit with two former centers ‒ Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell ‒ flanking him. Connolly remains a free agent and Josh Kline is currently penciled in as the starter. Former offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia has been conducting private workouts with many interior line prospects and Poutasi is a name at a position of clear need.
 
 
97. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska 
 
DaveM: Despite a depth chart that looks a bit bloated even with the departure of Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen, the pick here is a solid professional who can step in on day one and reliably produce. LeGarrette Blount starts the season suspended, Jonas Gray might never get out of the doghouse, James White either had a redshirt year behind Vereen or couldn’t learn the offense, and Travaris Cadet is an enigma.
 
 
Mock Draft Round 1, and Rounds 2 and 3
 
Mark did a huge 3-part breakdown of Marcus Mariota, who he has as the #1 QB on the board, and the player that should be taken #1 overall. Here is a clip from the last piece in the series: 
 
In my opinion, Mariota is the top quarterback in this class. A case can certainly be made for Jameis Winston, in that the Florida State signal-caller is a proven commodity on the field in terms of a pro-style offense. But on film, Mariota displays many of the traits that are necessary for a quarterback to flourish in a professional offense: He works through progressions, he can make throws into tight windows, he can win from the pocket, and he can make anticipation throws when needed. He will only improve on these traits over time and with repetition. In addition, Mariota is a superior athlete, one who can make up for protection flaws using his feet and quickness, and who can make plays escaping the pocket with his feet. For these reasons alone he is the superior quarterback to Winston.
When you factor in the off-the-field concerns surrounding Winston, Marcus Mariota should go #1 overall in this draft.
 
 
Part 1: Strengths and Weaknesses 
 
Part 2: Transition to the NFL
 
Part 3: Why Mariota should be #1 Overall
 
Also, we published rankings for QBs, WRs, and CBs, with the DL rankings to be published in a bit.  
 
We hope you enjoy and give us any feedback that you have. For those who have poked around and read the site this year, a HUGE thank you from all of us. Give us a follow on Twitter (@ITPylon) or like us on Facebook (click me!) if you like what we've done.  SoSH is the foundation of our site and we appreciate the community here. 
 
Yay draft day!