The New England Patriots once again had a busy NFL Draft, which included multiple draft pick trades, and preemptive moves that moved their draft picks around. At the end of the day, the team picked four players in the draft, while also acquiring tight end James O’Shaughnessy from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Over the years, head coach Bill Belichick has done very well when it comes to drafting in the later rounds. This year was no different as he was able to address both the offensive and defensive lines.
Let’s take a look at what each pick will bring to the team.
3rd round (83rd overall) – Derek Rivers, DE, Youngstown State: Rivers is a 6-foot-4 defensive end/linebacker hybrid who excelled in the FCS under head coach Bo Pelini. A late bloomer, Rivers made a huge jump his junior year, before dominating the FCS this past season as a senior opposite Avery Moss, a fifth round draft pick of the New York Giants.
In his senior season, Rivers finished with 58 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 14 sacks. Perhaps his greatest strength is his versatility in rushing the passer. Rivers fills the prototypical Patriots’ hybrid pass rusher that players like Rob Ninkovich and Trey Flowers have dominated in. Rivers will compete with Geneo Grissom, Lawrence Guy and fellow draft pick Deatrich Wise for playing time in a backup role.
3rd round (85th overall) – Antonio Garcia, OT, Troy: At 6-foot-6, 305 lbs., Garcia is a big, nasty tackle, who muscles people around and excels in run blocking. There are a lot of things to like when it comes to Garcia, including his quick feet and tremendous athleticism. However, he is a work in progress, and needs to cut down on penalties in order to have a big role with the Patriots. Garcia could conceivably beat out players like LaAdrian Waddle and Cameron Fleming for playing time, although his left tackle potential would slot him behind Nate Solder. If the little things are corrected, he could be a third round steal.
4th round (121st overall) – Deatrich Wise, DE, Arkansas: The Patriots have had a lot of success with fourth round picks from Arkansas (see Trey Flowers), and they do it again with Deatrich Wise. Wise is much bigger than Flowers (6-foot-5, 275 lbs. as opposed to 6-foot-2, 265 lbs.), and his greatest asset is his tremendous power. He always gives his all and it shows in his ability to deflect passes and bull rush people on the line. Wise has a lot of gaps in his game, including his quickness and his edge rush, but his motivation and ability to add strength could make him a very strong backup defensive end.
6th round (211st overall) – Conor McDermott, OT, UCLA: The most obvious thing that stands out about McDermott is his massive 6-foot-8, 310 lbs. frame. McDermott played basketball in high school and his height and athleticism has been his best strength. He’s mobile and has some tools that could project well as a tackle. However, he needs to bulk up, fill out his 6-foot-8 frame, and clean up some form issues in his game. If he does these things, McDermott could be a quality backup offensive lineman down the road. The team traded up to get him, so they see something they really appreciate.
The team was also able to acquire Chiefs tight end James O’Shaughnessy, a former 2015 fifth round pick out of Illinois State. O’Shaughnessy has eight career receptions for 86 yards, and his best quality may be his “move-type” role. The Patriots have excelled in developing and finding players who can fit this role (Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Martellus Bennett etc.). While his ceiling is limited, he could win a role with the team, as he will battle with Matt Lengel and Michael Williams for the third tight end role.
The Patriots did not have many picks in this draft as they used many of them to acquire outside talent. This could say a lot about what they think of the draft, but the team did move around to acquire all of these players.
That says a lot about what Belichick thinks of their long-term impact. With so few selections made, expect all of them to make the roster, along with some undrafted free agents.
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