Zolak: Patriots may want to consider trading down with Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings will now have two first round draft picks in next month’s NFL Draft after acquiring the 23rd overall selection from the Cleveland Browns. Some wonder if this is part of a bigger strategy for the Vikings to move up to the top of the draft to select one of the top quarterback prospects. With the Patriots sitting at 3rd overall, Zolak & Bertrand say the Patriots may want to consider trading down with Vikings to acquire additional picks:
LISTEN: Should the Patriots trade out of the 3rd overall selection in the NFL Draft?
‘That’s that’s a no brainer’
Zolak: If you sit there at [third overall] on draft night and say, okay, the guy we wanted is off the board. He went to Washington. Who’s our fourth quarterback we got ranked? And what’s the drop? Because if there isn’t a big drop, the phone’s ringing. You could trade that pick to the Vikings if they’re looking to get a quarterback. The Vikings are looking to move up. The only reason I say that because after that after the New England pick, you have Arizona who’s paying $50 million a year for their quarterback. They’re not going to get a quarterback. The Chargers are next. Guess what they want. They want a receiver to help Justin Herbert who’s making $50 million. Giants are up next after that at 6. Daniel Jones is making $45 million. Followed by Tennessee at seventh. Maybe Tennessee would jump on a guy there if they’re not sold on Levis, but they just gave a boatload of money to this guy. You might be able to pick at 11 and trade with Minnesota, acquire another pick and another first rounder next year and still get the fourth best quarterback on the board. There are a bunch of teams between number 3 and 11 that do not need a quarterback.
Beetle: I’ll do it out right now. Give me 11. Give me 23. Give me your first next year too.
Zolak: I do it in a second.
Beetle: And you’d have two first round picks this year and next year
Zolak: You’re sliding back to number 11 to acquire three first rounders?
Beetle: You know why I’m I’m getting more open to the idea? Because I’m watching the Patriots punt on 2024. They apparently have no interest in being any good. What the hell? Why don’t you just quit the whole thing? No half measures. If you’re going to quit, you might as well quit all the way. And if there’s a franchise quarterback that gets drafted at three and proves it in the next two seasons, you fire everybody involved.
Zolak: If they if they feel like there’s not that big of a drop off from [Drake] Maye down to quarterback number four, and you can get that guy and still get your tackle this year and still get an extra first rounder next year. That’s that’s a no brainer.
Patriots sending multiple positional coaches to Georgia pro day
Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey (84) moves the ball during the second half of a NCAA college football game against Missouri in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. Georgia won 30-21. (Joshua L. Jones/USA Today Network)
Once again, Georgia has one of the longest lists of prospects heading into the draft. Six Bulldogs are expected to go in the top 100 this year, while the total number of Kirby Smart’s players getting drafted this year could hit double digits.
Naturally, that makes the Georgia pro day one of the biggest on the calendar. That day is today, with those prospects set to work out for NFL evaluators in Athens, Georgia on Wednesday.
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The Patriots will have a strong presence at the event. According to Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy the Patriots are sending positional coaches from three different positions – wide receiver, offensive line, and defensive backs. It’s not clear which exact coaches from each group will be there (ex. lead positional coaches, assistants, or both), but based on Nagy’s full list it looks like they’ve be covering just as much ground as any team there.
While Georgia’s top two projected picks – tight end Brock Bowers and tackle Amarius Mims – won’t be working out due to injury, there will still be plenty of talent on the field. Here’s who Patriots coaches will likely be looking at at the Georgia pro day, focusing on the positions they sent coaches for…
Wide receivers
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 02: Ladd McConkey #84 of the Georgia Bulldogs makes a catch during the first quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Georgia’s top receiver is Ladd McConkey, a projected fringe-first-round pick. At 6-foot, 186 pounds, McConkey has the speed (he ran a 4.39-second 40) to test defenses deep, and the quickness and route-running ability to build off of the deeper routes in his tree and win underneath by keeping defensive backs guessing. McConkey could be in play for the Patriots at 34 as a ‘Z’ receiver, but an early run on wide receivers could also push him up the board into the top 32.
The Bulldogs’ other receiver in this year’s draft is Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, who the Patriots saw alongside McConkey at the Senior Bowl. A projected mid-Day 3 pick, Rosmery-Jacksaint is more of a contested-catch threat, although he isn’t as big as most receivers with that play style at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds. He still competes at the catch point with long arms, big hands, and excellent leaping ability.
Offensive linemen
Jan 9, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Amarius Mims (65) against the TCU Horned Frogs during the CFP national championship game at SoFi Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mims may not be working out, but Patriots coaches still will have a chance to meet with him. He’s a projected first-round pick, but could be in range for the Patriots if they get aggressive and trade up from 34. As a player Mims is certainly raw with just eight college starts under his belt but has a rare combination of size (6-foot-8, 340 pounds with 36 1/8-inch arms) and athleticism. A true project player with monumental upside.
With Mims not working out, the only offensive lineman for the Bulldogs on the field who projects to be drafted is center Sedrick Van Pran. A projected late Day 2 pick, he’ll likely be off the board before the Patriots should be realistically considering interior offensive linemen. Van Pran is an experienced player who plays with a mean streak, and was a team captain for the Bulldogs. He has the tools to be successful in the NFL, but will need to clean up his technique.
Defensive backs
Nov 11, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Javon Bullard (22) intercepts a pass over top of Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Dayton Wade (19) during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
It’s not clear yet whether the Patriots sent a cornerbacks coach, safeties coach, or both to Athens. Given how the Patriots tend to overlap between the two positions though, it’s safe to assume whatever representative(s) are there will be watching players from both spots.
Georgia has three defensive backs projected to be drafted – a cornerback a safety, and a ‘tweener.’ We’ll start with cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who is the lone top-50 projection of the three. His range may be a little rich for the Patriots at cornerback but he certainly profiles as a fit for the way they like to play defense. Lassiter is truly versatile, with success in man and zone coverages lining up both outside and in the slot at 5-foot-11, 186 pounds. His style is more keeping receivers covered than ballhawking.
Then there are the safeties. Javon Bullard is a projected late Day 2 pick. Voted ‘safety of the week’ by his teammates at the Senior Bowl, Bullard’s stock has risen throughout the process. A two-year starter, he was a slot corner for Georgia in 2022 but played the vast majority of his snaps as a free safety in 2023. In his first year at the position he recorded an 88.4 PFF coverage grade, fourth among all draft-eligible safeties.
Tykee Smith, a projected Day 3, is the third player in this group. He began his career as a box safety at West Virginia but transferred to Georgia in 2021 and has played more slot corner since. Smith had great on-ball production last year with 70 tackles and four interceptions, highlighting his nose for the football. He brings an edge to the field, especially when playing in the box, but lacks the top-level athleticism that teams look for higher in the draft.
Other players to know
ATHENS, GEORGIA – SEPTEMBER 16: Daijun Edwards #30 of the Georgia Bulldogs rushes during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Sanford Stadium on September 16, 2023 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Although the Patriots don’t have a positional coach there, Georgia’s running back duo is worth knowing for Patriots fans. Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton are both projected to be Day 3 picks, and the Patriots could be in the market for a late-round back to round out their depth chart.
Edwards is the quicker but smaller of the two backs at 5-foot-10, 207 pounds. His ability to change direction quicky in small spaces should make him a fit for the way Alex Van Pelt wants to run the ball. He’ll do his part to pick up yards after contact, and won’t look out of place in the passing game either. However, he does lack big-play explosiveness.
At 6-foot-1, 225 pounds Milton is more of a traditional bowling ball back. He’s a tough tackle and picks up a ton of hidden yardage, especially late in games.
