Zolak & Bertrand: Examining the Ron Wolf QB Drafting Tree
On Tuesday’s edition of Zolak & Bertrand, the crew dives into the Rob Wolf QB drafting tree and what it means for the Patriots next week.
There’s a lot of hits…
Phil Perry: My question though Beetle is this, when you look at the Wolf executive tree and this is the Ron Wolf executive tree, and he has spawned a number of different general managers. His son included. Brian Gutekunst, who’s now with Green Bay. Reggie McKenzie was with the Raiders forever. Scot McCloughan is with Washington and San Francisco. Obviously, Ted Thompson, you know, the other Packers guys that followed Ron Wolf. John Schneider is one in Seattle. Eight quarterbacks. Of all those guys, eight quarterbacks drew first or second round picks. Do you want to hear the list? It’s a pretty damn good list. Brett Favre was obviously a trade, but Ron Wolf traded a first round pick for Brett Favre, who was a second round pick the year prior. So a wild move, a ballsy move, one of the best trades in NFL history. Period. Brett Favre. Brian Brohm was a second round pick. Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, Baker Mayfield. Patrick Mahomes, who’s a John Dorsey pick. Derek Carr was a second round pick. Reggie McKenzie and Alex Smith, who was number one overall for Scott McCloughan in San Francisco. So only eight guys. That’s a pretty damn good list, though. Lot of hits on that list.
Marc Bertrand: They’re hits but there are guys in there that I don’t love that I don’t hear their name and think, this is going to change your franchise. Alex Smith or Derek Carr puts you in a bad way. And I’ll tell you why. You end up stuck in the middle. You end up with a guy who’s good enough to be your quarterback, that you like as your quarterback in the sense that he doesn’t totally suck. But also, you’re not going anywhere. You’re in neutral with that player and you’re you’re not picking at the top of the first round again. You’re picking somewhere in the late teens with that guy, right? You’re a borderline playoff team, but you’re never capable of getting over that hump, and you feel forced into signing a guy to a second contract. Think Daniel Jones in New York and you get stuck with a guy like that. You get stuck with Derek Carr.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 01: Derek Carr #4 of the New Orleans Saints attempts a pass during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Caesars Superdome on October 01, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Listen to the full segment!
Barth’s 2024 Felger & Mazz Big Board reactions: Offensive line
C Andrew Raym, Oklahoma
Oct 28, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Andrew Raym (73) at the line of scrimmage against the Kansas Jayhawks during the game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Raym is an old-school offensive lineman who plays with power and aggression. Playing the brawler style he does will get him on NFL teams’ radars, but he’s going to have to prove that at 6-foot-4, 314 pounds he can continue to overpower rushers at the next level because the rest of his game needs to be more consistent. If the Patriots want to add another center to the mix incase they have a need at the position in the next year or two, he’d make sense as a UDFA.
G/T Brandon Coleman, TCU
Dec 31, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; TCU Horned Frogs offensive lineman Brandon Coleman (77) against the Michigan Wolverines during the 2022 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Coleman didn’t break out as a draft prospect until later in his career, having played two years at the JUCO level before missing the 2020 season due to injury. Since then he’s started games at left tackle and both guard spots for the Horned Frogs, including starting all 15 games at left tackle during their run to the National Championship in 2020.
By nature of bouncing around he’s not truly developed technically at either position but his natural tools project him as a player that can play both guard and tackle at the NFL level. As a projected Day 3 pick, he’d make a lot of sense for the Patriots.
OT Amarius Mims, Georgia
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 was a rare case of a player measuring in bigger at the Combine that he was initially listed. He checked in at 6-foot-8, 340 pounds with 36 1/4-inch arms – rare, rare size for a high-level tackle prospect. Mims moves better than expected at that size, only adding to the draw of his potential.
So why isn’t he getting more buzz? In terms of technical football skill it’s much tougher to tell where he’s at given he only started eight games in college. Some of that was due to him being buried on the depth chart on a talented Georgia roster, but he also did miss time last year with an ankle injury.
With more proven players like Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu on the board he shouldn’t be in the conversation at third overall. But, if the Patriots either trade down, or want to move up from No. 34, he certainly would enter the conversation.
Frank Crum, Wyoming
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 03: Frank Crum #OL13 of Wyoming participates in the broad jump during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 03, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Crum was a little-known prospect heading into the Combine but was among the top testers among all offensive linemen at the position. That certainly should help get him on more teams’ radars. At 6-foot-8, 313 pounds he’s big but leaner than most linemen – he kind of has a Nate Solder build (but isn’t as developed as a player).
In the NFL, Crum will need time to add play strength and improve his footwork. But, if he can catch those parts of his game up to his athleticism, he has a real chance to hang around the league. If the Patriots want a project player at the position, he should be among the better options on the board.
