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Draft Coverage5 reasons why the Patriots drafted Vanderbilt CB JoeJuan
WilliamsNew
Damien Harris Jersey Draft ,29commentsRead more: Patriots trade up, draft CB JoeJuan Williams with the 45th pickEDTShareTweetShareShare5 reasons why the
Patriots drafted Vanderbilt CB JoeJuan WilliamsChristopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY
SportsThe Patriots traded their picks at 56 and 101, to go up to 45 and take
JoeJuan Williams, a cornerback from Vanderbilt. Here’s a look at why they did
it. 1. He was the best player on their boardThe Patriots were reportedly
thinking about taking Williams at 32, so it made all the sense in the world for
them to come up and get him in the first half of the second round. 2. His
ceiling is Richard ShermanIs he going to be Richard Sherman? Probably not. But
that’s his ceiling. He, like Sherman, was a wide receiver in college before
switching to cornerback. He’s a big bodied corner at 6’4 who can get physical
with bigger receivers and tight ends — and with the way the league is
trending
Damien Harris NFL Jersey , you can’t have enough of those guys.Pats Pulpit reacts to the Joejuan Williams pickSubscribe to the Pats Pulpit podcast for more draft
reactions!3. The Patriots needed to shed some picksThe Patriots had 11 more
picks when the draft started today. They have no place to put all those guys, so
they needed to get rid of some of them. Look for them to possibly make another
move up, or trade for a veteran or a pick next year. 4. The depth isn’t
fantastic in this draftWhen you look at the players that would be available at
101, it doesn’t exactly excite you. Clearly, there will be a few stars that get
drafted later, or don’t even get drafted at all, but the overall depth isn’t
great
Damien Harris NFL Draft , so trading up doesn’t hurt as much this year. 5. Because Bill can’t help himselfBelichick has made a trade in every draft since 2001, and
he wasn’t planning on letting another night go by without making a trade. Yet
another Patriots streak remains intact. New England goes after a Clemson edge
defender in Kiper’s final mock draft."The 2019 NFL draft is only nine hours
away, which means that now is the time for the last mock drafts to get
published. Among the analysts to do so — on a related note: look for colleague
Michael McDermott’s scenario to go online this afternoon — is ESPN’s Mel Kiper
Jr, who unveiled his final mock earlier today. For the New England Patriots, who
will pick at #32, it presents a change compared to Kiper’s previous attempts at
predicting the draft.While the veteran draft guru addressed the offensive side
of the ball in his last few mocks, he went to the defense in his latest and has
the Patriots bolster their pass rush:One of the best edge defenders in this
year’s draft class
Damien Harris Buffalo Bills Jersey , Clelin Ferrell would be a day one starter in New England and form the core of the team’s positional rotation together with
Michael Bennett, Deatrich Wise Jr. and John Simon. As such, the soon-to-be
22-year-old would see extensive playing time in year one and help the Patriots
fill the void created by the departure of standout defender Trey Flowers.The
comparisons with Flowers go beyond the fact that they play the same position,
however: like the ex-Patriot, Ferrell projects to be a versatile playmaker at
the next level capable of lining up in multiple techniques across the defensive
line. He also is as technically sound as any edge rusher to enter the draft in
2019, and has outstanding hand usage as well as a wide variety of pass-rushing
moves.Not everything about the Clemson product stands out, though
Youth Drew Bledsoe Jerseys , which is why he could very well be available when the Patriots pick at #32: his burst and follow-up steps are limited and could hinder
him against athletically superior players at the next level. But despite being
somewhat of a boom-or-bust product, Ferrell would be a tremendous pick for New
England at the end of the first round given his upside and ability to become an
impact player right away.
