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Jay Ajayi is perfect for the New England Patriots

By Aryan von Eicken

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The New England Patriots have lost Shane Vereen and likely will lose Stevan Ridley to free agency. While the Patriots do have internal options to make up for their losses, they could also look towards the draft to gain some talent at the running back position. The Pats did recently sign Travaris Cadet, who would be a very viable third down back, but his deal was very low risk and does not really affect the chance of the Patriots drafting a running back. The rest of the Patriots RB’s are all on either minimum salary or have no guaranteed money. To me Jay Ajayi is a possible and a perfect fit for New England.

Since the Patriots do have at least decent depth at the running back position, and have proven that one does not need to spend high draft picks on backs, picking a running back in the first round is extremely improbable. The second round could be more likely if they really like a player. Ajayi could fall to the end of the second round, maybe even in to the third. It is very hard to predict which running backs will be picked and when. If Ajayi falls to the Patriots in the late second round or to a team that the Patriots could trade with in the third, Ajayi could be perfect.

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Ajayi is coming off a great junior season at Boise State in which he had 347 rushes for 1823 yards, which is an average of 5.4 yards per attempt. He also added 50 receptions for 535 yards. Another impressive number are his 32 total touchdowns. A big concern that normally doesn’t go well with Bill Belichick are Ajayi’s ball security issues, as he fumbled seven times and four of them were lost. That is an issue that can be worked on and hopefully could be fixed.

Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Jay Ajayi (27) against the Arizona Wildcats in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. The Broncos defeated the Wildcats 38-30. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The reason I believe Ajayi is a great running back and a great fit with the Patriots is that he could replace both Ridley and Vereen all by himself. He can be on the field all three downs and be an elusive weapon in the passing game. Ajayi is an extremely versatile back. He can power the ball straight up middle and get the tough yards needed on third down, but he can also be very patient and run outside the tackles. In the open field, the Boise State standout is extremely elusive and is very difficult to contain.

As mentioned earlier, Ajayi can also be used in the passing game as he has very good hands and can makes catches in traffic, even when he knows he is about to get drilled. The one weakness I do notice on his tape is that he has some trouble in pass blocking. He was often unable to block incoming linebackers, leaving his quarterback helpless. This obviously would be a major issue, as protecting Tom Brady is a major part of playing running back for the Pats.

The talent and the instincts are there for Ajayi, and while his two biggest issues are ball security and pass blocking are an issues, he is still decent at both of them. Ball security and blocking can also be coached, while certain talent simply can not. The Patriots could use a talent infusion at the RB position and Ajayi could be a legit option for the Patriots. He fits very well into the system, as he can line up into any formation and be a very effective back. I would be very excited if the Patriots would draft Ajayi, and either way he is a player to watch in the NFL.

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