New England Patriots should draft Grady Jarrett

By Aryan von Eicken | Apr 9, 2015

About 2 months ago, the New England Patriots had just won the Super Bowl and had a lot of reasons to celebrate, but that is all the past now, and the Patriots are focusing on being in the same position next year. They did lose some key contributors from that championship winning roster, but they are clearly still one of next years Super Bowl favorites. As long as they keep Bill Belichick and Tom Brady together they probably will always been in that discussion. Still, a good draft with rookies that could have a direct impact is crucial to the Patriots 2015 success.

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Currently, the Patriots do still have holes on their depth chart because of free agency departures. The biggest holes seem to be at left guard and at defensive tackle. I have already written a previous article about possible left guard solutions, and at the defensive tackle position, I believe Grady Jarrett is the perfect solution for the Patriots.

Currently, the Patriots have DT’s Sealver Siliga, Chris Jones, Alan Branch and Dominique Easley on their roster. While this bunch may not be terrible, it is definitely below league average, and could become a major problem next season. I think this is a position the Patriots must add some talent at, and Jarrett is a very viable option.

Dec 28, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Sealver Siliga (96) after the snap against the Buffalo Bills in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Buffalo Bills defeated the Patriots 17-9. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Grady Jarrett is Senior who was a three-year starter at Clemson and also got some snaps as a true freshman. He is a three-time all-ACC selection and has had a very impressive college career as a Tiger. Over the four years he spent at Clemson, he accumulated 144 tackles and 5.5 sacks and has been their best defensive lineman over the time he has been there.He is a very productive player that is also extremely strong and is surprisingly quick and explosive for someone of his size.

Currently, the consensus seems to be that he will be a third round draft pick, so if the Patriots really like him they could try to take him with their second round pick, but there is also a small chance that he might still be there when they pick in third round. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots make some trades that will lead to them having more picks in the second or third round, so I wouldn’t be to worried about when they would pick him.

The downsides to Jarrett are that he is a bit short for a defensive tackle, and therefore also has a shorter wingspan that a lot of other DT’s. His lack of size also leads to his lack of ability to deflect passes. Still, he is a talented young player that works very hard and simply makes plays.

He has a brother who is in the NFL, and his father also played in the NFL, so he definitely has NFL genes. I think he could have an impact right away on the Patriots and be a rotational guy for them. The Patriots need to fill the void of Vince Wilfork leaving, and while Jarrett will probably never be as good as Wilfork was in his prime, but he has the potential to become a good player.

Next: New England Patriots must draft a wide receiver?

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