New England Patriots 2014 NFL Draft Wrap-up

Nov 30, 2013; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles offensive linesman Bryan Stork (52) points and calls a play before he hikes the ball against the Florida Gators during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida State Seminoles defeated the Florida Gators 37-7. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Additions

QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois University
Out of Eastern Illinois, Garoppolo was one of the most highly-toted prospects from the FCS. According to his NFL.com profile, Garoppolo “started the final eight games of his true freshman season in 2010, completing 124 of 211 passes (58.8 percent) for 1,639 yards with 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Made all 11 starts in 2011, going 217-of-349 for 2,644 with 20 TDs and 14 INTs. Went 331-of-540 (61.3 percent)for 3,823 yards with 31 TDs and 15 INTs in 12 starts in 2012. Named the Walter Payton Award winner, given to top player in FCS, in 2013 after going 375-of-568 (66.0 percent) for 5,050 yards with 53 TDs and nine INTs in 14 contests. Threw for 450 yards and six touchdowns in the Panthers’ only regular-season loss, to Northern Illinois. Is one of only two quarterbacks to throw for more than 5,000 yards in a season (Taylor Heinicke, 2012) in FCS history. Was named the Offensive MVP of the East-West Shrine Game. Had eight career rushing touchdowns and a 23-22 record in 45 starts.”

With stats such as that, it is hard to ignore the abilities and production of Garoppolo. Where scouts and NFL analysts have commended him is in his speedy quick release. Garoppolo’s release is nice and compact, giving him an advantage over other QBs who may take a tad bit more time when releasing the ball (a huge disadvantage when a fraction of a second could mean a potential sack). Some critics of Garoppolo say that because his release takes so little time, often he doesn’t put enough mustard on the ball, leading to under-thrown deep passes.

Regardless though of his physical capabilities, in terms of what Garoppolo’s immediate impact will be for the Patriots it can be served best with one word: nothing. The main reason being that Garoppolo will probably spend the entirety of this season and most likely next season on the bench, watching QB Tom Brady carve up opposing defenses like a thanksgiving turkey. In order for Garoppolo to be successful, he is going to have to learn the NFL system. By working on his footwork from under center and practicing a lot with his receivers and against NFL-style pass rushes, Garoppolo can better prepare himself for a potential starting job. If Ryan Mallet ends up staying with the Patriots, look for Garoppolo’s chances to be even smaller for the starting QB position. Perhaps in the future this could mean a potential QB controversy in New England. Only time will tell.

C Bryan Stork, Florida State University, OT Cameron Flemming, Stanford University, and OG Jon Halapio, University of Florida
For the Patriots, last season saw Brady get banged up worse than we’ve seen in recent years.Last year the Pats managed to give up 40 sacks on Brady, 20 more sacks than Peyton Manning had to endure. With center Bryan Stork from Florida State, the Patriots are getting a quality, championship-winning center to help starter Ryan Wendell. According to many scouts, Stork knows how to use his offensive positions to his advantage, sliding and pulling in order to seal off blocks, particularly in pass protection. Stork was the center for Jamies Winston during his Hiesman season and (given time to develop) will most likely be able to protect future Hall-of-Famer Tom Brady without any problems. With Cameron Flemming and Jon Halapio, the Pats are simply gaining backups for their current offensive linemen. In the case of Halapio, the Patriots actually needed a backup left guard behind Logan Mankins. Halapio is a big boy out of Florida and isn’t afraid of figuratively gobbling up opposing pass rushers. In the case that Mankins gets injured, Halapio should be adequate to hold his place. Don’t expect Mankins job to be in jeopardy, however don’t put Halapio to bed quite yet. There could be some football potential in there somewhere. Even if Pats’ fans felt that the management wasted these three picks, in reality they did not. Although they may be backups, these guys play a vital role because in the case that one of the starters pulls their hamstring during the middle of the game, these guys will have to be ready to go out and give their all.

RB James White, University of Wisconsin
With the troubles of RB Stevan Ridley early into the 2013 season, it was practically imperative that the Patriots draft a running back during this draft. As the University of Wisconsin, White finished fourth in school history in rushing yards (4,015), third in rushing scores (45), first in yards per carry average (6.2) and first in receiving yards for a RB (670). Despite running behind starter Montee Ball for the majority of his college career, White still proved to NFL scouts that he could be NFL-worthy. As a senior, White was able to rush for 1,444 yards and 13 touchdowns on 221 touches (6.53 yards per carry), along with 300 yards and 2 touchdowns on 39 receptions out of the backfield. Where White dominates the running game is in his ability to juke and deke defenders with a subtle head bob or slight hesitation. His speed is solid at a 4.57 40-yard dash and benched 23 225-pound reps at the Combine. While some may doubt his size and lack of strength, I believe that White’s running moves and jukes should give him the edge to help out this Patriot’s team. At the moment however, White is the fourth string running back behind Ridley, Shane Vereen and Brandon Bolden. All three backs brought something to the table for the Patriot’s in the season prior, so it should be a difficult decision for the Patriots to make when cutting one of the running backs at the end of training camp. The key for White is to show the Patriots that his bowling ball running style is exactly what they need in the running game. They know that White is accustomed to sharing carries (shared majority with Montee Ball at UW), and thus should give him more of a chance than other backs. It all hinges on his training camp and pre-season game play.

WR Jeremy Gallon, University of Michigan
Although he may not have been recognized nor hyped as much as any of the other receivers in the draft, Gallon deserves just as much praise as WRs such as Brandin Cooks and Mike Evans. According to NFL.com, Gallon “appeared in 12 games in 2010, when he caught four balls for 49 yards (12.2-yard average) and a touchdown while returning 27 kickoffs for 589 yards (21.8) and 10 punts for 43 yards (4.3). Did not play against Ohio State (shoulder). Played all 13 games (one start) in 2011, recording 31 catches for 453 yards (14.6) and three TDs; also returned three kickoffs for 46 yards (15.3) and 19 punts for 192 yards (10.1). Gave way to a two-tight end formation against Air Force. In 2013, was the Wolverines leading receiver for the second straight season and established a school single-season record for receiving yards. Started 12 of 13 games (gave way to two-tight end formation against Ohio State) and produced 89 catches for 1,373 yards (15.4) and nine TDs; also returned six punts for 32 yards (5.3). Set a Big Ten single-game record for receiving yards when he posted 14 catches for 369 yards and two TDs against Indiana. Also had 16 career rushes for 102 yards (6.4) and no touchdowns.” With stats such as those, it is hard to ignore such production, especially at a big name university such as that of the University of Michigan and a big name conference such as the Big 10. According to his statistics, Gallon’s favorite down is most likely 1st down. During his final season at UM, Gallon caught 10 passes for 25 yards or more on first down (caught only one on second won). Although he doesn’t impress with his speed, agility or hands, Gallon has the toughness and football IQ to make something out of his NFL selection. The Patriots’ receiving corps was arguably laughable last season. This year, with Gallon and the rest of the Patriots’ receiving corps healthy, the Patriots should be able to dominate the passing game and score some more points. Don’t count on Gallon surviving until the regular season, however the Patriots could really use another receiving in the case of a 5 WR set.