NEXT! Pats Rookies Report to Camp.

With all of the Patriots draft picks signed, they had their full compliment of rookies arrive early to camp yesterday. This is the time where rookies really need to accept the concepts they were introduced to at OTA's and mini camps. The rookies most likely to help the Pats this year are not necessarily the most talented ones, but the most ready to learn the needs of the scheme and fit in.

Distractions have to be set aside. Chandler Jones is an intriguing prospect in this regard. He is brother to the UFC's Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones. Jon Jones is rapidly becoming famous and also we are starting to see chinks in the previously pristine armor. He wrapped his Bentley around a telephone pole in New York in May. Hopefully Chandler is not into emulating his brother's antics but rather his performance. Chandler Jones has the length and dexterity to become a very odd matchup for opposing lines. He can extend on heavier tackles and control his edge better than most players I've seen coming out of college. This occasionally leads to him looking unspectacular as he does not penetrate violently and terrorize the backfield. He does however, get results against the run and the pass. Shedding blockers to get into runners at the line, and blocking the passing lanes by getting his rather long arms up in the QB's line of sight. If we get nothing more than that from Chandler Jones this year he will be a good pick up.

Dont'a Hightower looks to be the most NFL ready of the Pats rookies. He is a smart linebacker. He filled a similar role at Alabama as former top ten pick Rolando McClain did. A key difference between these two players is how they get the job done. McClain was mostly instinct and athleticism, Hightower is intellect and resourcefulness. He did not rag-doll lead blockers the way McClain did in college. But as we have seen the last few years watching McClain struggle in Oakland, in the NFL manhandling everybody is just not an option. Save for the Reggie White's of the world, NFL players are too strong and smart and fast to be constantly bullied by any athlete. Hightower is strong and aggressive, but he has never been one to rely on power or physical dominance alone. This should serve him well as he becomes a cornerstone in New England's defensive reconstruction.

The other rookie that I am very excited about is Jake Bequette. This guy may not project as the kind of dominant athlete that Jones does, but he is relentless at getting after the quarterback. He has exactly the mentality and size the Patriots need in a situational pass rusher. He is a bit raw in fundamentals such as footwork and hand placement, but so was Jared Allen. I'm not really saying he will be Jared Allen, but I can definitely see a situation where Bequette becomes a very effective pass rusher. His achilles heel in the Patriots defense is of course that he has very little experience dropping into the flats or shallow under-man zones that are sometimes required when blitzing from an odd man front. That may keep him from starting early in his career, but it will not keep him off the field in general.

This rookie class, particularly the guys up front, have the potential to greatly increase the effectiveness of the Patriots defense. A defense that was 15th overall in points against could very well move into the top ten with the increased depth in the front seven and the expected maturation of the secondary.