Mike Mayock is thinking tight end Amaro, defensive tackle Hageman for Pats first round pick
 |
| From left to right: Hageman (Maize and Blue), Amaro (Dallas Morning News) |
One such analyst, NFL Network's Mike Mayock, was asked about what the Patriots are looking to do with that pick in a conference call. Here's what he said:
"Depending how you look at this thing and what type of defensive tackle you're looking for, Nix and Jernigan are probably gone. Then (Dominique) Easley, the kid I really like from Florida, tore an ACL, a second ACL, so he's not going to go (early). He's one of those picks that the Patriots tend to get in like the third or fourth round for value -- a first-round guy later on. I think Hageman from Minnesota is kind of the big question mark there. If he's still on the board, because he's an explosive kid, he could play a couple different spots, and coach (Bill) Belichick likes those versatile guys. He's had some off-the-field questions attached to him, but he's got a ton of ability and talent. So if Hageman was sitting there, I think he'd be really interesting."
"Now, the flip side of that is what happens with the tight ends. The North Carolina kid (Eric Ebron) is going to be long gone. Then there's a lot of different varying opinions on what you're looking for. Seferian-Jenkins, for lack of a better term, is built like (Rob) Gronkowski, whereas Amaro from Texas Tech is built more like (Aaron) Hernandez. So there are a lot of people that like Amaro and point to Hernandez as that, quote, kind of guy. Depending on what you're looking for, and that's probably the kind of guy they are looking for, if Amaro is sitting there and they like him, he'd be logical at 29, and I think the other guy would be Hageman. Outside of that, I think the other top guys would be gone."Both are certainly intriguing prospects. Minnesota's Ra'shede Hageman opened a lot of eyes with a dominant performance at the senior bowl. His unique build (6'6", 313) and combination of speed and power give him unique scheme versatility, something that's always attractive to Bill Belichick. If he's available at 29, Hageman's unique skillset might be too much for Belichick to pass up.
However, Texas Tech's Jace Amaro would arguably fill a bigger need at tight end. With Rob Gronkowski rehabbing a torn ACL, there's an immediate need for a pass catching threat at tight end, one that the 6'6", 260 pound Amaro could fill. Amaro was utilized all over the field in Texas Tech's wide open spread attack, similarly to how the Patriots used Hernandez. The result was a NCAA record for receiving yards in a season by a tight end.
There's already a strong buzz for Amaro as a Patriots target; many mock drafts have already pegged him as the Patriots pick at 29. Amaro addressed that talk recently, saying that New England "would be a great, ideal place for me." The fit certainly makes a lot of sense on paper, although I would caution that it's still very early in the draft process.
What say you, Pats fans? Would you like to see another weapon for Tom Brady with this first round pick? Or will a stud defender help the team more in the long run? Let us know in the comments below.
