Andrew Callahan: NFL draft prospects who are best fits for the Patriots

BOSTON — A big board is all-encompassing.

All positions, all prospects of interest, all possibilities at every pick laid out before draft day.

This is not that.

This is a list of “my guys,” an increasingly common exercise during draft season where a writer or analyst lists prospects they’re higher on than media consensus. Except “my guys” aren’t for me.

They’re players for the New England Patriots, who can wait for some of them to fall within range of their first few picks (No. 31, 63, 95 and 106 overall) but would need to trade up for others. Whether the Pats stand pat and pick or make a deal for one of my guys, all of them are no-brainer picks. These prospects play positions of need, could make instant impacts as rookies and develop into long-term starters, who double as culture drivers for Mike Vrabel.

Ready, set, scout.

Day 1

Missouri EDGE Zion Young

Ht/Wt: 6-6, 262 lbs.

Scouting report: Perhaps no player in this class exemplifies what Vrabel wants in a prospect better than Young.

He has a fierce play demeanor and a motor that runs hot. He’s violent and disruptive, with a team-high 16.5 tackles for loss last year. He’s one of, if not the, best edge-setter in this class. Young isn’t a dynamic athlete, but he carries excellent size, length and strength. He can contribute from Day 1 and may develop into a rookie starter in short order.

Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor

Ht/Wt: 6-6, 321 lbs.

Scouting report: A video of Vrabel locking horns with Iheanachor during drills at Arizona State’s Pro Day went viral last month. Considering Vrabel tests young linemen like that all the time, it was hardly a giveaway of the Patriots’ interest. But it wasn’t nothing.

Iheanachor threads the needle as a prospect at a premium position with high upside, a finisher’s mentality and time to develop as the Patriots’ next starting right tackle. The 22-year-old Nigerian only started playing football in 2021, something you wouldn’t know if you only studied his tape last year. Iheanachor didn’t allow a single sack, according to Pro Football Focus, and averaged 1.2 pressures allowed per game.

Later, he impressed at the Senior Bowl after overcoming a so-so start to the week. Iheanachor is still raw, but players with his talent and athleticism (4.91 in 40-yard dash and 97th percentile broad jump) are rarely available at No. 31.

Texas A&M WR KC Concepcion

Ht/Wt: 6-0, 196 lbs.

Scouting report: There’s a lot of overthinking going on with Concepcion in draft circles.

He’s a demon against man-to-man coverage. He finds holes against zone and has a knack for settling into them to make easy catches. He separates as well as any receiver in this class. He eats up yards after the catch. He threatens all levels of the field and can play outside and from the slot. Oh, and he returned two punts for touchdowns last season when he was an All-American with nine touchdown catches.

Basically, Concepion is everything you could want in a receiver aside from sure hands, which is where he gets dinged the most. He had several drops, especially when working the middle of the field, but that may be something a lot of long hours with the JUGS machine might fix. Other than that, he’s a little small and may not have elite long speed (Concepcion didn’t run the 40 at the combine).

So unless the Patriots have a handshake deal already for A.J. Brown, sign me up.

Days 2-3

Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez

Ht/Wt: 6-1, 231 lbs.

Scouting report: Rodriguez is a top-50 overall prospect who likely won’t be available when the Patriots are scheduled to pick in the second round, but that doesn’t mean he’s anything less than an ideal fit in New England.

Rodriguez has the best coverage instincts of all off-ball linebackers in this class. He grabbed four interceptions last season, and the turnovers didn’t stop there. Rodriguez added seven forced fumbles, most in FBS, and popped another during an impressive week at the Senior Bowl. He can get fooled occasionally and tested as a good, but not great, athlete. But it wouldn’t be a shock to see Rodriguez starting from Day 1 as a rookie somewhere in the league.

Oklahoma EDGE R Mason Thomas

Ht/Wt: 6-2, 241 lbs.

Scouting report: An explosive first step. Great bend around the edge. A relentless, fearless game.

Thomas plays bigger than his size and was incredibly productive last season when he made the All-SEC First Team with 26 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a safety in just 10 game appearances. He threatens offensive tackles with multiple effective moves and is dogged in backside pursuit. Thomas can be a liability against the run, which may force him into a rotational role early in his career, but he’s too talented not to eventually emerge as the playmaker he was in college.

Georgia Tech OG Keylan Rutledge

Ht/Wt: 6-4, 316 lbs.

Scouting report: The most athletic offensive guard to test at the combine, Rutledge checks all of the Patriots’ O-line boxes.

He’s tough, nasty when finishing blocks and moves well to execute a variety of blocking schemes. Rutledge did not allow a sack in more than 800 snaps last season, per PFF, and graded out as one of the best guards in the country. He also played some center at the Senior Bowl. Rutledge can get caught leaning here and there in pass protection, but he’s a Vrabel prospect through and through.

Stanford TE Sam Roush

Ht/Wt: 6-6, 265 lbs.

Scouting report: One of the few traditional “Y” tight ends in this class capable of blocking in-line, Roush passed his biggest test of the draft process by proving he’s an elite athlete at the combine.

His testing numbers, including a 4.7 in the 40-yard dash, should assuage concerns that his lack of receiving production last year may have been for lack of ability. Roush played in a poor Stanford offense that used him well as a blocker, but didn’t give him many opportunities downfield. That would change in New England, where he can sit behind Hunter Henry, primarily serve as a run-blocker as a rookie and develop his natural talent as a pass-catcher (Roush also hails from a family full of athletes).

Most of the best tight ends now fit this mold: terrific athletes who were misused or underutilized in college, where traditional receiving stats hardly tell the story at this position.

USC S Kamari Ramsey

Ht/Wt: 6-0, 202 lbs.

Scouting report: Ramsey is only 21, played multiple safety spots and nickelback at USC. He’s got the requisite size and speed (4.47) for the position and diagnoses plays quickly. Ramsey can blitz and cover backs and tight ends in man-to-man. He didn’t have elite production in college, but it’s easy to see Ramsey carving out a starting role in the NFL.

Arizona State LB Keyshaun Elliott

Ht/Wt: 6-2, 231 lbs.

Scouting report: Vrabel saw Elliott up close at Arizona State’s Pro Day, where he tested well for a player some regarded as a two-down, fun-first stopper. If Elliott can improve in coverage, there’s a good chance he will enjoy a long NFL career.

Elliott had 98 tackles and seven sacks last season when he made the All-Big 12 Second Team. Scouts reportedly rave about his football IQ, and coaches liked his leadership. Elliott could learn behind Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss, who’s entering a contract year, before pushing for a starting spot down the road.

Miami S Jakobe Thomas

Ht/Wt: 6-1, 211 lbs.

Scouting report: An outrageously productive college player, Thomas had 76 tackles, five interceptions, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles last year. He starred on a star-studded defense at Miami, where he transferred as a fifth-year senior. Thomas was always around the ball and did take unnecessary risks, but his versatility and playmaking should be too tantalizing to pass up early on Day 3.

Thomas is a classic case of an average to above-average athlete with instincts that have scouts describing him as “just a good football player.” And that’s exactly what he is.

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