Patriots Predicted To Draft 'Giagantic, Athletic' Morgan Moses Replacement From Clemson
· Yahoo Sports
Patriots Predicted To Draft 'Giagantic, Athletic' Morgan Moses Replacement From Clemson originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New England Patriots have the No. 31 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, and could be targeting help on the offensive line.
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The Patriots are sticking with Will Campbell at left tackle, but are seemingly moving Jared Wilson to center. Alijah Vera-Tucker will likely enter the season as the starting left guard. The right side of the line figures to stay the same, with Mike Onwenu and Mogan Moses expected to retain their spots.
The Patriots do not need to add a tackle at this moment, but Moses is seemingly nearing the end of his career. The Patriots have other needs, but could look to draft Moses' eventual replacement with the 31st overall pick. Yahoo Sports' Charles McDonald predicted the Patriots would select University of Clemson tackle Blake Miller.
"As they showed throughout the playoffs, the Patriots’ offense still has a ways to go in terms of talent acquisition to stand tall against the best defenses in the league," wrote McDonald on Wednesday. "To be fair, the Patriots had a top-five draft pick in the same season they made the Super Bowl, which highlights the overall lack of high-end talent, particularly on the offensive line. They can start to fix that with the selection of Miller, another gigantic, athletic tackle in this draft class."
Miller has played 54 college football games and holds the university record for plays from scrimmage. He has started every game in his four years at Clemson. He is primarily a right tackle who could end up being a long-term option for the Patriots once Moses is gone.
He was a First-Team All-ACC selection in each of the last two seasons. He checked in at 6-foot-7, 317 pounds at the NFL Combine and ranked first among offensive tackles in athleticism score. He ran a 5.04-second 40-yard dash and had a 32-inch vertical jump. He is a solid player, but NFL analyst Lace Zierlein thinks he could still use some development, and sitting behind Moses for a season could help.
"Ultimate iron man at right tackle with 54 career starts," Zierlein wrote. "Miller has unusual lateral quickness and fluidity in space despite playing too upright. His hands lack accuracy and command in both phases, but he can recover and make blocks with a finisher’s mindset. Miller is rarely beaten by rush games, but he has his edges attacked because of his hand issues. He will encounter difficulties at the next level without better pad level, core strength and cleaner technique. If he tightens up in those areas, Miller can become a solid NFL right tackle."
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