NFL Scouting Combine: Early Thoughts On Who The Patriots Should Keep An Eye On

Disclaimer: I’m way behind the other bloggers on draft season (thanks to the WORLD CHAMPION Patriots), so bear with me for a few days as I try to play catch up with everybody else. 

The NFL scouting combine is a few weeks away, so I wanted to get into the prospects a bit, and pinpoint a few early targets the Patriots may be looking at as they prepare to build a team to defend their title.

(We don’t officially know who will be in attendance at the combine, so this is just guessing these players will be there)

Dorial Green-Beckham-WR

As I scanned the top prospects lists, Green-Beckham jumped out at me. This dude has some SERIOUS size. 6’5, 225 pounds isn’t a joke, and he could be a nightmare for opposing cornerbacks. Aside from our own Brandon Browner, I don’t think there is a corner in this league that could match-up with this dude (size-wise), so it will be interesting to see how he fares at the combine later this month.

Malcom Brown-DT

No, this isn’t just because he’s named Malcom. I haven’t watched much tape on any of the top prospects because of the Super Bowl, but since I am a Longhorns fan, Brown is a guy I have watched every week for a few years, and this dude is a flat-out stud. He is big, stout, explosive, and possesses a motor that a lot of guys his size just don’t have. Keep an eye on him throughout this draft process.

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Laken Tomlinson-OG

Tomlinson is CBS Sports’ second rated offensive guard right now, and he seems like a guy that could really help out New England’s most glaring need: the interior of the offensive line. Tomlinson is huge, standing at 6’3, and weighing 323 pounds, so seeing how he moves, how strong he is, and how reacts to the combine stage will be fun to see from a Patriots perspective.

Carl Davis-DT

From the analysis I have read, Davis sounds like a big guy that can take on a lot of blocks at the point of attack. And with Vince Wilfork getting up there in age, and Alan Branch a free agent, an already weak position for the Pats could be getting even weaker. Snagging Davis at the beginning of the second round could be an option for Bill Belichick, especially if he loses one of his top guys in the trenches.

Quandre Diggs-CB

I’m sorry, I’m letting my fandom for the Longhorns cloud my vision a bit here, but since we are only a few days removed from the Super Bowl, players that went to Texas are the only ones I can truly say I know well right now. Diggs will certainly not be a starting outside corner with his size (5’9), but he is one of the toughest small guys I have ever seen play college football, and he absolutely loves to hit. We’ll see how he stacks up in Feburary.