New England Patriots: Immediate Impact Rookies in 2015
By Hal Bent
Round 4, pick 101: Trey Flowers, DE:
Trey Flowers may not be the athletic specimen that Grissom is but he will out-hustle and out-work, the offensive lineman across from him. He works his tail off and it pays off. Flowers had a second round/early third round draft grade and was stout against the run and improved as a pass rusher each season at Arkansas. At six-foot-two and 266 pounds Grissom plays bigger with long arms and power.
While many NFL teams would not be sure where he would fit (3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 defensive end), the Patriots have themselves a polished player who should be ready to contribute from day one. Flowers will compete with third round draft pick Geneo Grissom for time behind starters Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones, and free agent acquisition Jabaal Sheard. He has many similar qualities to Rob Ninkovich and could be a rotational player with the potential to slide into a starting role within a few years.
Round 4, pick 111: Tre Jackson, OG:
With the recent success New England had drafting Florida State offensive lineman Bryan Stork adding another bigger, more powerful interior lineman made sense. Jackson is a mauler who drives his opponent back and finishes his blocks. A six-foot-four and 330 pound guard, Jackson performed well against some of the best interior defensive tackles in the NCAA during his time and more than held his own. With a late second/third round grade, the big and strong guard also has the quickness to pull in the running game and raw power to hold up in the passing game.
With veteran free agent guard Dan Connolly still on the open market it could be the chance for Jackson to step in at guard next to college teammate Bryan Stork. Jackson was a right guard primarily but the Patriots will likely test him to see if he has the versatility to play on the left side as well. A strong training camp should have Jackson in the starting lineup early in 2015 shoring up a key weakness at the guard position. He will need some help from the coaching staff with his footwork but overall he should be able to come in and start immediately.
Next: Round Four Continued