For perhaps the first time in the Belichick reign in New England, the Patriots’ first move in the NFL wasn’t much of a surprise. Easley was not only the number one player on my Patriots-only Top 50 draft board and also my projected first round pick in my final mock draft but he was all over many Pats pundits’ radars.
Yes, there were rumblings that the Pats loved Easley, but I was all over him from the moment I first saw him on film. I’ve been beating the interior pass rush drum for nearly the life of this blog – four-plus years.
Simply put, the Pats just haven’t been able to generate enough pass rush up the gut since Mike Wright and Jarvis Green circa 2009.
Easley instantly makes the Pats pass rush better, not only with what he does (explosiveness), but with the attention he will draw, easing things up on Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich on the edges.
I’m not worried about Easley’s ACL tears. We might not truly see the ceiling of his explosion until his second year, but he’ll still be the Pats best interior pass rusher.
Needless to say I’m thrilled with the pick. It’s a great way to kick off the draft, and with seven more picks to go and a major need already filled, the Pats are in great position to really take their team to the next level.