If you’re looking for a quick way to become familiar with the top 50 prospects in the this year’s draft here’s a good place to start.
It seems like every time I read new information about guys with Patriots potential you find someone who doesn’t think they’d be a good fit. Justin Houston is that guy here…
45) Justin Houston/DE-OLB/Georgia: The Georgia junior is a tremendous pass rusher out of a three-point stance. The problem is Houston lacks the size for the defensive end position and has poor instincts as a linebacker.
This comes on top of Aldon Smith being mentioned by Todd McShay today as a guy “who needs to play RDE in a 4-3”. So that strikes a blow to two of my top Pats OLB prospects.
But it’s important to remember that no one, not me, not Mel Kiper or Todd McShay, nor any other draft guru outside of the Pats organization know exactly what they’re looking for at each position. So that means we shouldn’t necessarily cross off Smith or Houston from the board, but it does mean we should watch them closely at the combine to see how athletic they are in agility drills.
But my instinct is slowly saying more and more that chances are around 75% it will be a defensive end or interior offensive lineman at 17, and much much less it will be an OLB. Runningback could also be in the mix.
