Harold Landry, EDGE, Boston College

Two of my best friends are Rams fans (weird, right?), so I selected the Rams, picking at #23, as my mock draft team. My friends told me that the Rams’ desperately needed pass rushing help, preferably someone who could play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defensive scheme. It also seemed obvious to me that the Rams wanted to pick someone who could contribute immediately, given the flury of moves they have made during the offseason. So, I narrowed my criteria for the pick down to an outside pash rusher who could contribute immediately, which led me to Harold Landry, a DE/OLB from Boston College. When he fell to me, I picked him almost immediately and began preparations on a write-up, defending this pick.

And then, two hours after I made the pick, the Rams decided to trade their pick to the Patriots for Brandin Cooks. This left me faced with the unsavory prospects of selecting the perfect player for the team I despise most in the NFL. After thinking things over for a bit, I decided to stick with my original pick for the Patriots, mainly because I believe that pass rushing is one of the Patriots’ biggest needs. Below is my evaluation of Landry, followed by why I think the Patriots will pick him.

Harold Landry - Senior DE/OLB, Boston College

Measurables:

Height- 6’3”

Weight- 252 lbs.

Arms- 32 7/8”

Hands- 9 3/8”

40 Yard Dash- 4.64 seconds

Bench Press- 24 reps

Vertical Jump- 36.0”

Broad Jump- 119.0”

3 Cone Drill- 6.88 seconds

20 Yard Shuffle- 4.19 seconds

60 Yard Shuffle- 11.35 seconds

Stats: Junior Year (2016)- 22 TFL, 16.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles

Senior Year (2017)- 8.5 TFL, 5 sacks, 2 pass breakups (only played 9 games due to ankle injury)

Awards:All-American (2016), First Team All-ACC (2016), Third Team All-ACC (2017), Honorable Mention All-ACC (2015)

Analysis:

One of Landry’s weaknesses is that he is a little undersized and lacks some strength. He makes up for this with an incredible burst and ability to get around the outside that oozes NFL potential. In college he tended to rely simply on speed and athleticism to get to the quarterback without developing his hand usage and counter moves. He produced very well in college, particularly in his junior year when he was completely healthy. He can probably maintain a good level of production at the NFL level by only relying on his physical gifts, but if he can develop his technique and use of hands, he should become a Pro Bowler. Many NFL scouts believe he will be comparable to Vic Beasley, the NFL’s 2016 sacks leader, if he can develop these moves. I believe that his floor is a solid defensive contributor along the defensive line, while his ceiling is a perennial Pro-Bowler. He should be able to come in and start almost immediately for most teams and will offer more once he develops as a pass rusher.

Why the Patriots pick him:

The vast majority of us are Eagles fans, thus we watched the Super Bowl in February. The Eagles definitely won the Super Bowl because they were the better team and because Doug Pederson has gigantic balls, but the Patriots definitely helped the Eagles by getting very little pressure on the quarterback, which allowed Foles and company to put up gaudy offensive numbers. If the Patriots had been able to put consistent pressure on the quarterback, we might be talking about a significantly different result here in April. It seems obvious to me that the Patriots need to upgrade their defensive line if they want to make a couple more Super Bowl runs before Brady rides off into the sunset. Drafting Landry allows them to immediately upgrade their defensive line, while also offering high upside. It also helps that he has no red flags off the field and he is a local prospect, having gone to Boston College. Landry will give them production from day one, and should continue to improve as he gains experience in the NFL. For these reasons, I select Harold Landry for the New England Patriots.

Other Players Considered:

Sam Hubbard (Enticing skill set, albeit inconsistent), Arden Key (Major Red Flags, but has incredible potential), Mason Rudolph (Patriots really need to draft a quarterback this year, Rudolph might fit them well)

2018 BGN Community Mock Draft Order

1) Browns (GMinTraining): Saquon Barkley

2) Giants (ablesser88): Quenton Nelson

3) Jets (20Safety_Hazards): Sam Darnold

4) Browns (MJ1893): Josh Rosen

5) Broncos (drc242): Baker Mayfield

6) Colts (I Need a Username): Bradley Chubb

7) Buccaneers (dunc123): Minkah Fitzpatrick

8) Bears (NVEagleShark): Tremaine Edmunds

9) 49ers (Doug Pederson’s Pair of Balls): Calvin Ridley

10) Raiders (Milehighbirds): Derwin James

11) Dolphins (danishdynamite_): Roquan Smith

12) Bills (LAOJoe): Denzel Ward

13) Washington (Eagle1987): Vita Vea

14) Packers (89Tremaine): Mike Hughes

15) Cardinals (RimoDawkins): Josh Allen

16) Ravens (PhillyEagles2011): Mike McGlinchey

17) Chargers (LBCeaglesFan!): Da’Ron Payne

18) Seahawks (KEZHOG): Marcus Davenport

19) Cowboys (Brawnybalboa): Rashaan Evans

20) Lions (dshelton5): Derrius Guice

21) Bengals (Palaniappan K M): Connor Williams

22) Bills (BeamerWentzorBentley): Lamar Jackson

23) Patriots (jy1187): Harold Landry

24) Panthers (dceagles):

25) Titans (ei78):

26) Falcons (SakPrescott):

27) Saints (MidMajorMatt):

28) Steelers (SummersInVA):

29) Jaguars (RecarTabmok):

30) Vikings (AnthroEagle):

31) Patriots (PhilaWolverine):

32) Eagles (JALupowitz):

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Now it’s time for you to vote for who YOU think the Seahawks should pick in the 2018 BGN Consensus Mock Draft.

1) Browns: Saquon Barkley

2) Giants: Sam Darnold

3) Jets: Josh Rosen

4) Browns: Josh Allen

5) Broncos: Baker Mayfield

6) Colts: Bradley Chubb

7) Buccaneers: Minkah Fitzpatrick

8) Bears: Quenton Nelson

9) 49ers: Tremaine Edmunds

10) Raiders: Derwin James

11) Dolphins: Roquan Smith

12) Bills: Lamar Jackson

13) Washington: Vita Vea

14) Packers: Denzel Ward

15) Cardinals: Mason Rudolph

16) Ravens: Mike McGlinchey

17) Chargers: Da’Ron Payne

18) Seahawks: Marcus Davenport

19) Cowboys: Rashaan Evans

20) Lions: Derrius Guice

21) Bengals: Connor Williams

22) Bills: Calvin Ridley

23) Patriots: