Experts' Picks for Pats at #22
NFL Draft 2010 - 'Mock' Patriots Picks
1st rd, pick 22
ESPN Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr - TE Jermaine Gresham Oklahoma
Analysis: New England just added another wideout with Torry Holt, and Gresham is a top tight end they'd be able to add through the draft. With age questions finally creeping up on Randy Moss, and the health of Wes Welker also an issue, Gresham should be a quick study and a favorite target of Tom Brady soon enough.
Scouts Inc. ESPN - TE Jermaine Gresham Oklahoma
Analysis: The Patriots need pass-rush help but they have also been lacking a difference-maker at tight end for some time. Gresham has the chance to be one of the best at his position in the very near future.
ESPN Draft Insider Todd McShay - TE Jermaine Gresham Oklahoma
Analysis: The Patriots have several needs and several picks (four in the top 53), so they have the flexibility to take Gresham, who in this scenario is far and away the best available player at a position of need.
NFL.com Senior Analyst Pat Kirwan - WR Dez Bryant Oklahoma St.
Bill Belichick always has to have the kind of receivers Tom Brady needs to pick apart opponents. Randy Moss thinks this is his last year in New England and Wes Welker is coming off a season-ending injury. Bryant has excellent receiving skills, is not afraid to go over the middle and could be a 50-reception guy as a rookie.
NFL.com Analyst Bucky Brown - OLB/DE Brandon Graham Michigan
Graham is a high-motor pass rusher with the skills and versatility to thrive in Bill Belichick's hybrid scheme. Though he is a tad shorter than most outside linebackers Belichick has used in the past, his ability to create disruptive plays off the edge would be a welcome asset to a unit that struggled pressuring the passer.
Boston Globe Writer Bert Breer - OLB/DE Sergio Kindle Texas
If it falls this way, the Patriots shouldn't be disappointed. They get a versatile, 6-foot-3-inch, 250-pound presence who fits their scheme perfectly. Since Kindle served in so many roles at Texas, he's only scratching the surface and has a ways to go as a rusher. Bill Belichick has a trusted voice in Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Again, though, is Dez Bryant too good to pass up?
SI.com's Peter King - WR Dez Bryant Oklahoma St.
"Coach Belichick? Dez Bryant's babysitter on line two.'' I don't care. I love the pick.
ESPN-Boston Writer Mike Reiss - OLB/DE Sergio Kindle Texas
All offseason, we've talked about what the Patriots need and it seems to come down to one word -- playmaker. A running back like Ryan Mathews is intriguing here, and a cornerback like Kyle Wilson might be a bit safer of a pick, but Kindle looks like the one player on the board in this scenario who could provide a quick spark to the defense -- and he has the physical makeup that is closer to the average at the position (Hughes is a bit short). An added bonus is that Bill Belichick has a background with Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, so you know he's getting the straight scoop.
