Reiss On Sports Final: In Brown, Patriots Drafted 'A Mini-Vince Wilfork'
BOSTON (CBS) -- The New England Patriots have 11 new members following the 2015 NFL Draft, and one of their picks may remind you of an old fan favorite.
The Patriots drafted Texas defensive tackle Malcom Brown with their first round pick, No. 32 overall, a big bodied defensive lineman who should be able to fill in for the departed Vince Wilfork.
More: What Malcom Brown Had To Say About Being Drafted By Patriots
Which is perfect, because he's being called "A Mini-Vince Wilfork" by many who cover the Patriots. That includes ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss, who joined Steve Burton on WBZ-TV's Sports Final on Sunday night.
"He's a big guy but he's very athletic. That's the comparison [to Vince]," Reiss said of Brown. "You get a guy who is 6-2, 319-pounds and can play different spots on the line. You wouldn't expect him to be there at the 32nd pick, just like we didn't expect Wilfork back in 2004 to be there at No. 21.
"I think it could be [a steal of the draft]," said Reiss, agreeing with several other draft experts who praised the Patriots for the selection. "[Brown] was just the third defensive tackle taken. It was that perfect marriage with the Patriots between need and value -- the need of course because Vince Wilfork is now in Texas."
Reiss said Brown should be able to come in and play right away for the Patriots, likely in a rotation with Sealver Siliga and Alan Branch.
The Patriots did raise some eyebrows on Friday night, drafting Stanford safety Jordan Richards in the second round. Richards wasn't projected to go until the later rounds on Saturday, and the pick appears to be a big reach for Bill Belichick. But Reiss says that Richards fits the Belichick mold, and may surprise people.
"If you look a little closer at him you can see why Belichick likes him. This was one of the smartest players in the draft; the type of guy who knows not only his own responsibilities, but what the safeties next to him have to do, what the corners have to do, what the defensive ends have to do," said Reiss.
Of the 11 players they drafted, only Richards and seventh round pick Daryll Roberts of Marshall are defensive backs. Corner was a glaring need for the Patriots heading into the draft, with the departures of Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, but Reiss said the Patriots didn't have an opportunity to grab a potential No. 1 corner by the end of the first round.
"You look at the way the first round went and there were four corners taken before they picked at 32. The first chance you have to take a corner, it was the fifth-rated guy," he explained. "So at that point, to me, whoever they took at that point wasn't going to dramatically alter the picture at corner.
"It's a step down. No one isn't saying it's a step down," Reiss said of New England's current corner situation. "Is it as bad as everyone is saying? I'm not so sure, let's see how it plays out. But in this draft, after the first round, I don't think there was anyone they could have taken where we'd be here tonight and say, 'They're so much better at corner because they added this guy.'"
Reiss also discusses the two offensive lineman the Patriots drafted, as well as the long snapper out of Navy. See all his thoughts on the Patriots' 2015 draft class in the video above, and catch Sports Final and Sports Final OT on WBZ-TV every Sunday night at 11:35 pm!
