Five Patriots-related takeaways from this year's NFL scouting combine

The stopwatches have been put back into storage and the cones for the 3-cone drill have been stowed away. So what did we learn from this year's combine from a Patriots' perspective?

1. They got a good look at a bunch of quarterbacks.

The guy with the biggest arm — Josh Allen, who uncorked a ridiculous bomb during his on-field work — isn’t likely to last until the late stages of the first round. And you can officially scratch the likes of Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen off the list of possibilities as well. But several of the mid-round targets we profiled in the days leading up to the combine showed up, threw well, and showed themselves to be the sort of prospects who might tempt the Patriots with a second- or third-day selection come draft weekend.

The guy who probably helped himself the most? Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta. He doesn’t have an overly strong arm, but he has the sort of accuracy New England really likes at the quarterback position. The former lacrosse player (of course) also showed off some nice athleticism: He was in the top six in every drill, including the 20-yard shuttle (fastest among QBs); the 3-cone, vertical and broad jump (fourth among QBs) and the 40 (sixth). The next step for him? Richmond’s Pro Day, set for March 13. If he continues to trend in the right direction, he could be a second-day fit for the Patriots.

2. Chances are good they’re going to go after a running back before the third day.

The combine certainly showed that this is an exceptionally deep class of running backs. While New England isn’t going to get Saquon Barkley, there are a few intriguing possibilities out there who could be had as second- or third-round targets for the Patriots, many of whom are versatile types usually appeal to New England. You can count names like Georgia’s Sony Michel and Nick Chubb, Auburn’s Kerryon Johnson, LSU’s Derrius Guice, Arizona State’s Kalen Ballage and N.C. State’s Nyheim Hines as possibilities.

“It’s a deep class,” Lions GM Bob Quinn, a former Patriots’ personnel man, said of this year's crop of running backs. “One underrated aspect of this running back class as I go through it is pass protection. It’s something that a lot of these guys are skilled at. With the passing games in college, which is really the key to most offenses, they have more experience in pass protection. So, it’s a little bit easier to get the evaluation done. You’re not searching for those snaps quite as much as you might have been five or seven years ago. So, to kind of add that into the evaluation process, it’s a little easier. When you put on three or four games you can tell if a guy can pass protect, which is crucial in this league.”

“I think at running back you’re going to see at all levels that you’re going to have some high-end players, and I think you’re still going to see some really good players at the running back position come out of this draft third, fourth, fifth, sixth round,” said Colts GM Chris Ballard.

Laurence Maroney in 2006 aside, the Patriots have rarely been inclined to use precious first-round draft capital on running backs. With that in mind, combined with some of the more pressing needs at other positions, it leads us to believe they’d be reticent to pull the trigger in the first round. But considering the depth of this group and their performances in Indy, we could see New England draft its first running back since James White was taken in the fourth round out of Wisconsin in 2014.

3. There are already a couple of 3-cone possibilities, at least on the offensive side of the ball.

If you’ve been following along, I don’t need to tell you that the Patriots covet receivers and defensive backs with good short-area quickness that's best displayed in the 3-cone drill. While there are a few question marks on this list (scroll down) after doing some research, two who stand out to me as potential late-round/undrafted types who might appeal to the Patriots are Dylan Cantrell of Texas Tech (6.56, best among wide receivers) and Penn State’s Daesean Hamilton (6.84).

Cantrell had 71 catches for 816 yards and seven touchdowns last year with the Red Raiders, and is a big-body type (6-foot-3, 229 pounds) who was an honorable mention All-Big 12 as a senior. He had impressive measurables across the board, but two more things that should catch New England’s eye: one, he was coached at Texas Tech by former Tom Brady backup Kliff Kingsbury. And two, he was accorded by some as one of the best blocking receivers in college football last year, something that’s verified with a quick check of his tape. (That’s him at the top of the screen wearing No.14) And we all know how important that is around Foxborough.



As for Hamilton, he’s considered a mid- to late-round possibility in part because he doesn’t necessarily have overly flashy totals (53 catches, 857 yards, nine touchdowns), but he’s known as a high-character guy and former team captain who started all four years for the Nittany Lions. A second-team All-Big 10 performer as a senior, almost 80 percent of his catches last season went for a first down.



4. They're going to go after at least one name on this list.

Here are the top 12 three-cone times for defensive backs, with links to their pre-draft profiles from NFL.com.

6.28: CB Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma
6.51: CB Grant Haley, Penn State
6.51: CB Avonte Maddox, Pitt
6.56: S Troy Apke, Penn State
6.56: S Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern
6.65: S Justin Reid, Stanford
6.70: CB Mike Hughes, Central Florida
6.71: CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville
6.72: CB Quenton Meeks, Stanford
6.78: S Jessie Bates, Wake Forest
6.78: CB Tony Brown, Alabama
6.78: CB Andre Chachere, San Jose State

5. They could be augmenting their coaching staff.

According to multiple reports, former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema was in attendance in Indy with New England. It’s unclear if he has yet to sign on with the Patriots on some sort of capacity — he was let go by Arkansas in November — but it isn’t the first time Belichick has brought a former college coach into the fold. (Greg Schiano accompanied him to the combine in 2014 after he was fired by Tampa Bay.) Regardless of what you think of Bielema as a coach, it’s hard to deny the impact that some of his former players have had on the New England defense lately. Trey Flowers (who Bielema was really high on coming out of college) and Deatrich Wise are two Razorbacks who have done well for the Patriots the last few seasons. In September, I asked former Arkansas defensive line coach Rory Segrest why some of Bielema’s guys worked out with the Patriots.

“I think that in some cases, these are not guys who are necessarily four- or five-star recruits. They are prospects who come out of high school as good players, but want to really prove themselves on the next level,” Segrest said. “They have the work ethic and attitude and determination, all things that you look for what you’re recruiting. But these guys also have the raw talent needed to succeed. Sure, a lot of guys talk about succeeding at the next level, but those guys who really want to work toward it, guys like Trey and Deatrich, those guys are special. They have a special mentality. They want to be successful, and they make the most of their opportunities.”

In addition, former Arizona State coach Todd Graham was spotted with the Patriots staff in Indy. Belichick has always been a supporter of the recently-fired Graham — he welcomed him to practice in the days before Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona, and added that he would take trips to Tempe during the pre-draft process to connect with Graham.

"I love Coach Graham," Belichick said. "Coach Graham does a great job. He's a good friend of mine. I really respect the job he's done with this program.

"(He) probably doesn't get enough credit for the job that he's done at Arizona State since he's been there," Belichick added. "He's one of the best coaches in college football."

The Patriots do have an opening on their staff, as defensive coordinator Matt Patricia recently took the head coaching job with the Lions. At the same time, linebackers coach Brian Flores is expected to be next in line to succeed Patricia — if that happens, Belichick could still bring one or two of them in as potential consultant like they did with Schiano.