Patriots

Expert has Patriots selecting Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis in first mock draft

"The Patriots love big guys with unique strength/power."

By Conor Roche

January 21, 2022

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As several teams – including the Patriots – saw their 2021 seasons come to an end in recent weeks, many of the top draft experts have released their first mock drafts of the year.

NFL’s Network’s top draft expert Daniel Jeremiah released his first mock draft of the year on Friday. He has the Patriots selecting Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis with the No. 21 overall pick.

“The Patriots love big guys with unique strength/power,” Jeremiah wrote. “Think back to Vince Wilfork. Davis would team up with Christian Barmore to dominate against the run and provide some pocket push against the pass.”

Jeremiah, on his “Move the Sticks” podcast with Bucky Brooks, expanded a bit more on why Davis might be available at No. 21 and why he’d be a good selection for the Patriots.

“Some teams aren’t going to love him just because they don’t love the pass-rush upside,” Jeremiah said. “The Patriots love bigs. You put him with Christian Barmore, you’re going to dominate against the run with that group and you’re going to give yourself opportunities to rush the quarterback.”

“It’s about being able to create pressure,” Brooks added. “They need more pressure. They like to use four-man rushes and a lot of simulated pressures. Jordan Davis can certainly fit in that mix.”

The Patriots’ playoff loss to the Bills, plus their final four games of the regular season, showed a need to add talent in the front seven. In the final five games of the season, the Patriots allowed 791 rushing yards on 5.2 yards per carry, including 174 rushing yards allowed to the Bills in the wild-card round. They also recorded just four sacks over the last five games.

Drafting Davis would certainly add some much-needed youth for the Patriots in their front seven. But he also shows promise as a run stuffer. He recorded 32 tackles for Georiga last season, with five coming for a loss. His size could also create mismatches in the defense’s favor as he’s 6-foot-6 and weighs 340 pounds.

The Draft Network’s Drae Harris noted that Davis’s size forced college teams to double team him and called Davis the “best interior run defender in the country.”

“He is a player that I would consider ‘stronger’ than he is explosive,” Harris wrote of Davis’s first step. “He does a good job of creating a new line of scrimmage with his power. His ability to walk the center back 2-3 yards disrupts an offense.”

Davis didn’t have as strong of a season rushing the passer, recording two sacks over 14 games.

As Jeremiah alluded to, this would be the Patriots’ second straight draft using a high pick on a defensive tackle after they selected Barmore in the second round in 2021. But while the Patriots don’t have any pending free agents at defensive tackle, starters Lawrence Guy and Davon Godchaux could become cap casualties as the Patriots are pretty close to the salary cap – which would create a need there.

Going through the other mainstream mock drafts released this week, draft experts seemed to be focused on the Patriots addressing two areas: the front-seven and wide receiver. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the Patriots selecting Alabama receiver Jameson Williams in the first round. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had New England picking Davis’s college teammate, linebacker Nakobe Dean, in the first round and Alabama receiver John Metchie in the second.