By Paul Vozzella NEFJ Correspodnent Time to join in on the thousands of mocks that have been done over the last few months… Round 1, Pick 4: OT Will Campbell, Louisiana State The Patriots finally get the left tackle they have been in dire need for several years now. Campbell has plenty of tape to prove he can anchor the left side of the line at the professional level. His…
Patriots Draft Preview: Edge
By Paul Vozzella NEFJ Correspondent There is plenty of talent in the draft pool at the Edge position for all schemes. The Patriots have bigger priorities, but it never hurts to add more talent in the pass-rush game. Abdul Carter, 6’3 250, Penn State The Good: Athleticism pops off the chart. Great bend. High motor. Comfortable dropping back into coverage. Respects run game and tackles well. Plenty of variety as…
Patriots Draft Preview: Offensive tackle
By Paul Vozzella NEFJ Correspondent The biggest need in the draft for the Patriots is clear; it’s tackle. All signs are pointing towards New England drafting one early and the first player on the list is seeming like the pick at No. 4 as we inch closer to the draft. Will Campbell, 6’6 319, Louisiana State The Good: Great fundamentals. Outstanding footwork. Mirrors rushers with ease. Hand placement is good….
Patriots Draft Preview: Interior defensive line
By Paul Vozzella NEFJ Correspondent Before the start of free agency, the interior defensive line was one of the weakest position groups for the Patriots. Not anymore. New England swooped in and signed Milton Williams to anchor the front line and Christian Barmore seems ready to roll, but there’s no certainty he will be able to return to his former self in full. With Mike Vrabel now at the helm, how…
Patriots Draft: Simulating the five most likely outcomes for pick No. 4
Every team in the NFL simulates a series of mock drafts in the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft. They play out all of the different scenarios that could take place. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged last week that the team has been running through their simulations recently. Here are five simulations regarding the fourth overall pick and what the Patriots may do and the logic behind it. Simulation……
Meet your local NFL Draft prospects: Jelani Stafford, DT, UConn
Courtesy of UConn Athletics UConn defensive tackle Jelani Stafford is a great story of perseverance and commitment. The former Youngstown State defensive tackle has dealt with his fair share of adversity and through it all, he has stayed focused on his goal of playing college football and earning a college degree. Stafford has been an integral part of the Huskies front seven the past two season but he has also…
Patriots Draft Preview: Wide Receivers
By Paul Vozzella NEFJ Correspondent The wide receiver position is obviously still in need of an upgrade for the Patriots heading into the start of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. Here’s a deeper look into several intriguing options New England could end up with, including the name everyone’s talking about: Travis Hunter, 6’0 188, Colorado The Good: Raw prospect with uber-athleticism. Tracking skills and ability to high-point catches stands…
5 observations from our visit with the Brown Bears
It was a gorgeous 75 degree morning when we visited with the Brown Bears on Saturday. The Bears are coming off of a difficult 3-7 season in 2024. A season that led to changes. The Bears have a new defensive coordinator in former Anna Maria coach Dan Mulrooney. Mulrooney was recently the head coach at Lock Haven. He is bringing with him an aggressive, physical defense built on playing fast…….
Meet your local NFL Draft prospects: Josiah Silver, Edge, New Hampshire
Silver took home the CAA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024, as well as First Team All-CAA and All-New England Team honors. He was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS national defensive player of the year. He was also a semifinalist for the Ted Hendricks Award, which honors the top defensive end among all levels of college football. Plain and simple, Silver…
Recapping the UMass spring game
By Ryan Barry NEFJ Staff AMHERST – A warm afternoon at McGuirk Alumni Stadium was the setting for the unofficial start of a new era as the 2025 UMass football spring game took place in Amherst between Team Maroon and Team White. Using a mostly traditional format of four quarters and a running clock, Team Maroon outlasted Team White 18-17 in what was a very entertaining event. While every program…