6 NFL draft prospects who fit the Patriots archetype

The NFL Draft season is a long and winding road. Each year, from January to April, hundreds of young athletes take part in the world’s longest and most public job interview, where each prospect participates in their own unique combination of events before their big day in late April. The Senior Bowl, East-West Shrine Game, Top 30 Tours, Private Practices, Pro Day Practices, and the NFL Combine all represent individual stages of a player’s journey. These steps provide all of us with information that we can use to make educated guesses about which players we think might fit in a certain franchise.

So why the monologue explaining things you already know? Well, I did some research. Your author has compiled the physical measurements and athletic test numbers of every New England Patriots draft pick since Bill Belichick arrived in 2000. I’ve broken them down into their respective position groups, I’ve found the averages of each metric/number and found the true meaning of a prototype Patriots draft pick at each position. Of course, you’re not going to find someone who fits the bill exactly, and each year will provide a different crop of prospects to compare against a new set of numbers. So let’s take the 2022 outlook which compares favorably to the Patriots’ average draft pick since 2000.

S Jalen Pitre, Baylor

Numbers: We start with a player who represents the duality of the results from this exercise. Piter’s height, short commute time, and bench press count are all great representations of what New England generally looks for when it comes to safety. His three cones and arm size are quite the opposite. Pitre’s arms are much shorter than those of the average Patriots safety, but he counters that by offering better speed numbers across the board.

The player: Piter is a redshirt junior from Baylor University, playing a total of 52 games over five seasons at Waco. Piter was an immediate contributor to the Bears as a rookie and sophomore, serving as an important rotational player in the box and on special teams. A nagging shoulder injury caused him to redshirt his true junior season, before head coach Dave Aranda took over in 2020 and unleashed Pitre’s true potential as a cover player.

Over the past two seasons, Piter has been one of the best tight end erasers in college football, racking up 18 pass deflections and four interceptions in the Big 12 conference. He’s entering the draft as a potential pick among the 40 first, with the New England formula on how to use the safeties in the box as a potential model for its future success.

The comparison: Devin McCourty (2009)

Reminder folks, this is purely based on numbers. Devin McCourty and Jalen Pitre are very similar athletes. McCourty’s forty time was only 0.02 seconds slower, his short shuttle was 0.11 seconds faster and his three cones 0.04 seconds faster. It’s safe to say that their times were in the same ballpark, if not the same dugout. The height difference is minimal as McCourty entered the league at 5106, 193 pounds which is slightly smaller than Pitre. The two share the same hand size at 9 inches, with arm length being the only real difference between the two, as McCourty’s arms are almost an inch and a half longer.

EDGE Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma

Numbers: Nik Bonitto looks like a classic Patriots outside linebacker. He just happens to be a much better athlete. His size profile fits well across the board, but his test numbers were much better than the average draft pick since 2000. The numbers are so much better that I considered him off of this list, but that’s kinda ridiculous to think he doesn’t fit just because he’s a great athlete.

The player: Bonitto was the product of a much improved Oklahoma defense over the past few years, entering this draft as a junior redshirt. The former Ronnie Perkins and Rhamondre Stevenson teammate had 18.5 sacks and 32 tackles for loss during his 39-game college career as one of the Sooners’ most productive defensive players.

He enters this draft as a second-day prospect whose tween status hurt his stock a bit throughout the pre-draft process. He’s a 3-4 outside linebacker who matches only a handful of systems in the NFL. Luckily for his fans, the Patriots are one of them.

The comparison: Derek Rivers (2017)

Sometimes you don’t have much to work with, which is why you end up with these two things compared to each other. The Patriots have been all over the place when it comes to drafting EDGE players, setting no real trend other than the fact that they like long arms. This is where these two compare, their arms being only 1/8″ different in size, the edge going to Bonitto. They both weighed 248 pounds before the draft, and their hand size n are also only 1/8″ different from each other. Bonitto gets a slight edge in almost every sport class, while Rivers’ 30 reps in the bench press wouldn’t have been hit even if Bonitto tried to put in a number.

RB Dameon Pierce, Florida

Numbers: Besides being an inch shorter than the average Patriots running back, there’s no denying that Dameon Pierce fits the mold. His weight, 40 time, and spread jump numbers are literally as close to being dead as you can get, while the hand/arm size and vertical jump aren’t hugely different. The only place he managed to match the average was on the bench where he displayed a very funny 21 repetitions.

The player: Pierce is a player whose value wasn’t appreciated by his college coaches until later in his career, making him an interesting profile as a four-year-old with just 329 runs under his belt. Despite limited opportunities, Pierce averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored 28 touchdowns in 46 games.

He enters this draft as a back without many miles, whose profile compares to the best in this class.

The comparison: Damien Harris (2019)

Bench press and vertical jump are the only two categories in which these players had significantly different numbers. Everything else was very close. Harris holds the slight advantage in height (+1/8”), hand size (+3/8”), long jump (+2”) and forty (-0.02 seconds) while Pierce has Harris of a few pounds. Both players even jumped on the short shuttle and three cone drives before the draft. Although all numbers are slightly different, they represent an athlete of similar level.

IOL Alec Lindstrom, Boston College

Numbers: Now we get into the nitty-gritty of players who fit Patriots tendencies like a glove. Lindstrom is still a bit thinner than the average Patriots inside offensive lineman and his test numbers are a bit better as well. The only big difference is in the hand size at 5/8″.

The player: Alec Lindstrom is a redshirt senior entering this draft with a ton of experience under his belt. He played 47 games for Boston College, starting in more than half at all three interior positions. Athletically, he compares well to the rest of the class and should be a day three option for someone who wants some indoor competition.

The comparison: Dan Koppen (2003)

Not only are these two doing well athletically, they both went and played center at Boston College. Isn’t it fun!

Surprisingly, Lindstrom is the Patriots’ most pick inside despite his difference to the averages. These players don’t look exactly alike, but they do share a similar height, and as you would expect, the new guy is a better athlete.

OT Nick Zakelj, Fordham

Numbers: Besides his ridiculous long jump and arm size difference of more than an inch, Nick Zakelj looks a lot like the Patriots’ average draft pick at tackle. His three cones and weight match exactly, while his vertical jump and short shuttle are on par.

The player: Let’s Talk Patriot League Baby! Zakelj has been the Patriot League’s top offensive lineman for the past four years, having been named to the First Team All-Patriot League three times. He performed well in the Senior Bowl in February, showing superb recovery athleticism against some of the best defensive line prospects in the class.

He will enter the draft as a potential option for day three. A good place for New England if they want a developing player to learn behind Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown.

The comparison: Antonio Garcia (2017)

We used the “same stage” analogy earlier, and it’s perfect for this scenario. In all but one of the categories we studied, these two players could be considered part of the same ballpark. They don’t have the same numbers anywhere, but they’re not far off on anything other than weight, where Garcia was historically lightweight.

OT Nicholas Little Brother, Ohio State

Numbers: Has anyone ever seen Nicholas Petit-Frère and the Patriots middle draft pick at offensive tackle in the same room? I did not mean it.

The only category where Little Brother differs from the average is hand size, where his hands are more than an inch larger than what the Patriots typically go for. All other numbers go together in each category. It’s not hyperbole when I say that Nicholas Petit-Frère is the most prototypical patriot in the entire draft.

The player: Former Florida State five-star recruit Nicholas Petit-Frère took a while to really make it to Ohio State. After two years, he finally got a starting job at tackle and became one of the most consistent tackles in college football. Over the past two seasons, he has allowed pressure on less than 1% of his total snaps played.

He’ll be considered a second-day pick in the upcoming draft, so New England would likely have to spend a top-100 pick to secure his services.

The comparison: Antonio Garcia (2017)

As you might have imagined, several players in the same position means the same composition. The same comparisons apply here as they did with Zakelj, however Petit-Frere is a bit closer to Garcia in most categories.