Every year there’s at least one first-round star who falls much further than anyone could have expected in the draft. Somehow, a guy with a top 10 grade went 21st overall in 2004. His name? Vince Wilfork. Last year, it was Bryan Bulaga, who went 23rd to the Packers after Mike Mayock (count the times he’s wrong — it doesn’t happen often) said he wasn’t getting out of the top 10.

Could J.J. Watt fall to the Patriots at No. 17? (AP)

Our latest mock draft has the Patriots taking Wisconsin defensive end J.J. Watt, a 6-foot-5 3/8, 290-pounder who had seven sacks as a junior and excelled at the combine. Mayock has called him the best five-technique prospect he’s ever seen. How, then, could Watt be available with the draft’s 17th pick? It’s a question that’s popped up, and one that’s very fair to ask. Here’s the attempt at answering it.

This draft class is known for its defensive stars. From cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara to top linemen in Da’Quan Bowers, Marcell Dareus and Nick Fairley, the best talent in this draft is on defense.

As far as five-technique prospects go, Dareus and Cal’s Cameron Jordan are in the conversation for the first one to come off the board. Both figure to be top 10 picks.

The Panthers, Broncos, Bills and Bengals — the teams with the first four picks in this draft — all have 4-3 defenses, with Denver and Buffalo making the switch this offseason. If they opt for defensive linemen with their picks, they won’t be going for 3-4 guys, and Watt’s size and skill set translates to playing end in the 3-4. The Cardinals (No. 5), 49ers (No. 7), Cowboys (No. 9) and Redskins (No. 10) are the only teams picking in the top 10 that run a 3-4.

Of those four teams, only two of them have a perceived need at defensive end, as both San Francisco and Dallas could address the position. That makes two teams in the top 10 potentially going after the draft’s star five-technique ends.

For Patriots fans hoping their team can secure Watt, that’s very good news. Assuming that both Dareus and Jordan are taken in the top 10 picks, something that isn’t a certainty, Watt’s potential slide to 17 is actually quite conceivable. Here’s a look at the teams picking before the Patriots after the top 10 picks. Read the rest of this entry »

After getting back from the combine last week with a plenty of impressions and takes on this year’s crop, it’s time we revisit the mock draft. As could probably expected, things are drastically different, including a big slide for Nick Fairley and the removal of Ryan Mallett.

The top pick remains the same (barely), but seven of the top 10 picks are different from what they were in the pre-combine mock draft.

1. Carolina (2-14) Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson If there’s one thing I came out of the combine thinking, it’s that this draft doesn’t have a sure-fire first overall pick – yet – and that the widely assumed 1 and 1a of Da’Quan Bowers and Fairley (in no particular order) will not necessarily represent this draft’s first two picks. As a result, I really wrestled at length in this spot between Bowers and UNC’s Robert Quinn. It will remain Bowers for now, or until he works out at his Pro Day, but Quinn was very impressive at the combine and despite not playing last season due to a suspension may be the best pass-rusher in this draft. The coolest thing about the possibility of Quinn going in the top slot? If he becomes the guy, the last two first overall picks (Sam Bradford, 2010) will have combined for just three games in their draft years.

LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson impressed at the combine. (AP)

2. Denver (4-12) Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU Another thing I learned (or became convinced of after initially suspecting it), is that there is a clear-cut best player in this draft, and by a decent margin. That player is Patrick Peterson. Broncos fans have long been treated to having an elite corner in Champ Bailey, and Peterson is the best cornerback prospect to come out in years. He absolutely crushed it at the combine, running a 4.34 40 and looking fantastic in positional drills. I repeat: Patrick Peterson is the best player in this draft.

3. Buffalo (4-12) Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M Miller is the real deal and would give the Bills the help at outside linebacker they so desperately need after two seasons of confirmation that Aaron Maybin is not the answer to their pass-rush woes. An experienced outside linebacker, he holds a real edge over tweeners for teams looking for more of a sure thing. His 4.53 40-yard dash time was second only to Dontay Moch for the best among the outside linebacker prospects.

4. Cincinnati (4-12) ) Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri Boy, that Carson Palmer sure doesn’t like the Bengals, huh? Palmer hasn’t spoken on the record since demanding a trade from the organization, and the recent news that he’s banked $80 million and is ready to retire might mean the Bengals should start looking for their next quarterback. This might be a little high for Gabbert, but he’s the best signal-caller in this draft and is far less of a project than Cam Newton.

5. Arizona (5-11) Robert Quinn, DE/OLB, North Carolina He came off as intelligent and – to a degree – accountable for his actions (accepting jewelry from an agent) that led to his season-long suspension, and that realistically is the only thing that could have kept Quinn from being considered a top prospect in this draft. Though he hasn’t played since his 11-sack sophomore season, he shouldn’t fall out of the top five as he continues to help teams cross out character concerns.

6. Cleveland (5-11) Nick Fairley, DL, Auburn This might not be the farthest Fairley ends up falling. He showed up at the combine shorter and slimmer than many had him as being, so 3-4 teams won’t have a place for the 6-foot-3, 291-pound defensive lineman. He would, however, be perfect for a team like the Browns, who are switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3. Fairley made a good impression on the media folk, but there are still big questions about his motor.

7. San Francisco (6-10) Marcell Dareus, DL, Alabama Dareus is the best five-technique prospect in the draft, and he did nothing to make anyone think otherwise at the combine. He’s experienced in Nick Saban’s 3-4, so if he’s available, the 49ers would be wise to snatch him up. They have a couple of questions on their defensive line, and this would answer one of them. Read the rest of this entry »

On Friday’s edition of Patriots All-Access, viewers will go behind the scenes at the 2011 NFL scouting combine, airing tonight on WBZ-TV at 7 p.m. and immediately following on Patriots.com.

All Access checks out where the Patriots put draft-eligible players through the interview process. In addition, NFL experts weigh in on the Patriots’ possible approach to next month’s draft, while Brian Lowe chats with Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio about the combine, the team’s scouting approach and the depth of the 2011 draft. And Patriots Football Weekly’s Paul Perillo and ESPNBoston’s Mike Reiss share their thoughts on the NFL labor negotiations.

Here’s a quick video preview:

Oregon wide receiver Jeff Maehl, seen here in the National Championship game against Auburn, posted a great time in the 3-cone drill this week. (AP)

One of the things the Patriots love to look at isn’t necessarily speed, but quickness. That’s why New England football fans should pay particular attention to what prospects — particularly wide receivers and defensive backs — do in the 3-cone drills this week. The Patriots have traditionally put a lot of stock — maybe more than most teams — in shuttle/cone drills in their pre-draft workouts. That’s not to say they would select a player based solely on what he did in one of the drills, but it would certainly cause New England to take notice.

(For a complete look at what the 3-cone drill entails, check out this exhaustive definition courtesy of NFL.com.)

To that end, lots of the relatively under-the-radar receivers (non first-rounders) they’ve targeted in recent years have all excelled in the agility drills. Julian Edelman had a 6.62 second time in the 3-cone drill as a collegian. Deion Branch was 6.71 (at the 2002 combine), Chad Jackson (at the 2006 combine) was 6.74 and Wes Welker was 7.06. (To give you some perspective, all of those performances would have put them near or in the Top 10 at this year’s combine.) That also translates to the defensive side of the football, as Devin McCourty’s 6.7 in the 3-cone drill at last year’s combine put him second among all corners.

Here are the Top 10 performances among all the wide receivers in the 3-cone drill. (The times for the defensive backs have not yet been posted.) It’s worth noting that many of these guys are not billed as potential first-round picks, so as a result, they could have drawn New England’s interest because of their performance this week.

1. Oregon’s Jeffrey Maehl (6.42)
2. Ohio State’s Dane Sanzenbacher (6.46)
3. LSU’s Terrence Toliver (6.48)
4. Mount Union’s Cecil Shorts (6.50)
5. Wake Forest’s Marshall Williams (6.61)
6. San Diego State’s Vincent Brown (6.64)
7. SMU’s Aldrick Robinson (6.65)
8. Hawaii’s Greg Salas (6.65)
9. Alabama’s Julio Jones (6.66)
10. Stanford’s Ryan Whalen (6.67)

(For what it’s worth, WEEI.com has already profiled Maehl as a “Potential Patriot.” Check out his information here.)

Temple defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson. (WEEI.com photo)

INDIANAPOLIS — There are a lot of big-name defensive linemen in this draft, and the Pats could be looking for a five-technique defensive end in the first couple of rounds.

The Patriots could have their pick of a few guys when they pick early on (most notably with their first three picks), and one guy who could make a sense based on size and experience is Temple’s Muhammad Wilkerson, who described himself Sunday as “a run-stopper, a well-charactered guy that won’t get into any trouble on and off the field.”

Wilkerson, who also could have pursued college basketball, played two years of the three-technique in the 4-3 at Temple before they changed to a base 3-4 in his junior year. There, he played the five-technique well enough to earn him a late-first-to-early-second-round grade.

“I can play both,” Wilkerson said of which scheme and psition he fits into best. “Any team that’s willing to draft me and want me to play three-technique, I can play that. If they want me to play 3-4 at the end, I can play that. I have no preference. Whatever the coach wants me to do, I’m going to be there.”

From his size (he measured at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds), the argument could be made that he’s better off staying in a 3-4 and being a rock on the end. Though his experience in a 3-4 is a plus, the fact that he has only one year of it means he’ll continue to develop once he gets to the next level. His technique is seen as his biggest weakness, and if he can clean that up, he could be a solid starter in the NFL.

“Improvement is the main thing. There’s always room for improvement,” he said. “I feel that with my ability now, going to an organization and getting with a defensive line coach, he can help me out and improve my technique.”

Wilkerson had 10 sacks as a junior. Draft know-it-all Mike Mayock said Sunday that he feels Wilkerson (as well as Cameron Heyward) could fall to the second round of the draft. With two picks in the round (including the first of the round at No. 33 overall) the Pats can easily get him if they want him. Now, it’s just a case of whether they do want him or, like so many who seemed to make sense before him, they don’t.

Chris Carter has been getting a boost in his preparation from a former Patriot. (AP)

INDIANAPOLIS — For years, Patriots’ fans have been wondering how they could go about replacing Willie McGinest. The quintessential outside linebacker/defensive end, his size, speed and smarts helped create the template for what to look for when it comes to edge rushers in New England. It’s no surprise that since he departed following the 2005 season, the Patriots have struggled to replace him.

Now, it turns out that McGinest is helping tutor the next generation. The former Patriot is working with Fresno State’s Chris Carter, a 6-foot-1½, 248-pound defensive end who projects as an outside linebacker at the next level. With the Bulldogs, Carter — the 2010 WAC Defensive Player of the Year — was among the national sack leaders as a senior. In 2010, he led the WAC with 11 sacks and made 16.5 tackles for losses. He was selected first-team All-WAC each of the last two seasons, and finished his career with nearly 200 tackles and 19.5 sacks.

Projected as a mid- to late-round pick, the combination of McGinest’s tutelage, New England’s inconsistent pass rush and the fact that he plays for a former Bill Belichick assistant at Fresno in Pat Hill have likely combined to land Carter on the Patriots’ radar screen.

“We’ve been working primarily on drops,” Carter said Sunday at the NFL scouting combine when asked about his time with McGinest. “I know how to rush the passer. That’s my big thing, work on drops and perfecting that, getting the hips loose. Making sure we go over the defenses 100 percent and I know everyone’s assignment. When you play defensive end, you pretty much only have to know the front-seven assignments, but as a backer, one thing they emphasized is making sure we know everyone’s assignment.”

While he doesn’t have the size that McGinest brought to the field — McGinest was 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds — Carter doesn’t sound worried that being “vertically challenged” would be a big problem at the next level.

“I’m not too worried about that,” Carter said. “I don’t really think height makes a difference, you’re trying stay low, you’re trying to get low when you rush the end. So I don’t really get concerned with that.”

LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson. (WEEI.com photo)

INDIANAPOLIS — LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson is the best prospect at his position in this year’s draft. That’s why he likes facing the best receivers.

Peterson, who measured at 6-feet, 219 pounds, allowed only one touchdown in his junior season, which was to Alabama’s Julio Jones. He had plenty of experience playing against Jones and Georgia’s A.J. Green, the top two receiver prospects in this year’s class, but he wishes he could have seen them even more.

“It could have been even better if I could have played those guys each and every week,” Peterson said Sunday. “In the NFL, there’s and Jones and Green each and every Sunday.

“I had a chance to go against Julio Jones three years straight, and I had a chance to go against A.J. Green two years straight.”

Peterson had seven interceptions over his three years at LSU, four of which came last season.