The 22nd pick is in and SB Nation’s Patriots community, Pats Pulpit, has selected...
NFL Mock Draft, Pick 22: Patriots Select Jared Odrick, DE Penn State
Penn State DE Jared Odrick
The Patriots have two definite needs in this draft - a solid 3-4 DE and a solid 3-4 OLB. This draft is extremely deep with 3-4 pass rushers, but no so much with space-eating, double-team-commanding, run-stuffing 3-4 defensive ends. Due to the position demographic of this draft, the New England Patriots must draft a 3-4 DE, and Penn State’s Jared Odrick is a versatile player who fits this need.
Odrick has tremendous power and strength and a good motor to go with it. When he is on his game, he is unblockable. Several teams tried to contain him with double teams all year long with little or no effect. He loves to initiate contact and uses his hands well to fight off the blocker and gain leverage. There’s a reason why Jared Odrick is listed as most experts as a first round draft pick. I won’t say he’s as good as Ndamukong Suh, but he’s in that category.
That’s some high praise from Black Shoe Diaries. This is one of the most common picks for the Patriots here. With the loss of Seymour, the Pats need to find another 3-4 defensive end for the future and Odrick can provide that. There’s some concerns about his leadership but his physical skills may outweigh that.
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