Patriots Draft Duke Dawson. Did Old Balls Do It Again or Did Old Balls Do It Again??
Whelp. Another season, another spot on draft prediction by The Belichick Whisperer. Not two days ago, this is what I said previewing the Patriots potential cornerback prospects:
Duke Dawson, Florida. 5-11, 197 lb, 4.46
If you look at the list of cornerbacks the Patriots met with, you’d be hard pressed (Safety tip: Avoid being pressed hard) to find names that show up in the major scouting publications. Josh Jackson is one. Dawson is the other. With the Gators he played behind early picks Vernon Hargreaves, Quincy Wilson and Teez Tabor, and earned enough playing time both at safety and nickel to appear in 11 games as a true freshman and every game as a sophomore. He’s a little stocky for a corner. But then again, they said Luke was a little short for a Stormtrooper and he saved his galaxy four times (and counting). He plays above his size with a good first punch that he follows by getting into his backpedal and hip turn to mirror route runners. Last season he led Florida in interceptions with four, made first team All-SEC and then parlayed that into a great week at the Senior Bowl. That stocky build helps him be a solid run-force defender and a reliable tackler. Christian Kirk of Texas A&M is considered by most to be the best slot WR prospect in this draft and Dawson threw an Invisibility Cloak (second Harry Potter reference FTW) over him. Dawson has a reputation for being a selfless, team-first guy with a good football IQ who can identify route combinations and handle the complex pattern reading zone concepts taught by guys like Saban and Belichick.
Who the Patriots Will Draft: Duke Dawson. I’ve seen mocks where he goes as high as 48, but as low as 98. If teams pass on him due to his size and the fact he’s not a true outside the numbers corner, I can definitely see the Pats moving around the Day 2 draft board to grab him. In spite of my Pennywise-level fear of guys from U. of Florida, he’ll fit in perfectly as a slot corner and the Robber role, as well as become a core-4 special teamer from Day One. Duke Dawson is the pick.
So let’s just add this spot-on analysis to the times I predicted they’d take everyone from Brandon Spikes to Darius Butler to Dont’a Hightower to that guy who hung himself in prison.
But that’s neither here nor there. I’m not here to brag about my own accomplishments. I’m just here to wonder why anyone would put any stock in the writings of any other so-called draft pundit. Those guys are career football writers who studied sports journalism. I’m an ape with a laptop who went to state school who bangs on my keyboard with one paw while rubbing my furry penis with the other. And yet year in and year out I know what the Pats will do when they don’t.
But again, I’m not here to brag. I’m a quiet hero. But where’s my parade?