Patriots Draft Profile: Could Prospect’s Talent Overrule Team Fit?

The New England Patriots have bigger fish to fry, which is something we need to admit before floating a potentially asinine idea.

We just can’t help ourselves.

Mike Vrabel and Terrell Williams plan to deploy some new ideologies during their second stint working together, with the latter planning to bring speed and aggression to the defense. New England already did a decent job of adding players who fit the mold during free agency, but Milton Williams, Harold Landry and Robert Spillane could still use supplementary pieces around them.

Jack Sawyer would be a great option, wouldn’t he?

Yes, he would, but how smart of an idea is it to spend premium draft capital on defense when you have so many needs on the other side of the football? Let’s discuss:

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OVERVIEW

Ohio State knocked off Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame during a dominant run to winning the 2024 College Football Playoff.

Sawyer was the face of it.

The Buckeyes always knew he was capable of becoming the leader of their defense but needed to wait until his final season before a true breakout took place. Sawyer finished with career highs in sacks (9), tackles (59), tackles for loss, (11), pass deflections (7) and forced fumbles (3) — all while doing it against future top-end picks like Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr. and Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr.

“Captain Jack” became a legend for his play down the stretch, all while showcasing leadership qualities you can only hope a player as talented as him will have. It’s tough not to like the person… but what about the prospect?

NFL SCOUTING COMBINE

Sawyer didn’t test at the combine, though he did get measured in and ran on-field drills.

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 260lbs
Hand: 9 3/4″
Arm: 31 3/4″

STRENGTHS

Sawyer has all the intangibles you’re looking for out of an early-round draft pick, whether it be his leadership abilities, willingness to sacrifice for the team or play recognition.

You won’t have to worry about the kind of guy you’re getting.

It’s also extremely rare to find a prospect who is so advanced in their development. Sawyer has some of the best pass-rush moves of anyone in this class, with his bull-rush and cross-chop serving as some of the most devastating individual moves in college football. Ohio State also relied on him in an early-down role, where he was an extremely effective run defender from the backside and set a consistent edge.

WEAKNESSES

Sawyer’s arms are extremely short, which you probably know by now is a sticking point for many people.

Carl Lawson and Markus Golden are two notable pass-rushers who found success with similar arm length, but the rest of the list isn’t very promising. The NFL doesn’t have many players with short arms and a below-average get-off turning into superstars.

WHAT MAKES HIM SPECIAL?

Sawyer is the kind of player you’d hate to see get picked up by one of the contending teams at the back end of the first round — the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, etc.

There’s a reason that’s where he’s projected to be taken, though.

Sawyer is a luxury player, who brings all the things that could help a team push itself over the top but might not necessarily be worth taking for a team looking to climb into contention. The Patriots, for instance, should be using their premium picks on players who have traits that can be developed, not high-floor players.

We like the player, but not in this spot.

If you’d like more individual profiles, check out the full series.