A Patriots Fan's Draft Wish List: OT Kiran Amegadjie
Justin Casterline. Getty Images.Here's a little inside baseball for you all. In the Draft Pundit industry, you know you've gone way out there, out where the busses don't run, when you search for images of a prospect and can only find two of him in game action. The rest are all from his visit to the podium at the Combine. And the two you did find are from the battle of heavyweights that is Yale vs. Holy Cross. But I regret nothing.
In just under a week, Eliot Wolf gives his pre-draft press conference, which I intend to go to. And I imagine at some point he'll say he's looking for the best football players he can find, regardless of position. Because they all say that. For a GM to say he's drafting need over talent would be a like a candidate saying he has no intention of going to Washington to fight for working families. Even if he means it, he's keeping that to himself while he dreams of lobbyist parties filled with top flight escorts and buying up stocks of companies he regulates. And I'm sure when Wolf says it, he'll mean it. That he sincerely intends to draft the best talent he can and not go looking to fill holes on the roster. When your roster is in need of an upgrade all over the place, that is a sound strategy.
Well I'm putting offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie on my bridal registry because drafting him addresses both problems. He adds talent at an area of desperate need, the left tackle spot.
Bear in mind that this choice presumes two things. That the Pats will add a wide receiver with their second pick (one of the three I've already previewed) to pair with the obvious 1st round quarterback (Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye), and that they'll be drafting Amegadjie with the 68th pick. Where he will likely still be on the board.
According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Amegadjie is currently the 11th highest graded OT in this class, peaked as the 56th overall selection, and currently sits at 71. Putting him right into the Patriots' sweet spot and keeping in New England for the foreseeable future.
And there's a lot to like with him. I know I probably should avoid mentioning this, but Amegadjie seems like the ideal Bill Belichick pick. And since Wolf logged a lot of flight hours as copilot of Belichick's War Room, it's not a stretch to say they shared a vision of the type of linemen they like. Yes, the majority tended to come from Power 5 programs. As Bill Parcells always said, if you want big bodies, you tend to find them at the big schools. That tracks. But the Patriots have gone off the reservation to get O-linemen before. Cole Strange out of Chattanooga in the 1st two years ago being the prime example. Followed by Jake Andrews from Troy and Sidy Sow from Eastern Michigan in the 4th last year. In no way am suggesting the Ivy is the Sun Belt or the MAC. Just that Amegadjie is a legit pro prospect and projected 3rd rounder, who could easily slide into Foxboro and anchor the O-line for a decade the way Marcus Cannon (a 5th rounder) did 13 years ago.
Kiran Amegadjie, Yale. 6-foot-5, 323 pounds, 5.10 40-time, 36 1/8" arms
Positives: The first obvious, unavoidable trait about this guy is his size. Not just his height and weight but … how long, um, he can be when he, like, reaches up? (Forgive me, but I've found referring to another man's "length" super awkward ever since my unfortunate reaction in the deliver room when the midwife said my first son measured in at 19 1/2 inches long.) Check out Amedgamie's arm length. O-line coaches tend to value that measurable as highly as any, as it allows a lineman to control a defender in the run game and recover quickly if he gets beat on the initial move in pass protection. And a lot is being made of Georgia tackle Amarius Mims. With good reason. He's likely to go in the Top 20 of this draft. But he's got the same exact 36 1/8-inch arms as Amegadjie, despite being three inches taller. Look around the rest of the Round 1 OT projections and you won't find anyone close to that wingspan. But more than just physical size, Amegadjie is an imposing figure. With the power to put linebackers and safeties on their earholes and the lateral agility to stay in front of edge rushers and keep them at (his massive) arm's length. In 860 career passing snaps, he was accountable for only ONE sack. And just 20 hurries in all, more than half of which came in his first year as a starter. He combines play strength, balance, leverage and power. And there frankly aren't many more items listed in the requirements of the job. As an added bonus, he's smart enough to have gone to the Ivy League.
Negatives. He went to the Ivy League. Which is all well and good when you're hiring someone to manage your investments or stick it to your spouse in a messy divorce proceeding. But it's often less than ideal when you're hiring someone to open holes for your RB and keep your QB healthy. Speaking of healthy, Amegadjie only started the first four games before being lost for the season. Which probably explains why a guy with his size/speed profile isn't considered one of the top dozen or so at his position. Because of last year and the 2020 season being cancelled, he's only got 24 games of experience. As such, his game needs some refinement when it comes to footwork, hand-fighting and the billion or so nuances of the game. But all the tools are there for the right coach to build greatness with.
The Generic Equivalent of: Nate Solder. A rangy, smart, quick, technically proficient left tackle who protected the most important back in NFL history for seven seasons, played in 16 postseason games, and won two rings. You could do a lot worse with that 3rd round pick.
