FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Draft questions: Patriots Hall of Fame finalist Logan Mankins was talking with his wife, Kara, recently when she asked, “What was your arm length?”
The answer: 33⅜ inches.
“It’s funny because my son is getting recruited right now and he’s been getting measured,” Mankins said. “My wife was like, ‘What was yours?’ and I’m like ‘Shoot, I don’t even know.’ I knew my hand was over 11, but I didn’t know what my arm [length] was.”
Mankins, the Patriots’ 2005 first-round draft pick who played nine seasons for the franchise and finished his career with two seasons in Tampa Bay, was a seven-time Pro Bowler and widely viewed as one of the greatest offensive linemen to ever play in New England — right there behind Pro Football Hall of Famer John Hannah.
He was a left tackle at Fresno State but moved to left guard in the NFL (outside of two emergency starts at tackle).
Mankins’ career is timely to revisit as the Patriots consider their options with the No. 4 pick in the NFL draft on Thursday (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN App). The Patriots top need is along the offensive line — specifically at left tackle, followed by guard and center — and LSU OT Will Campbell’s physical profile has sparked seemingly non-stop debate.
Campbell’s arm length measured 32⅝ inches at the combine, then 33 inches at LSU’s pro day.
It’s assumed that tackles with longer arms have a better chance at keeping defensive ends from getting into their chest, because they can be kept more at a distance due to the extended reach.
To some, that means Campbell would move to guard in the NFL, similar to Mankins (primarily because the Patriots had Matt Light entrenched at left tackle, and later Nate Solder) or 2016 third-round pick Joe Thuney (32¼ inches), who had played tackle at NC State.
To others, such as former Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, the shorter arms and 77⅜-inch wingspan don’t definitively mean a move inside to guard (a position that is traditionally not valued as highly as tackle).
ESPN NFL draft analyst Field Yates (who alongside Mel Kiper Jr. projected Campbell to the Patriots at No. 4 in their latest mock draft) said he hasn’t noticed Campbell’s arm length as an issue at tackle against top competition in the SEC.
Mankins, 43 and enjoying retirement at his Massachusetts farm, shared his viewpoint.
“It’s a definite benefit. I would have taken longer arms,” he said. “At tackle, some of those D-ends, you look at their arms and ‘holy smokes’ — they’re super long. You want to keep those guys away from you. The longer the arms the better.
“But there’s also guys with shorter arms who had great careers and were great football players. It’s a bonus to have the long arms, but the guys that know how to play well, they figure it out if they have a little bit of shorter arms.”
How the Patriots view Campbell’s arm length, through the prism of whether it affects his value as the possible pick at No. 4, is one of the top questions surrounding the team entering the draft.
Using that as a springboard, here are some other top Patriots questions:
Could Georgia linebacker/pass rusher Jalon Walker be a wild-card selection at No. 4?
Coach Mike Vrabel has said finding ways to affect the opposing quarterback is one of his top goals, and the versatile Walker brings it (34 pressures in 2024) while also earning high marks from scouts for his leadership — a trait Vrabel naturally values.
Do they double-dip along the offensive line?
It’s the top need, and it’s not really close.
How early will they target a running back?
It’s a draft loaded with rushers, and Vrabel has said the team would like to add to the position.
Where’s the value at DT?
With significant cap charges for Milton Williams and Christian Barmore this season and into the future, and a Vrabel-based history of using waves of personnel during games, balancing out the position financially with a rookie contract would make sense.
Who do they like as the No. 3 QB?
After trading Joe Milton III, there’s an open spot to be filled on the depth chart behind Drake Maye and Joshua Dobbs, with the likeliest odds that it comes on Day 3 or immediately after the draft in the free agent pool.
2. Mankins on Hall: This is the third straight year Mankins is a finalist for the Patriots Hall of Fame, with voting continuing through April on Patriots.com. Kicker Adam Vinatieri and receiver Julian Edelman are the other finalists.
“I don’t know if it will ever happen or not, but it’s an honor to be included every year,” Mankins said.
More from Mankins:
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Thoughts on the last couple years as a finalist: “Honestly, I don’t worry about it too much. Days go on. The last couple of years, the people who have gotten it, I was very happy for and they were well deserving. They’re good friends of mine; when you see Mike [Vrabel] and Vince [Wilfork] get in over you, there’s no hard feelings. And Dante [Scarnecchia], I was so happy that he was in there.”
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What he’s most proud of from his career: “I never give it too much thought, but when I hear ex-teammates or coaches talk about me, that’s what I’m the proudest of. Those are the guys who I wanted their respect, and that’s who I played for.”
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On playing the 2011 season with a torn MCL and a playoff game with a torn ACL in the other knee: “It didn’t bother me enough not to play. My job was to play football. If coach wanted me to be out there, I’d be out there. I wasn’t getting paid to watch on the sidelines.”
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On being traded to the Bucs in 2014: “Everyone knew what was going on. It was one of those things — the business side of football. Unfortunately there is that side. … I have no ill will. I had a great nine years here. Shoot, I still live in the area. I go [to the stadium] for events. I loved playing here. I loved playing for Bill [Belichick]. I loved playing with Tom [Brady] and numerous other teammates; some of the coolest guys I’ve ever known I played football with. I had a great time and I would do it all over again tomorrow.”
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How he would describe what he’s doing now: “Raising cows and farming hay and just having a great time watching my kids grow up to be — two of them young adults and two of them soon-to-be adults. It’s a great time in my life.”
3. Wolf’s steal: In reviewing what picks the Patriots own entering the 2025 draft, one NFC scout opined that the team’s extra third-round pick — No. 77 — is an “amazing” chip to have considering that New England acquired it from Atlanta last August in exchange for outside linebacker Matthew Judon. It was one of the best moves made by Patriots executive director of player personnel Eliot Wolf.
“Robbery,” the scout said.
4. Pick 4 in context: One shared viewpoint from interviews with an NFC scout and AFC scout is that the draft doesn’t have an abundance of elite players at premium positions, with a notable drop-off after cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter and linebacker Abdul Carter.
So while the Patriots should expect to land a starting-caliber player if they ultimately pick at No. 4, the grade of the player likely won’t match others selected in that spot in most prior years (assuming Hunter and Carter aren’t on the board).
5. Vrabel’s criteria: While Vrabel didn’t tip his hand on the team’s intentions with pick No. 4 in his pre-draft news conference Tuesday, he did acknowledge the team has assessed how prospects will handle lofty expectations.
“The demands on ‘first-round pick,’ I think, is something that’s just like the quarterback. You don’t have to be the face of the franchise, but everybody’s going to be talking about the first-round pick from the time we pick them … so that kind of gets carried with them. I think you have to have the attitude and demeanor to handle some of that.”
An AFC scout said he wouldn’t have any concerns with Campbell or and Walker in that regard.
6. Etienne report: The Patriots had Georgia running back Trevor Etienne on a pre-draft visit last week, which could reflect the team’s hope to add a “passing back” type alongside Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson.
One AFC scout noted Etienne (5-foot-8, 198 pounds) has that type of skill set, particularly when it comes to blitz pickup, while adding he would fit in a zone or gap scheme. Etienne projects as a third-to-fourth-round pick.
7. Farmer in trenches: Florida State defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (6-3, 305) was among those who visited the Patriots leading up to the draft, which puts him on the radar as a possible target within what scouts call a deep class at the position.
Farmer projects as a third-round pick, with an AFC scout noting his ability to create movement on bull rushes, win with quickness, and hold his ground against double-team blocks.
8. Voluntary camp: The Patriots have concluded Phase 1 of their voluntary offseason program, which is limited to strength and conditioning activities, with only strength and conditioning coaches allowed on the field.
Next, Vrabel and his staff will hold a voluntary veteran minicamp Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This is only allowed for new NFL head coaches, and Vrabel is taking full advantage.
One notable theme through the first two weeks has been the presence of Barmore as he hopes to return from a recurrence of symptoms from blood clots in December.
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Former NFL player Don Hasselbeck dies at 70
Don Hasselbeck, Super Bowl XVIII champion and father of Matt and Tim, dies at age 70.
9. Hasselbeck’s Patriots legacy: Longtime Patriots center Peter Brock (1976-1987) is planning to travel to Nashville early this week for memorial services for former University of Colorado and Patriots teammate Don Hasselbeck (1977-1983), who died last week.
Brock expects to connect with at least a dozen former Colorado teammates there, along with former Patriots teammates including John Hannah.
Asked his recollections of Hasselbeck’s time with the Patriots, Brock said: “They drafted him [in the second round] and we already had Russ Francis on the team at tight end. They weren’t trying to replace Russ with Donnie, as Donnie had a different type of skill set at the position, and a different type of work ethic than Russ. We called him ‘Russ Francis’ stuntman’ for a while, because he would go through the practices and then Russ would start on Sunday, with Donnie filling in. He was a good technician. He was a good blocker.
“But the other thing he gave us was kind of a leadership thing. He became our union rep and those were times we struck twice in his tenure here. It wasn’t like he was anti-management. It was more, ‘Let’s try to hold this whole thing together.’ That’s how he led; it wasn’t ‘us vs. them.’ He did very well with it and I think that was one of the reasons they traded him [to the Raiders].”
10. Did you know? The first round of the 2024 NFL draft lasted 3 hours, 36 minutes, which was shorter than 2023 (3:40) but longer than 2022 (3:18). Teams get 10 minutes per selection in the first round, seven minutes per selection in the second round, five minutes per selection in rounds 3-6 and four minutes per selection in the seventh round.
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