6 Patriots storylines to watch at the NFL Scouting Combine – Pats Pulpit
Filed under:The Combine takes place this week in Indianapolis.The first big event of the NFL offseason has arrived as teams head to Indianapolis for the Scouting Combine. With the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Combine will give the New England Patriots a first-hand look at the top prospects in this year’s class both on and off the field.Here are some of the top players and storylines to watch throughout the week for the Patriots.There may not be a better player in this year’s class than Colorado’s Travis Hunter. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is an elite athlete who also took home the awards for best wide receiver and cornerback in the country as a two-way player.His positional plan in the NFL, however, is the big question. While Hunter is a better cornerback at this stage, he may also be the best wide receiver prospect in the class. When it comes to the Patriots, they would likely benefit from him playing more on the offensive side of the ball due to their lack of talent at the receiver spot.Hunter is listed as a CB on the official Combine list, but may do some WR workouts over the week as he hopes to continue to play both ways in the NFL.The other big question atop the draft for the Patriots revolves around LSU left tackle Will Campbell. Campbell is viewed by many as the top offensive lineman in the draft, but that comes with plenty of projections at guard despite him playing over 2,500 snaps at left tackle over his collegiate career.The main reason for those thinking he’ll make the switch to the inside is due to his arm length. Campbell is expected to measure in at or under 33 inches — the extreme low end of the spectrum for offensive tackles in the NFL. For a Patriots team that needs offensive tackles, they’ll be paying close attention the Campbell’s measurements on Sunday.Unlike last year, New England won’t be spending their week in Indy meeting with the top quarterback prospects. That doesn’t mean they won’t be paying attention to them, however.Where things currently stand, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are the top consensus QBs in this year’s class. While some draft pundits don’t view them as plausible options atop the draft, New England would benefit from one or both QBs being selected prior to their first-round pick — then leaving Hunter or Penn State’s Abdul Carter available at No. 4.A strong week in the meeting rooms and on the field (Sanders will not participate in drills) from Ward and Sanders could help their draft stocks. While another quarterback (Will Howard, Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe) impressing could also help New England when it comes to their second selection.For the second straight year, Eliot Wolf is set to address the media at the Combine. New England’s Executive Vice President of Player Personnel is set to take the podium on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET.This will mark the first interview Wolf has held since training camp which leaves plenty of ground to be covered about not only the roster but the new front office setup with head coach Mike Vrabel and Ryan Cowden joining New England’s front office.As for Vrabel, the new head coach will be in attendance and will speak Tuesday morning at 10:15 a.m. ET.Much of the attention during the week is focused on the on-field measurements and workouts. But what happens off the field is just as an important part of the week in Indianapolis. In addition to medical tests, the Patriots will have extended time to meet with prospects one-on-one throughout the week as they continue to put their draft board together.With free agency also approaching, it’s a key week for deals to start to come together around the league with plenty of NFL executives in attendance. Markets may start to move and be established with teams’ internal free agents and trades targets.Beyond Hunter and Campbell, there will be plenty of prospects worth paying attention to over the week. Here are some other notable ones to watch:Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 21+ (18+ D.C.) and present in select states (for KS, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino). Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT) or visit FanDuel.com/RG.
