The Patriots Have the Consensus No. 1 Draft Class of 2025, but Their Next Folk Hero is UFDA Lan Larison
Like every other sentient creature in New England (except for those who are contrarian just for the sake of being contrarian), I'm happy with the haul of draft picks the Patriots came away with. Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf addressed areas of need that had been neglected. There was none of Bill Belichick's worst instincts for being too clever for our own good. With surprise picks, reaches, hunches, and drafting guys no one had ever heard of. (A few years back, he drafted the first guy ESPN didn't have a highlight package for.) The Vrabel-Wolf administration did none of that in their first draft. Just solid picks in areas of need. All either when they were expected to come off the board or much later.
Which is earning them praise across the board, from Steven Cheah's A- grade to The Athletic ranking them No. 1:
Source - Favorite pick: Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State
The Patriots drafted four offensive players in the top 100, all of whom project as early starters. I could make a case for any of the four as my favorite of the haul, but I’ll go with Williams because of the impact he’ll bring to the passing game. Josh Downs was Drake Maye’s go-to target during Maye’s best college season, and Williams can become that type of weapon (and help correct New England’s Ladd McConkey miss).
Day 3 pick who could surprise: Bradyn Swinson, Edge, LSU
Craig Woodson can be a starter down the line, and Joshua Farmer should become part of the defensive line rotation. But Swinson, as a subpackage rusher, might have the quickest impact. New England ranked dead last in sacks last season, so Swinson should get opportunities to use his speed and flexibility to win off the edge.
To this compilation of all the major members of the Draft Punditry elites, where they graduated with the highest GPA in the league:
Now, a cynical man might point out the Pats got the same ranking for the disastrous 2019 class of N'Keal Harry, Joejuan Williams and Chase Winovich. But such pessimism has no place in Foxboro right now.
No, we're gathered together in this post-draft place, in the sight of the Krafts, to celebrate this collection of rookies. In particular, one of the free agents they added at the conclusion of the 7th round. This frigging guy:
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Lan Larison. Who quickly made the list of best UDFA signings:
And for good reason. Larison was an all purpose production machine for the UC Davis Aggies. He's 6-feet-even, 215 pounds. Over the past two seasons he combine for 2,581 rushing yards, 5.6 YPA and 30 touchdowns, in just 22 games. And last season alone added 853 receiving yards on 65 receptions, a 13.1 yard average. If that's not enough, here's the reason next Christmas kids from Vermont to Rhode Island, from the northern tip of Maine to whatever part of Connecticut is the border between civilization and Giants fans, will be finding Lan Larison jerseys under the tree:
Moreover, he not only has a name like a cowboy out of one of those shows they play on the Radio Classics station, he is an actual fricking cowboy. A rodeo champion at that:
"In high school, he was the number one steer wrestler in the United States."
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Does it get any more American than Larison? Champion rodeo star who goes on to play big time football and finds his way to the pros. He's not just some prospect. He's a fictional character come to life. Something out of a 1950s book written for Midwestern farm boys to read and then hide in the corn crib so they don't get caught skipping their chores. The guy they'd do a movie about to show on The Wonderful World of Disney to remind American kids their country is better than everyone else and we need to keep standing strong against the Commie Red Menace.
And in signing a rodeo star, Vrabel and Wolf are keeping up one of Belichick's better traditions, which is finding talent in the most unlikely places. Stephen Neal was a college wrestler who never played football until he was recruited to come to Foxboro, and had a nine-year career as a guard. Chris Hogan was a lacrosse player at Monmouth before winning two Super Bowls. Nate Ebner played rugby, who only played in special teams for Ohio State football. But still got drafted, thanks to a recommendation from then-Buckeyes assistant Mike Vrabel. All he did was play for a decade, join the Patriots 3-Ring Club, and play for Team USA Rugby in the Olympics. He also tried, and failed, to turn sprinter into a Patriots WR, but his future was limited to the track, where he won silver at the 4x100 Relay in London, 2012.
But now this regime is looking to carry on that proud tradition with a rodeo champion. Just to add a little Yellowstone-style manliness to a locker room that's already a vast improvement over last year. I just cannot wait to see this guy at minicamp.
Go, indeed. A folk hero is born. What an offseason this has been.