NFL Draft Rumors: 5 players Patriots should take with Arizona pick
By John Buhler
On offense in 2015, it wasn’t just the offensive line that stunk on the Patriots. The running game was absolutely a non-factor once Dion Lewis got hurt. McDaniels opted to dink and dunk with Brady to effectively move the chains with a strong short game passing attack once running the football became an after thought at mid-season.
While the Patriots might feel pressure to take 2015 Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry with either of the second round picks to try to fix New England’s bad running game, Henry will only be as good as his offensive line is in the NFL and really only grades out as a north-to-south bell cow back with little lateral agility.
If New England did want to go with a tailback at No. 60 or No. 61 the Patriots may want to consider Louisiana Tech’s star running back Kenneth Dixon. Dixon’s stock is climbing exponentially since his dominating bowl game and his impressive combine.
Dixon had 802 carries for 4,483 yards and 72 rushing touchdowns in four years with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. He also had 87 career receptions for 969 yards and 15 touchdowns as a true dual-threat running back.
This guy is going to help someone win their fantasy football league the next few years and it would be wise for the Patriots not to let Dixon get into the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft by making him at least their No. 61 overall selection this spring.
Next: 1. Will Fuller