Tag: ronnie perkins

How does OU edge Ronnie Perkins fit with Patriots?

How does Ronnie Perkins fit with the Patriots?

Ronnie Perkins will be moving northeast to join the New England Patriots. The Patriots concluded Day 2 of the 2021 NFL draft by adding a defensive lineman. The man of the hour was Oklahoma EDGE Ronnie Perkins at 96th overall- the compensatory pick received for the departure of Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The battle begins in the tranches and Bill Belichick and Co. addressed the front unit. On many mock drafts and big boards, Perkins was a top 50 prospect and projected to go in the second round or early in the third. He fell to the late stage of the third round and the Patriots got a steal.

Belichick has always had a reputation for spotting talent and drafting well. Perkins certainly falls into that category. He was the only EDGE in college football to have a 90-plus grade as a run defender and pass rusher in 2020 per PFF. Perkins brings both flexibility and athleticism- two traits that Bill Belichick covets.

Perkins, a three-year starter at Oklahoma, lined up as a defensive end in Alex Grinch’s four-man front. He rushed standing up (two-point) or with his hand in the dirt (three-point) in certain looks. Perkins amassed 10.5 tackles for loss in six games in 2020. He has powerful hands to shed blockers and is quick off the ball. Consistently productive at Oklahoma and he will help boost New England’s run defense.

The Patriots’ run defense ranked 26th in the league in 2020 and Perkins will be an active run defender at the line of scrimmage. With the addition of Perkins and Christian Barmore, along with Davon Godchaux, Henry Anderson, Montravius Adams, and Lawrence Guy, the depth will improve the run defense in 2021.

Perkins can set the edge and move along the line of scrimmage to penetrate gaps in pursuit of ball carriers. New England uses a combination  of a one-gap and two-gap in the defensive line. The Patriots’ will likely go with more of a 3-4 base defense and Perkins could rush standing up in an outside linebacker/designated pass rusher role. His skillset allows the freedom for a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. Playing with guys like Matthew Judon, Dont’a Hightower, Chase Winovich, and Kyle Van Not will only elevate his game.

Social media reactions to Ronnie Perkins selection by the Patriots

A look at social media reactions to the Patriots drafting Ronnie Perkins.

The New England Patriots found help on the defensive side of the ball when they chose Ronnie Perkins with the No. 96 pick overall. Head coach Bill Belichick seems to always find ways to get quality picks in the middle rounds, or players that many believe should have been drafted early than they went. Now the Patriots have an edge defender who will be coming to Foxboro with a chip on his shoulder.

“Ronnie was a leader and impact player in our program for the last couple years.” Riley said in a released statement. “He’s really developed into an outstanding edge player. He’s equally good in pass rush as he is in defending the run game. He plays with an edge and an attitude that really takes a guy who’s talented and transforms him into becoming an even better player. I think he’ll certainly be a guy who will create a lot of problems on the edge at the next level for the Patriots.”

Perkins selection made him the highest-drafted defensive end for Oklahoma since Dan Cody in 2005 to the Ravens. Perkins was thankful for Oklahoma and the fans for his time in Norman, Oklahoma.

” I just want to tell OU fans thank you for the greatest three years of my life. Without them, I wouldn’t be a New England Patriot. The fans played a big part in me going to Oklahoma. I remember my official visit — 2017 vs. Texas Tech. I remember that exact moment, looking around the crowd and telling myself, ‘I’m coming to this university.’ The OU fans played a big part in my success and they helped me fight through adversity. So shoutout to everyone for sticking with me.”

Check out the Twitter reactions following his selection:

Bill Belichick offers detailed insight on how Patriots evaluate prospects in draft

If you want to know how the Patriots evaluate prospects, here’s some great insight.

Finding the right players in the NFL draft is an extremely complex process.

Different teams use different approaches and the New England Patriots have a system that’s very intricate and detailed. Bill Belichick was asked more about this process after Day 1 of the draft, but he shrugged off the question and said he was “not going to go through all the grades on everybody on the board.” During the final question following Day 2 of the draft, Belichick revisited the discussion and didn’t hold back with his answer.

Though he didn’t dive into the specifics, Belichick still gave the formula to how the Patriots evaluate prospects. Here’s the full response, transcribed by NESN’s Zack Cox.

“Not trying to be evasive about the grading and all that, but I would just say that we don’t grade players like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. That’s just not the way we do it. We use a combination of numbers, letters, colors, and those things all have different meanings depending upon what they would indicate about the player’s circumstances or situation or whatever it is that involved the players. And all the players are different, and a lot of them — you know, in the end, there really aren’t that many of them that come to a school, play their career there and leave. There’s things that happen in between and a variety of circumstances, and so we have ways to identify those.

“So sometimes, the color’s going override the number; sometimes, the letter is going override the numbers or the colors and so forth. And so it’s not, you know, this guy’s at an 85 and this guy’s at an 83. It just doesn’t work like that. There’s a number, a color, possibly a letter or letters that go with those players, and those things could all — depending upon what they represent — could all override something else that’s a part of the grade. So it’s just really the way we identify the player and tag the player is one that helps us classify.

“It’s just too hard to generalize and give a player an 85 grade or whatever and then — like, what does that mean? But if you can tag that grade — that number grade, whatever it is — with something that would indicate other things regarding injuries or how many schools he’s been to or whether he was a transfer or if he came out early or if he switched positions or so forth and so on, played at a lower level of competition. I mean, there’s dozens of things here that we could talk about. It becomes a pretty complex scale.

“So not trying to ignore with him what it is, but it would be impossible for me to sit here and explain the grade scale and how it works and interacts and all that. That takes, honestly, you know, months of, I would say, understanding between the scouting department and working through a lot of different situations to really be able to utilize it effectively so we can categorize players in the right, in what we feel is the right fashion.

“Not saying it’s right, but we do it so that we can identify things and have ways to work through players and their situations to try to have as fair and as good an evaluation on them as we can.”

So far the Patriots drafted quarterback Mac Jones, defensive tackle Christian Barmore and defensive end Ronnie Perkins.

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Instant analysis of Patriots drafting Ronnie Perkins in the 3rd round

Ronnie Perkins comes with significant risks.

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The New England Patriots took their biggest risk of the 2021 NFL draft when they took Oklahoma defensive end Ronnie Perkins at 96th overall in the third round.

Perkins put up an impressive level up production at Oklahoma, with 61 tackles, 32 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks. In 2020, he played just six games, but logged 23 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hurries and 5.5 sacks. But he missed five games in 2020 and one game in 2019 (a college football playoff game) due to a failed suspension.

He’s also on the smaller size for an edge player at 6-foot-3, 253 pounds. For a point of comparison, Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise is 6-foot-5, 275 pounds. Perkins compares physically better to outside linebackers Kyle Van Nay (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) and Josh Uche (6-foot-1, 245 pounds).

Here’s what Chad Reuter wrote about Perkins at NFL.com:

“Productive but undersized defensive end who might need to prove he can play standing for a 3-4 scheme. Perkins is tight-hipped and a very average athlete with production coming thanks to his hard-charging motor as well as Oklahoma’s slant-heavy defensive front. He’s tough but the lack of bend has a distinct impact on his anchor and contact balance at the point of attack. Despite some physical deficiencies, he plays with forward focus and the attitude to go find the football.”

The question with Perkins will be whether his tenacity will help him overcome his measurable shortcomings as he likely transitions from an in-the-trenches player to an off-ball outside linebacker. Surely, Belichick will focus on helping Perkins accomplish just that.

As for any character concerns that might stem from Perkins’ suspension, a product of a failed drug test, it’s likely he’ll have no shortage of mentors. The Patriots edge group is stacked with excellent leaders, including Wise, Van Noy and Chase Winovich.

With Perkins, the Patriots seem interested in the production. They’ll have to sort out the other questions about size and position once he’s in the building.

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4 players Texans can’t pass up at No. 67 overall in Round 3

The Houston Texans enter Round 3 making their first pick at No. 67 overall. Here are four players they can’t pass up in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Houston Texans enter Friday night, the second day of the 2021 NFL draft, ready to make their first selection.

The Texans won’t get to do so until Round 3 at No. 67 overall. By that point, some premium talent will have come off the board.

Nevertheless, general manager Nick Caserio and director of college scouting James Liipfert have done their homework to ensure the the Texans maximize their value in the third round.

“Our staff, James Liipfert and his staff and our area scouts, we have done a lot of work,” said Caserio. “We have done a lot of information. Again, when you’re watching a team, you might think, ‘Okay, this player is going to get picked in the first however many picks.’ But when you’re watching that team and evaluating that school, it’s not like you’re going to go through your evaluation process and say, ‘well, we don’t have a first or second round pick, this player is not going to be there, so we are not going to worry about him.’ It’s kind of negligent or irresponsible.”

Here are four picks the Texans need to take if they are at No. 67 overall.

2021 NFL draft: Best available options for Giants in Round 2

After a wild first round, the New York Giants still have plenty of needs to address in the NFL draft. Here’s a look at some Day 2 options.

The New York Giants were busy beavers in Round 1 of the 2021 NFL draft, but things will get no slower on Day 2 where the team holds two picks — one each in Round 2 and Round 3.

After addressing wide receiver on Thursday night, the Giants will likely turn to a different position on Friday night.

Here’s a quick look at several of the team’s Round 2/Day 2 options.

Where would Ronnie Perkins rank among draft prospects based on college production?

Ranking Ronnie Perkins among draft prospects based on college production.

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While the NFL draft is just days away, more last minite mock drafts and big boards are being produced by various media outlets. Four Oklahoma Sooners were listed on Daniel Jeremiah’s top 150 prospects list. However, those are based on how they project to the NFL level. What if you ranked prospects based on their college production?

CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson did exactly that for the top 32 prospects in the upcoming draft. Only one Sooners made the list with edge defender Ronnie Perkins.

No. 22: Ronnie Perkins, Defensive End

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Coming in at No. 22, Perkins narrowly edged out fellow Big 12 pass rusher Joseph Ossai.

We saw Perkins first flash as a freshman when he started seven of the final eight games of the year and finished as the team leader in sacks. He continued to be one of the team’s primary pass rush threats and then his value to the Sooners was evident when he missed the first five games of 2020. Perkins has the kind of havoc-inducing length you love to see in an edge rusher, and that showed up in 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in the final six games of the year when he was in the lineup.

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Four Sooners appear in Daniel Jeremiah’s top 150 draft prospects list

Four Oklahoma Sooners among Daniel Jeremiah’s final top 150 prospects list.

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The 2021 NFL draft is less than a week away. Former NFL scout and NFL Network draft expert, Daniel Jeremiah announced his final top 150 prospect rankings list. Four Oklahoma Sooners appeared among the talented group of NFL hopefuls: Ronnie Perkins, Creed Humphrey, Tre Brown, and Rhamondre Stevenson.

Jeremiah ranked edge Ronnie Perkins as the 44th best ranked player in this year’s draft class.

“Perkins is a powerful edge rusher with active hands and impressive instincts. As an edge rusher, he has a quick first step and he can quickly generate power without much of a runway. He has a wide variety of moves: push/pull, club, up-and-under and speed-to-power. (To see his pure power, watch what he does to Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins.) Perkins doesn’t have elite bend at the top of his rush, but he is a good finisher once he arrives at the quarterback. Against the run, he can stack and hold blocks on the front side, and he does a nice job of squeezing down from the back side. Overall, Perkins is a little undersized, but I love his combination of strength, skill and savvy. He should be an impact pass rusher as soon as he steps onto an NFL field.”

A three-year starter at Oklahoma, Perkins was disruptive off the edge in Alex Grinch’s multiple front from a two-point (standing up) and three-point (hands in the dirt) rush position.

Oklahoma center, Creed Humphrey, ranked in at No. 53 on Jeremiah’s list. He was the centerpiece in Lincoln Riley’s offensive attack as a three-year starter in Norman. Humphrey did not allow a sack in 37 career starts and his wresting background shows up on tape in his angles, anchor strength, and leverage. The left-handed center was responsible for setting protections and making calls at the line of scrimmage. Humphrey is a fundamentally sound player. He possesses great blocking range and thrives as a zone-blocking center with outstanding vision.

In addition, Oklahoma cornerback Tre Brown ranked in at No. 104 and running back Rhamondre Stevenson at No. 137 in Jeremiah’s top 150. All will get to experience their future changing this weekend as their names are called.

Cory Bonini’s 2021 NFL mock draft 4.0

Check out the final mock draft update for 2021.

Here’s my final 2021 NFL mock draft. I’ve projected a pair of trades inside of the top 10, each denoted with an asterisk.

We published more mock drafts and player profiles than ever before this year, so be sure to check our 2021 NFL Draft Central page to keep track of all of the offerings.

2021 NFL Mock Draft notables

  • In the last release, a projected Chicago-Atlanta trade gave the Bears their quarterback of the future. In recent weeks, I’ve come around to the idea of the Falcons taking Florida TE Kyle Pitts here. The offense will find ways to get him involved early on, and new head coach Arthur Smith is a former tight ends coach, so you know he’ll be excited to see what he can do with the phenom.
  • That doesn’t mean the Bears won’t make a deal to get into the top 10 for a passer. Carolina lessened its need for a cornerback after signing veteran A.J. Bouye, and I don’t see quarterback being a realistic option after the Sam Darnold trade — if for no reason other than politics. There is still a need for receiver help and a tight end upgrade, but both can wait. The Panthers and Bears swap No. 1 picks, in addition to Carolina picking up future choices for going down to No. 20, which enables Chicago to land North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance to learn in the short term behind Andy Dalton. Provided the GM and coaching staff survives, here’s their chance to get it right after whiffing on Mitchell Trubisky.

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  • I have the New England Patriots mocked for a trade with the Detroit Lions to get into the No. 7 spot to select Justin Fields, leapfrogging other quarterback-needy franchises that may be looking at dealing with Carolina for the eighth pick. Fields can learn for a year behind Cam Newton and then take over in 2022. Josh McDaniels’ system is notoriously complex, and there’s no need to throw Fields to the wolves in the upcoming season’s opening few weeks. If Newton struggles or gets hurt, then all bet are off as to when we’ll see the Ohio State product. I believe McDaniels will indeed replace Bill Belichick one day, and the current OC will have a say in which player he prefers to mold his playbook around.
  • The trade sends Detroit down to 15, where they can still land the best receiver remaining. It could be DeVonta Smith, if the Philadelphia Eagles find Jaylen Waddle to be a better fit for their plans. Waddle could “fall” a few spots and give Detroit the playmaker it likely would have chosen at No. 7.
Pick
 Team
Pos
 Player School
1
 Jacksonville Jaguars
QB
 Trevor Lawrence Clemson
2
 New York Jets
QB
 Zach Wilson BYU
3
 San Francisco 49ers (via MIA>HOU)
QB
 Mac Jones Alabama
4
 Atlanta Falcons
TE
 Kyle Pitts Florida
5
 Cincinnati Bengals
OT
 Penei Sewell Oregon
6
 Miami Dolphins (via PHI)
WR
 Ja’Marr Chase LSU
7
 New England Patriots* (via DET)
QB
 Justin Fields Ohio State
8
 Chicago Bears* (via CAR)
QB
 Trey Lance North Dakota State
9
 Denver Broncos
LB
 Micah Parsons Penn State
10
 Dallas Cowboys
CB
 Patrick Surtain II Alabama
11
 New York Giants
EDGE
 Jaelen Phillips Miami (Fla.)
12
 Philadelphia Eagles (via MIA>SF)
WR
 DeVonta Smith Alabama
13
 Los Angeles Chargers
OT
 Christian Darrisaw Virginia Tech
14
 Minnesota Vikings
OT
 Rashawn Slater Northwestern
15
 Detroit Lions* (via NE)
WR
 Jaylen Waddle Alabama
16
 Arizona Cardinals
EDGE
 Kwity Paye Michigan
17
 Las Vegas Raiders
LB
 Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah Notre Dame
18
 Miami Dolphins
RB
 Najee Harris Alabama
19
 Washington Football Team
CB
 Caleb Farley Virginia Tech
20
 Carolina Panthers* (via CHI)
OT
 Dillon Radunz North Dakota State
21
 Indianapolis Colts
DE
 Gregory Rousseau Miami (Fla.)
22
 Tennessee Titans
CB
 Jaycee Horn South Carolina
23
 New York Jets (via SEA)
RB
 Travis Etienne Clemson
24
 Pittsburgh Steelers
OG/OT
 Alijah Vera-Tucker USC
25
 Jacksonville Jaguars (via LAR)
S
 Trevon Moehrig TCU
26
 Cleveland Browns
WR
 Kadarius Toney Florida
27
 Baltimore Ravens
EDGE
 Zaven Collins Tulsa
28
 New Orleans Saints
CB
 Greg Newsome II Northwestern
29
 Green Bay Packers
OT
 Jalen Mayfield Michigan
30
 Buffalo Bills
EDGE
 Azeez Ojulari Georgia
31
 Kansas City Chiefs
OG/C
 Landon Dickerson Alabama
32
 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
LB
 Nick Bolton Missouri

*projected trade

Two former Sooners make USA TODAY Sports top 50 prospect rankings

Two Oklahoma Sooners make the list for USA TODAY Sports’ top 50 draft prospects.

USA TODAY Sports released their top 50 prospects for the 2021 NFL draft (subscription required) just a few days ahead of the annual event. Two former Oklahoma Sooners made the list among the top 50.

Sooners Wire takes a brief view of where both are slated on the top 50 big board.

No. 43: Creed Humphrey

At one point Humphrey was seen as a fringe first-round draft selection. The latest mocks put him in the late second round or into the third round after being viewed as the top center on day one.

What USA TODAY Sports Says…

A three-year starter who never gave up a sack, Humphrey is the picture of dependability. He won’t bulldoze many defensive tackles in the NFL, but he can keep blockers at bay with his well-rounded approach and know-how.

No. 50: Ronnie Perkins

Once Perkins returned to the team,  he played like a man possessed and helped improve the Sooners defense tremendously. Perkins would lead the team in quarterback hits and finished third in total pressures even though he played fewer games than the rest. He could prove to be an even better pro than he was at the collegiate level.

What USA TODAY Sports Says…

Flexibility and power are a winning combination for any pass rusher, and Perkins displays both in his slippery rush off the edge. If he improves his hand usage, he could be a pesky matchup for opposing offensive linemen.
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