Cross, Hawkins, And Bolden, Three Safety Prospects

Nick Cross Safety Maryland standing 6'1" on a 210 pound frame.

Former track star possessing elite defensive back speed. Should be able to use his track abilities to earn a spot on special teams.

Can be used in a multitude of was as a safety and has the versatility to play multiple defensive back roles. Capable of playing both zone or man coverage. Knows how to play the ball whether it's punching at it or trying to deflect it.

Cross needs a little development to fine tune his tacking ability. And his recognition skills need to improve also. Has been accused of not giving full effort at times.

Brad Hawkins Michigan standing 6'1" on a 221 pound frame.

Needs to let the play develop a little in front of him before he reacts. And his role as a safety at the pro level has been called into question but he is a true defensive back.

He's capable of playing man against tight ends and can play the zone but will need further development as a zone defender. He does not play to get turnovers.

Not a guy teams are going to want to be a slot defender. Capable of coming up and being an extra linebacker. Plays at game speed which might be concerning for some NFL scouts.

NFL comparison Rayshawn Jenkins projected as a day three selection. Will need to come in as a backup and earn his stripes.

Bubba Bolden Safety Miami (FL) standing 6'3" in a 200 pound frame.

Intelligent player who trusts his instincts too much and can get beat. A willing and intelligent tackler who needs to do a better job at getting to the ball carrier. Can develop into the defensive play caller.

A true safety capable if causing scheme nightmares for offensive coordinators. Should be able to be a back defensive back if teams need help in other secondary roles. Might not want him covering the number one or two option alone.

Capable of making tackles and will go after the ball, batting it down or punching at it. Can be a little stiff which leads to him getting beat in both the passing and running game.

Injury history has hurt his production and thus his draft stock. Compared to Chris Conte, he's another day three prospect.

Verone McKinley III Oregon Scouting Report

Verone McKinley III Safety Oregon standing 5'11" on a 195 pound frame. 

Intelligent knows how to breakdown what's he's seeing but will occasionally make a bad read or free lances and get caught out of place. Capable of playing multiple roles in the secondary. Knows how to attack the ball. 

Plays well in zone coverage and can hold his own in man. Not the fast guy, he's not going to be covering Stefan Diggs. He's a hawk. 

Good open field tackler. Not a liability in the run game. Does a good job at bring down the guy once he makes contact. With that said, he's not a guy teams are going to want to sub as a linebacker often. 

But the key is stringing everything together. His angles to the ball. Making sure he gets free from blockers. The extremely bad thing is he doesn't appear to have much of a special teams upside.

NFL comparisons Damon Webb, Richard LeCounte and Buddy Baker. He projects to be a late day two to day three guy. 

My Top Three Patriots Prospects Per Position And How They Stack Up To Another Popular Board

I was curious how my draft board stacks up against other boards. Lazar and Barth said they use NFL Mock Draft Data Base. Looking at my top three per position, here's how my Patriots's fit boards stack up against a professional or semi professional board.

Quarterback: This isn't a position of need for the Patriots but I would like them to draft a backup for Mac. I have Dustin Crum, he's a better passer then given credit for. Reminds me of Tyrod, conservative and doesn't put the ball at risk. Which is why people hate Tyrod as a starter and why they knock Crum. I guess today's fans like throwing into tight coverage and turning the ball over. So glad that's not the style the Patriots like.

Sleeper: Dustin Crum ranked 378, peaking at 267.

Running Backs: I think the Patriots need a receiving back that can help on special teams. Someone that can challenge James White, Brandon Bolden, and J.J. Taylor. 

1) Kenneth Walker ranked 61, peaking at 38.

2) Wan'Dale Robinson (WR convert) ranked 57, peaking 57.

3) C.J. Verdell ranked 245, peaking 98.

Sleeper Pick: Zonovan Knight ranked 187, peaking 86

Long Shot: Calvin Turner Jr. ranking N/A

Receiver: The team needs a true X as a number 2, not a guy that always has to be forced the ball from the X. And could use a true number one at the Z or Slot which fits better into their offense. The guys I like can play all three roles to varying degrees.

1) Chris Olave ranked 24, peaking at 8.

2) Garrett Wilson ranked 12, peaking 8.

3) Jahan Dotson ranked 30, peaking 19.

Sleeper: Jerreth Sterns ranked 263, peaking 150.

Tight End: again another position the Patriots don't really need but if the guy is there, I think he could give Asiasi or Keene a competition.

Talent Grab: Trey McBride ranked 44, peaking 36.

Offensive Tackle: This is mainly tackle. If they have ability to play inside, that's a bonus but I'm not looking at that. Brown and Wynn made 2021 he'll on the team.

1) Evan Neal ranked 1, peaking 1.

2) Trevor Penning ranked 26, peaking 19.

3) Kenyon Green ranked 23, peaking 6.

Sleeper: Luke Tenuta ranked 253: peaked 168.

Defenders Tackle: Barmore is a good pass rushing defensive tackle but he's not Vince Wolfork or Danny Shelton when it comes to the run. Thus the team needs more interior help.

1) Jordan Davis ranked 20, peaking 1.

2) Phidarian Mathis ranked 50, peaking 46

3) Devonte Wyatt ranked 35, peaking 35

Talent Grab: Neil Farrell ranked 149, peaking 112.

Linebacker: The middle of the line needs fixing. I would move Hightower to the end if he's back in 2022 but the middle needs speed and youth. Maybe it's McGrone, I don't know.

1) Devin Lloyd ranked 18, peaking 9

2) Leo Chenal ranked 109, peaking 68.

3) Alex Wright ranked 339, peaking 79.

Sleeper: Aaron Hansford ranked 162, peaking 159.

Cornerback: Who knows what's going on with J.C. Jackson. The Patriots need a good outside corner across from him and if he doesn't return, they need a number one outside corner.

1) Derek Stingley ranked 6, peaking 1.

2) Ahmad Gardner ranked 8, peaking 8.

3) Roger McCreary ranked 33, peaking 27.

Sleeper: Kalon Barnes ranked 283, peaking 107.

Safety: D-Mac might not be back. The team hasn't been the same at safety since Harmon left and I wouldn't move Dugger over. Maybe Mills but I think they like him in rotation with Dugger.

1) Kyle Hamilton ranked 5, peaking 2.

2) Jaquan Brisker ranked 42, peaking 34.

3) Daxton Hill ranked 34, peaking 21.

Sleeper: Jaylen Foster ranked 367, peaking 214.

Punter / Kicker: Jake Bailey is going to cost the Patriots and might be a candidate for a trade. And the Patriots have been looking to replace Nick Folk. So I have a guy that can do both.

1) Matt Araiza ranked 246, peaking 167.

Overall, I think my top three per position are within reason for the Patriots and seem to be ranked decently. I went with one extra prospect at running back because Robinson is technically a receiver. Typically I focus on rounds 4 through UDFA prospects. I get made fun of for that. When your team drafts at the end of every round, expecting to get a top 20 or even top 50 pick is unrealistic. With the Patriots drafting two years in a row in the middle third, I was afforded the ability to look at top 64 players, instead of a handful in the top 100.

Bryan Cook Cincinnati Scouting Report

Bryan Cook  safety from Cincinnati standing 6'1" and weighting 203 pounds. A few extra pounds wouldn't hurt.

An intelligent safety who has ideal tackling abilities. Capable of playing multiple defensive back roles and able to help on special teams. A former cornerback and has the ability to cover tight ends.

Free Safety who has average instincts in coverage. Better in zone coverage than man. And writer's aren't happy with his ball production. He's better in intermediate and deep coverage then near the line.

His run stopping ability is excellent entering the next level but there is still a little room for improvement. Needs a strong pro day or combine as his speed has been called into question. 

His NFL comparisons are Jaylinn Hawkins, Julian Blackmon, and  Sheldrick Redwine. No I am not making that last name up. And he's a development early day three projection who should be a starter before the end of his rookie deal.

How Much Should J.C. Get Paid?

One of the things Patriots nation agrees on is that the Patriots need to re-sign J.C. Jackson. Unlike most of my fellow fanbase, I don't think J.C. Jackson is worth $18 million. I've said multiple times that J.C. was an elite number two or a lower end number one. Having Stephon Gilmore and the AFC East helped J.C. look good. And I don't think he was great in 2021 without Gilmore.

My ideal is Jones would get number 14 - 16 range salary with incentives. I don't think the Patriots would offer that because Jackson is going to want more. So what I would offer him is number 7 - 9 money with incentives and if he doesn't except tag him and hope for the best.

I don't think Jackson is going to want to sign the tag and I think a trade will be coming. In that case I would offer Gilmore a contract with number 10 to 16 money for one year and bringing back Butler on Jalen Mills money for a year.  I would then draft a corner to develop for a season in the draft.

Does Jackson deserve the money? He's defended 53 passes and come down with 25 interceptions. He's also made 158 tackles with a forced fumble. He allowed 2.7 catches a game worse than Xavier Howard and both Jackson and Howard allowed 1.6 yards of seperation. He was 3rd in pass breakups with 18. He was ranked 19 in catches allowed with 53.3% and his coverage rating was 14th. And his 13.7 yards per reception was bad. Ranking him 68th.

I think Howard has suffered from playing on Miami. And although Jackson's analytics put him around Howard, I think Howard was handicapped by his team. Thus, No I don't think Jackson is worth the money. Jackson should not be given top 10 money and should stay in the top 16 range but that's just me. We'll have to see what Jackson and the Patriots wanna do but until then, all we got is opinions.

Lewis Cline Georgia Scouting report

Lewis Cine Georgia 6'1" 200 LBS

Inteligent and versatile safety who can play any defensive back position and could be used as an extra linebacker. Solid tackler good in run defense but will occasionally tackle too high. Projects as possible gunner at the next level. 

Has good instincts in zone coverage and is okay with man coverage. Will need development with his coverage skills as he plays better with a cushion.

Can get caught out of position due to losing track of the ball and needs to better focus to avoid penalties. Other minor tweaks to his game are needed.

Cline maybe better suited for the strong safety but don't knock his skills as a free safety. Some scouts think he may need to add some weight to his frame.

His nfl comparison is Kenny Vaccaro and he's currently expected to be day 2 selection. With the Patriots draft position, it would not be surprising to see them trade out of the first and Cline could be a good addition to bolster the safety unit.

Daxton Hill Michigan Scouting Report

Daxton Hill Safety Michigan standing 6' with a 195 pound frame.

Concerns about work ethic on the field, which is unfortunate because he has good intelligence for a safety. And the understanding on how to play multiple DB positions.

Aggressive defender. Might not always bring down the ball carrier but he'll try and that allows his teammates to assist. Needs to add weight.

Runs a reported 4.3 and has the quickness to keep up with slot receivers as well. Seems to always know where the ball is and defends it well. And plays both zone and man adequately but is better in zone coverage than a man.

Will try to make plays that can be costly. Occasionally plays with his back to the quarterback. And doesn't win enough 50/50 balls.

For as good as he is, he needs development on some minor things that NFL quarterbacks are going to take advantage of. His NFL comparisons are Devin McCourty, M.J. Stewart and Jabrill Peppers. Should be a day two selection. 

Jaquan Brisker Penn State Scouting Report

Jaquan Brisker safety Penn State standing 6'2" and weighting 200 pounds. 

Free Safety who can play multiple defensive back roles and has special teams value. Equally functional in both zone and man coverage. Needs to improve downfield coverage. And occasionally takes bad angles. Has the potential to be another shutdown DB. 

Intelligent player able to read and make adjustments. Reacts well as the play progresses. Another quarterback of the defense. Plays the ball well and has room for growth. 

Old school hard hitting safety who needs to settle down as ball carriers take advantage of his aggressive style of tackling. Should be a three down safety.

Does well in coming up and stopping the run. A true three down safety. Good as a blitzing defensive back. Capable of playing a WILL.

Not as developed as Hamilton, will need a year ir two to become a star. His Nfl comparisons are Michael Jenkins, Reshad Jones, and Harrison Smith. A mid to late first round projection. 

Kyle Hamilton Notre Dame scouting report

Kyle Hamilton Free Safety from Notre Dame stands 6'4" and weights 220 pounds. 

Prototype player who should be a day one starter. A leader who is extremely smart player who can read an opposing team as well as any quarterback he'll play across from.

Elite zone coverage defender who could use some development with his man coverage as he may draw some defensive holding penalties in the pros.

Solid tackler capable of bringing down running backs and giving tight ends fits in coverage. A player offenses will have to account for in blitz protection.

Linebacker, safety, corner, name the defensive position and he can play it. Capable of leaving players on an island. He can be overly aggressive and will need to learn to not to be so eager.

He's capable of knocking the ball away or coming down with it on any play in his area. Teams are going to think twice about throwing into his area. He's a shutdown corner at free safety.

Dangerous gunner abilities, although he should be a day one starter at safety, his special teams play guarantee he'll play early and often if he doesn't win the starting job immediately. 

One concern is can he continue his high level of play? Apparently he only had one truly elite season. He also has suffered some damage to his knees. Which is about the only thing that could see him fall unless he has red flags hidden.

His Nfl comparisons are Derwin James, Isaiah Simmons, and Sean Taylor. He's projected to go in round one, the Patriots may need to move up but if he's available when the Patriots pick later in the Draft, he's a no brainer.

Day Three Receiver Candidates In The 2022 Draft

Not every guy is going to be drafted in the first 4 rounds. Some people are a late day 3 or UDFA prospect. These are the dark horses and sleepers. Maybe one of these guys can find a way onto the Patriots roster in 2022. 

Jaquarii Roberson wideout from Wake Forset stands 6'1" and weights 182 pounds. Played in 29 games haulling in 146 catches for 2158 yards with 17 touchdowns.

Shifty with good change of direction. Z receiver capable of playing the slot or the X. Good at finding yards after the catch. Excells at the jump ball, capable of making highlight reel catches. Decent route runner. Not a contested catch guy. Average route runner, needs development. Potential to be a number 3 or 4 with proper development. Projects as a sixth round. 

Velus Jones Jr. Tennessee stands 6' on a 200 pound frame. Played in 59 games hauling in 120 catches for 1434 yards and 11 touchdowns. Got 15 carries averaging 3.9 yard per carry with 1 touchdown. He also had 122 kickoff returns with a 24.4 yard average and 2 touchdowns.

Burner speed with slot agility and acceleration. Has big Play Ability. Good route runner with a large catch radius but inconsistent hands. Will drop or fumble in contact. 

Okay at getting separation in single coverage. Good with breaking tackles and getting yards after catch. Decent run blocker. Z receiver who needs to work on increasinng his route tree. Can lineup in the slot or the X.

Provides extra value as a return man and has gunner potential at the next level. Projects as an early day 3 guy and his NFL comparison is Ray-Ray McCloud.

Jequez Ezzard Sam Houston State stands 5'9" and weights a hefty 190 pounds. The wideout played in 23 games, hauling in a whopping 118 catches for 2529 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also fielded 52 punt returns with a 11.7 yard average to go with 28 kickoff returns for a 24.3 yard average.

Known for being a return specialist. Who primarily plays the slot but is a dangerous deep threat which is why he projects as a Z in the NFL. Dangerous after the catch and in space. Quick with good route running and the natural ability to seperate. Not physical and will need to get developed. The Draft Network called Ezzard "a big Play waiting to happen." Ezzard is a 6th round projection with rumored 4.3 speed.

Jalen Virgil Appalachian State wideout. Stands a staggering 6'1" and weights a massive 210 pounds. Played in 54 games, hauling in 98 catches for 1436 yards and 11 touchdowns. Had 16 carries with a 3.4 yard average and 1 touchdown. Fielded 38 kickoffs averaging 30.1 yards with 3 touchdowns.

Track star who runs a 4.26 forty time. Has good hands but will drop the occasional easy reception and is a deep threat but is raw and needs development. Can lineup as the X, Y, or Z receiver. Has a a good high jump. Does well at breaking tackles. Projects as a mid to late day 3 pick.

Jared Smart Hawaii is an average height of 6' and a small 190 pounds. Smart played for two schools with a combined 49 games for 202 catches with 2497 yards -and 15 touchdowns. He also had a handful of returns.

Hurt by playing under Todd Graham, Smart projects as a 7th round - udfa. Good route runner who’s made his share of circus catches with good hands. Smart can be a deep threat but he's better in the short to intermediate area and has the quickness of a slot.

My ideal role for him is the flanker. Smart has a habit of occasionally catching with his body and uses his hands to get seperation. Smart will make his money as a reliable depth guy and return man. Smart will never be more than a number three but there are plenty of guys that have decent careers as backups. What he brings is worth a camp invite at the least.

Justin Hall Ball State slot frame standing 5'9" and weighting 186 pounds. He played in 54 games. Hauling in 318 catches for 3385 yards and 18 touchdowns. He's also dangerous in the backfield with 122 carries and a 7.1 yard average with 10 touchdowns. He fielded 36 kickoffs for a 26.1 yard average and a 1 touchdown. He also fielded 21 punt returns with an 8.1 yard average.

Z receiver with Good hands with a quick release. Decent route runner who will bail out his quarterback by going and getting the ball. Quick and dangerous in space. Knows where the markers and situational football. Hall has return abilities and maybe a candidate to switch to a receiving back role. Plays bigger than he looks, defenders who underestimate him will get beat early. Hall projects as a fifth round prospects. His versatility and ability to lineup anywhere dispite his size make him an interesting prospect.

Tre Turner Virginia Tech wideout standing 6'2" with a 190 pound frame. Played in 43 games, hauling in 143 catches for 2292 yards with 14 touchdowns. He also had 53 carries with an 8.3 yard average and 4 touchdowns.

Turner runs his routes well, he just needs to expand them. His hands might as well be nicknamed stickum. He has the quickness and moves to get seperation. Turner should excell in the quick game from the slot. Jump balls wont be a problem, neither will contested catches as he possesses a large wing span. He's dangerous after the catch and showed the ability to be a decent ball carrier. 

Turner can play any receiver role, although he's not as good at getting separation downfield and has the versatility as a back or a special teamer that he should secure an invite. Decently blocker in the run game for a Z receiver. He's reported to make mental mistakes as one of the reasons for such a low draft position. He also needs development against man coverage and could use to tack on some weight.

His NFL comparisons are Allen Hurns and Marvin Jones. He projects as an early day three candidate. 

Officiating In The NFL and Fans

The officials aren't perfect and need to be made full time employees in the NFL. The league needs to do better job at training the officials and the league needs to do a better job at enforcing rules and oversight. Like when no pass interference calls were overturned because officials were too prideful and came off as refusing to make changes out of spite.

Fans are funny why it comes to the refs. They don't want the officials involved, especially at the end of a game. Well that is unless it's their team, than fans are hypocritical and want the calls in their favor. And officials don't want to be responsible for making calls at the end of a game out of fear of the backlash from fans, even though it occasionally happens.

Here's two examples. During 2021 the Patriots fanbase complained about penalties. They did it often. They were some of the biggest complainants over officiating, wanting the refs to just let them play. However, one couldn't watch a game and without listening to Patriots fans bitch about Judon getting held and no flags being called. As I heard from non Patriots fans in Rochester, "don't like when you don't get the calls."

The second example was in 2019 during the playoffs. The Vikings clearly had an unnecessary roughing call against the Saints. The official didn't call it because they didn't want to interject themselves and be responsible for the outcome. The penalty was as obvious as the color of the sky on a clear day. The officials were in a no win because either way, they were gonna anger fans.

Two different examples of how officiating is done and how fans reactions can impact the game. Fans complaining got us the pass interference review that lasted one season. And the worry about fan reaction was most certainly why the call in the playoffs wasn't overturned. Yes the officiating needs to improve in football but as fans we need to take accountability when calls don't go our way and to remember the officials are human and just as imperfect as the fan bitching and whinging.

Some of us fans belong behind bars for our reactions to calls or no-calls. And some of us are down right uncivilized when it comes to that situation. Yes they have a job to do but in this situation, people are getting mad over a kids game. This isn't the same as how lack of sports can effect society or how it's the duty of entertainers to use their platform to call out things that are morally wrong. This is just bad calls from human error. Something truly not important.

Jaivon Heiligh Flanker Scouting Report

Jaivon Heiligh Coastal Carolina stand 6'2" and weights 200 pounds. He played in 45 games hauling in 191 catches for 2825 yards and 22 TDs. He also had 26 punt returns for a 6.7 yard average.

Z receiver that can play the slot or the X. Reliable hands for a prospect with large catch radius. Good footwork and change of direction ability. Wins against man coverage and is a good red zone target.

Good at getting chunk yards after the catch. Benefited from play calling to get him open. He could use to expand on his route tree. Understands how to beat zone coverage.

Reportedly runs a 4.4 forty and plays faster.. Is a good route runner with room for improvement. Needs to disguise his breaks. Needs to improve his blocking and could use a bit more aggression. Gets bullied in the run game.

Is projected as a late day two or early day three. His combine could make him a more desirable number three receiver. His NFL comparison is Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Danny Gray SMU Wiseout Scouting Report.

Danny Gray receiver for SMU, standing 6'1" and weighting 180 pounds. He played in 35 college games making 151 Catches for 2537 with 27 touchdowns. He had 7 carries for 70 yards with 2 touchdowns. He had 24 kickoff returns for a 21.6 yard average. He also returned 18 punts for a 6.7 yards average. 

Danny has limited route tree with good release and he appears to have burner speed. His hands are either great or bad. Let's go of the ball during contact. Needs development in separation but still does a good job.

Yards after catch is his middle name. And Gray seems to knows where the ball is and comes down with it unless it's contested. Has a large radius with little problems with low balls. Knows how to return punts and kicks and adds value to the special teams.

He primarily played primarily on the right. He's projects as a slot or Z receiver but some scouts have complaints that ge doesn't have an X frame. He's not physical enough and needs development with his blocking among other things.

He's projected as an early to mid round day three development prospects. He might be able to challenge for the number 4 spot in a roster early but won't be much more impact fullbacks than that in year one.

Charleston Rambo Miami Scouting Report

Charleston Rambo wideout from Miami standing 6'1" with a 185 pound frame. Rambo played in 40 games where he made 155 catches for 2352 yards and a whopping 16 touchdowns. He also had 13 kickoff returns for a 25.1 yard average, adding value to his draft stock.

The good thing off the bat is he showed needed improvement during his final season. Rambo runs routes the way one wants a slot receiver to run them but don't let thay fool you, he also has a few deep routes on his tree. He has great change of direction speed, which should show up in his three cone.

He's had a history of drops prior to this season and is a risk to deflect passes into interceptions. He also has a bad habit if catching the ball with his body.

He is good against the zone in getting both separation and release. And he can get separation downfield. He's showed the ability to get yards after the catch but again his hands hurt his ability.

He knows how to navagate traffic and find windows for thr quarterback to throw to. Rambo makes up for his deficiencies with his intelligence by reading defenses and understanding what the defense is going to do.

He can lineup in the X but the slot and Z are where Miami preferred to use him. Mainly on the right side of the field. He also has the speed to make teams play off a little.

One of the biggest knocks on him is he doesn't have the X receiver build. That seems to be the main complaint of every receiver I am liking from this class. Unless a team is looking exclusively for an X, size is not an issue.

His NFL comparisons are John Hightower, Marquez Valdes-Scantling. And he projects to be a mid day three developmental Z receiver prospect that might get taken to be a taller slot.

Kevin Faulk, One Of The Unsung Heroes Of The Patriots Dynasty And 2000s Teams

There was a time when Kevin Faulk was a household name for the Patriots. Now people remember the name buy forgot who he was. He was the change of pace back running for 3607 yards. He was a receiving back catching 3701 yards on 431 catches. He was a special teams player and a returner who averaged 9.3 yards a punt and 22.6 yards a kickoff.

If the Patriots needed to give the main back a rest for a play or two or if they needed a spot filled, they turned to Faulk. Faulk was never that big either, 210 pounds was about the largest he ever got but he had the fight of some of the more larger backs.

While Faulk was used wherever Belichick needed him, the Patriots have only had the following fullbacks over the course of the Belichick era: Tony Carter 98-00, Jeff Paulk 00, Marc Edwards 01-02, Larry Centers 03, Fred McCrary 03,  Patrick Pass 00-06, Kyle Eckel 07, Heath Evans 05-08, James Devlin 12-19, Joey Losefa 15, and Jakob Johnson 19-21. The Patriots have also utilized the H-back tight end role. 

Notice who's name wasn't part of the group. Kevin Faulk wasn't a fullback. In fact he was no more a fullback then Brandon Bolden who has played that role on a down or two for the Patriots. Wanna know who Faulk was? He was the guy the Patriots turned to when they needed a play. At least 338 times we heard "Faulk with the first down," and at least 33 times we also heard "Touchdown Kevin Faulk."

For the change of pace, receiving back and third down back role since 2000, the Patriots employed  J.R. Redmond 00, Kevin Faulk 00-09, Woodhead 10-12, Bolden 12-15, Vereen 13-14, Dion Lewis 15-16, James White 16-21, Rex Burkhead 17-20. The have only been few change of pace backs: Redmond, Faulk, Woodhead, Vereen, White, Lewis, Burkhead, Bolden. And maybe J.J. Taylor can be included in this list.

NBC Boston wrote, "As runners, Faulk and White are almost identically . . . average. Faulk, though, was given more opportunity in that role (third down back). He was a second-round pick in 1999 and had the lead-back gig during Bill Belichick's first season in New England in 2000. Though his job morphed into that of a third-down specialist, he finished his 13-year career with 864 attempts for 3,607 yards (a 4.17 yards-per-carry average) and 16 touchdowns. In 161 regular-season games, he averaged 5.36 carries per game.

Harris Danao of Bleacher Report wrote, "Never has a third-down running back ever been more important to a team then Kevin Faulk.  Faulk was known never to talk, celebrate or act out.  He has been behind many running backs in his career (Corey Dillion, Antwoin Smith and Laurence Maroney) and never has a public complaint been issued."

Then there is what Bill Belichick has said about Faulk. Bill said, "Well, I mean that’s a pretty high bar. You’re talking about Kevin Faulk. We have guys like James White or [Shane] Vereen going back that had similar roles and had production. Kevin’s pretty special. As I said this summer, I think many impressive things about Kevin, amongst them would be that I thought he played his best football in the biggest games, the most critical situations, the most critical plays. The times when we need him the most is when he came through with some of his best plays."

Belichick would continue, "Instead of sometimes trying to make a role different, instead of embracing the role that your team wants you to have and needs you to have, some players want a role that they want to have and then sometimes that’s a little bit of a conflict. I think Kevin was a great example of coming in here he started off as a returner and was a great runner, but kind of worked his way into more of a third-down sub back but he always had good run skills and he had a lot of good runs for us. He was great in the passing game, he was great in the return game when we needed him, he was a great leader."

Lastly there's one more place people are going to turn to, so here's what Wikipedia says about Faulk. "Dubbed the Patriots' "Swiss Army knife" because of his multitude of tools and versatility, he played a wide variety of roles on the team. Besides his primary position as running back, he also played some as a wide receiver, special teams as a gunner and a return specialist. He was rarely the team's feature back, but was adept at catching the ball, blocking, and running as needed. In 2016, he was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.[8]"

You know who else has been called a Swiss Army knife? The under appreciated Brandon Boldon, In fact, I would say Bolden is a lesser version of Faulk. Since thus article is about Faulk I'll keep this short but here is what Ryan Spagnoli wrote about  Bolden January 10, 2022: "The “big brother” of the Patriots’ running back room looks to continue to be a Swiss army knife for the Patriots offense."

Faulk was many things and played many roles but with how much time has passed and with how much the players have accomplished since then, it was only fitting to honor the guy when people show they forgot what he meant to the franchise.

Siting:

https://www.patspulpit.com/2017/3/2/14787040/17-years-new-england-patriots-analyzing-running-backs-bill-belichick-blount-white-lewis-faulk-dillon

https://www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2016/09/17/bill-belichick-explains-why-kevin-faulk-was-such-a-special-player/

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/great-patriots-debates-kevin-faulk-vs-james-white

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/580859-new-england-patriots-kevin-faulks-legecy-and-future

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Faulk