New England Patriots links 4/22/21 - Profiles, prospects, predictions: All the noise, noise, noise NOISE!

TEAM TALK

• Mike Dussault reports the NFL approves jersey number expansion, plus other 2021 rule changes.
• Angelique Fiske reports Julian Edelman joins ‘Inside the NFL’ cast, teams up with ViacomCBS.
• Draft Prospect Review: Edge Rusher. (10.38 min. video)

LOCAL LINKS

• Phil Perry profiles prototypical Patriots the team could target in the draft: Cornerbacks.
• David Heim continues his ‘NFL hidden gems’ series with a look at South Carolina CB Israel Mukuamu. The Pats do have a need at cornerback, especially a few years down the line.
• Andrew Callahan breaks down the Patriots’ best prospect fits at defensive tackle: Alabama’s Christian Barmore could pad depth now, star later.
• Doug Kyed picks an edge defender for the Patriots in every round of the draft: Top fits if the Pats are looking to improve their pass rush even more with the 15th overall pick.
• Andy Hart profiles potential Patriots prospect Penn State Edge Jayson Oweh.
• Doug Kyed evaluates Texas A&M QB Kellen Mond’s potential as a top option for the Pats on Day 2.
• Ryan Hannable profiles Stanford QB Davis Mills who could be an option for the Pats as a Day 2 selection. ‘His ceiling is a long-time starter in the NFL.’
• Tom E. Curran wonders if WR DeVonta Smith’s wispy frame rules him out for the Patriots?
• DJ Bean spotlights the draft prospect we should pay more attention to: Kentucky LB Jamin Davis. /Nice headline potential!
• Evan Lazar’s Patriots big board for the 2021 draft to predict who New England might select in the first three rounds: Nos. 11-20, 21-30, 31-40 and 41-50.
• Ricky Doyle mentions how a random photo has social media buzzing about whether New England plans to trade for Green Bay QB Jordan Love.
• Adam London highlights Rob Ninkovich who expects New England to trade up in Round 1 to draft a QB. ‘They’re going to be average if they go with Cam Newton.’
• Ryan Hannable gives us a Patriots mock draft roundup with the latest buzz at No. 15 overall.
• Mike Luciano (MusketFire) Three Patriots who could be first-time Pro Bowlers in 2021.
• Lauren Campbell explains why Kyle Van Noy will stick with No. 53 in his return to Patriots.
• Zack Cox gives us ten takeaways from Julian Edelman’s ‘Pardon My Take’ appearance. 4. Edelman’s favorite memory was the Patriots’ overtime road win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2018 AFC Championship Game.
• Chris Mason notes Julian Edelman reveals his favorite play as a Patriot: “I loved the 3rd-and-14 against the Seattle Seahawks (in Super Bowl XLIX)...”
• Adam London says Patriots fans will appreciate Julian Edelman breaking down how Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski operated in the huddle. ‘Brady’s got insane huddle eyes.’
• Adam London hears Julian Edelman explain why he had “no problem” retiring from the NFL: ‘I respect the game too much, it’s been too good to me.’
• Chris Mason says Julian Edelman is heading to Hollywood for his post-football career.
• Conor Roche highlights Jonathan Jones about to surprise his dad with a vintage car for his birthday.
• Chris Mason lays out the seven new rules approved by the NFL for 2021.
• Tom Westerholm writes Justin Fields reportedly manages epilepsy, which has never affected football career.
• Locked On Patriots podcast: Mike D’Abate and Hal Bent discuss Hal’s most recent mock drafts, choosing WRs early on in the draft, and the desire to strengthen the OL and the LB positions. (44 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

• Albert Breer (SI) Mailbag: Would the 49ers really draft Mac Jones with the third pick? Here’s a look at how things could play out next week.
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) NFL to announce full 2021 schedule on May 12, revealing dates for first 17-game season in league history. /Let me guess, it will have it’s own prime-time show.
• Marc Sessler (NFL.com) Ranking every quarterback class since 2000. /Interesting read.
• Cody Benjamin (CBS Sports) Ranking the best NFL draft picks of all time: Top five at each spot, 1-32.
• Bucky Brooks (NFL.com) Top five 2021 NFL Draft prospects by position 3.0.
• Eric Edholm (Yahoo! Sports) 2021 NFL draft: Can a can’t-miss prospect (Trevor Lawrence) … miss?
• Mike Jones (USA Today) Mac Jones might be top-three draft pick, but Alabama QB leaves key questions for teams.
• Danny Heifetz (The Ringer0 Which DeVonta Smith draft questions are legitimate, and which are just hot air?
• Staff (ESPN) NFL draft 2021 comps: Our best prospect-to-pro matches.
• NFL Reasearch (NFL.com) 2021 NFL Draft: What to expect with five pivotal first-round picks.
• Bill Barnwell (ESPN) NFL Mock Draft with all trades for 2021: Proposed deals for all 32 picks, including the Jaguars, Jets and Patriots.
• Chris Trapasso (CBS Sports) Three-round mock draft: Patriots trade with Cowboys and land QB, as Dallas goes heavy on defense.
• Josh Edwards (CBS Sports) Consensus mock draft: We’ve compiled results from 13 NFL mock drafts and broken down the results. Pats pick Ohio State QB Justin Fields at No. 15.
• Kevin Seifert (ESPN) NFL owners OK replay change, other new rules for 2021 season.
• Myles Simmons (ProFootballTalk) Proposal to delay head coach, G.M. searches tabled for further discussion.
• Nate Davis (USA Today) NFL uniform power rankings: List gets refresh as Cincinnati Bengals reveal updated look. Patriots 18th “boring.” /Davis carries his Pats-hate to their uniforms, lol.

EXTRACURRICULAR

• Around the NFL (NFL.com) Antonio Brown settles sexual assault lawsuit with former trainer.
• Charles Robinson (Yahoo! Sports) Antonio Brown’s sexual misconduct settlement showcases long road ahead for a defiant Deshaun Watson.