Rodney Harrison may not be a proponent for the popular opinion that the New England Patriots should draft a receiver or, if the team can’t retain J.C. Jackson, a cornerback. Harrison, a retired Patriots safety and current NFL analyst, thinks coach Bill Belichick should go in another direction.
“I would go linebacker,” Harrison said during an appearance on WEEI sports radio. “Defense.”
Harrison added: “I just need a young, fast, athletic linebacker that’s an excellent playmaker that can run sideline to sideline. A guy that can play on every single down. A difference-maker. A guy that can blitz. A guy that can drop into coverage.
“You can find that guy in the first and second rounds. But definitely [draft a player] on the defensive side of the ball.”
New England’s inside linebacker position is looking thin, particularly with Dont’a Hightower and Ja’Whaun Bentley set to hit free agency. Even if both players come back, the Patriots probably need more speed and smarts in the middle of their defense. Both players have been good. Neither were truly great — and that showed late in the season when the Patriots struggled to defend the run. So that makes sense, particularly from the perspective of Harrison, who was a part of the defensive-focused era of New England’s dynasty. But offense seems to be king now.
How important is a WR1?
“It’s very important,” Harrison said. “You think about Nelson Agholor and those guys — I felt like he was going to have more of an impact. I thought Jonnu Smith was going to have more of an impact. But you can’t always go out and find those guys in free agency.
“Sometimes, you have to go out and go draft a guy to see if you can have that impact player. It’d be nice to see if Hunter Henry continues to stay healthy and continue to just get better. Obviously, they’re going to have to go out and find some receivers.”
