Here we are folks, in just a few short days we get the right to boo Roger Goodell as he walks to the podium for the first time, it's Draft Week! But you better believe there's not a soul in an NFL Front Office that's kicking back. They're making their lists, they're checking them twice, and eventually we're gonna find out if Joseph was right! The 4th installment of Joseph's Gems is here, where I highlight what I deem to be hidden treasure during the Draft.

But just in case you're just now tuning in, what's a "Gem" ?

Size - Adequate height and weight for the position (Within my own parameters, more on that later)

RAS - Must be able to compete at the NFL Level

Production - Gotta be a stat sheet stuffer. 

Competition - Power 5 vs Group of 5 vs FCS and below, it matters. 

Gems have to check at least 3 out of 4 of those boxes. If a player checks all 4, consider him SOLID GOLD as Certified by your favorite "GMologist" (Get it?)

I've been dishing out offensive players so far, but this time around I'm going to flip the field and touch on defense. Next up is Colorado State Defensive End Scott Patchan.

Scott Patchan is a Super Duper Senior (25 years old) from Tampa, FL. He initially commited to Miami (FL) and played there as a spot starter for 5 seasons, but over the course of his career Patchan would be beat out for the starting gig by the likes of Greg Rousseau, Quincy Roche, Jaelan Phillips, and Jonathan Garvin (who's currently making waves as a Packer).....that's not hard to overlook. Patchan transferred to Colorado State and played as a graduate transfer, knowing this would be his final year in college football, he made it count. Patchan went on a tear for 68 tackles (34 solo), 10.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles (2 recovered).

Patchan was a plus run defender his entire time at Miami, but he really blossomed as a pass rusher at Colorado State. A blue-collar type of player, Patchan will give you everything you can handle and then some, all the way to the whistle for a full 60 minutes. Patchan has great football awareness, with the ability to sniff out the play and flow to the ball carrier quickly. While not a "twitchy" player, Patchan makes his living off a good rush plan, and his hand technique is noteworthy to say the least. 

SIZE - This is just me talking, but if you're going to play end in "my 3-4 "defense", you gotta be a big "mamma jamma". Patchan checks in at 6'6 and 266 lbs. He's come a long way from his HS days and even at Miami, where he initially played at about 230 lbs. Even still, looking at Scott you wouldn't think he's as big as he is. His frame is still somewhat on the thinner side. I don't think he's quite maxed out yet but I believe an NFL Training Staff could squeeze another 7-12 lbs on him without sacrificing explosion. Regardless, you can't teach 6'6, so while he's not a freak, he is still sufficient. Check.

RAS - 

I am slightly concerned that Patchan didn't do the shuttle or 3-cone, which means I probably don't want him playing OLB in a pinch, but he's just fine as a defensive end. The 10 yd split confirms the tape that Patchan sometimes can be a little slow off the line, which could be an issue in the NFL. So while Patchan posts a 9.14, I'm going to estimate that he's probably really somewhere in the 8.3-8.8 RAS range depending on what his shuttle and 3-cone measurements are. Since we'll probably never know, let's go with what we got, for a defensive end in an odd front, Patchan is a near elite athlete. Check.

PRODUCTION - For his Junior season at Coral Gables, Scott turned in 33 tackles with 2.5 sacks, and then followed it up with 22 tackles and 5.5. sacks. Once he had the full confidence of Colorado State's coaches and players, he turned all the way up for a terrific season with double digit sacks. Check.

COMPETITION - While I mentioned above that Scott struggled to crack the starting lineup at Miami, I never said he wasn't good. He in fact, transferred to prove he's better than what the Hurricanes took him for. As a spot starter in the ACC, I believe Scott turned in an adequate body of work. What I really love is that when Patchan transferred, even though he transferred "down" from a Power 5 program to a Group of 5 Program, the production went up; that's the way it should be. Patchan was not only an impact player for a team with routinely ACC title hopes but was also the best defender for a  Mountain West team that probably lost less games because of him. Patchan was one of CSU's few bright spots in their Power 5 games against Iowa and Vanderbilt, with 1.5 sacks and a recovered fumble. Check.

ANALYSIS - Scott Patchan is the definition of a "hustle guy". He overcame his odds at Miami and made his own luck at Colorado State. He has the athleticism to either catch the ball carrier in the back field, or flush out a quarterback and force them to make a hasty decision. That said, he still has some things to work on with his game, he needs to add more bulk and he also needs to be quicker off the line. Against better offensive linemen, he'll have a hard time winning at the point of attack if he allows them to get to him first. He'll be 26 in his rookie season, so that will turn a whole bunch of teams off, but at the same time you could do a lot worse than having Scott Patchan as your guy behind your top defensive linemen. I do firmly believe Scott will get a chance in the NFL to make a splash, he's already worked his butt off to earn it; and that type of person you don't want to see on the opposite side of the line if you're not ready to work harder than he is once the ball is snapped. In two years I expect Scott Patchan to either make his living in the NFL from being either a special teams stud or as backup/rotational defensive end that makes splash plays deep into the game as the starters start to get tired.

Size? Check.

RAS? Check.

Production? Check.

Competition? Check.

I'm certifying Colorado State Defensive End Scott Patchan as SOLID GOLD who any GM would be lucky to have in the 4th Round or later!!!!

Could we see a first for Brian Gutekunst by drafting an older player? Could Patchan be a 26 year old rookie who doesn't last past Day 2? We'll soon find out as the 2022 NFL Draft starts this Thursday, stay tuned for all the updates and analysis right here at CHTV.com.