The New England Patriots have had a fantastic draft through two days of action, but they’re not done yet. Thanks to several trades, the Patriots have seven selection in the final four rounds. While they probably make some more trades, there are still quite a few interesting players left on the New England Patriots NFL Draft board.
Top Remaining New England Patriots NFL Draft Fits
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
Florida’s Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was made to be a Patriot. The 5’11”, 210-pound safety had a fantastic 2018 season, finishing the year with 71 tackles, three sacks, and four interceptions. He showed a knack for making plays with the ball, as two of his four interceptions were returned for touchdowns.
Gardner-Johnson fits with New England primarily because of his versatility. The Florida product has the skills to play both safety positions and can even drop into the slot and cover receivers. In many ways, he can do a lot of the things the Patriots ask Devin McCourty to do. This isn’t to say that Gardner-Johnson is as good as McCourty (he’s not), but he has a similar skill set and could be a fantastic depth option in case of injury.
Other Fit: Amani Hooker
Hunter Renfrow
This is another player who has been mocked to the Patriots since the beginning of the draft process. Clemson wide receiver Hunter Renfrow has a lot of the skills New England looks for in a small slot receiver. He’s agile, as his three-cone time tested in the 75th percentile while 20-yard and 60-yard shuttle times finished in the 57th and 60th percentile, respectively. He’s undersized at 5’10” and 184 pounds, but size has never been a problem for New England.
It’s easy to compare Renfrow to slot receivers of the past, but that’s not a fair comparison. Not every small, tough white guy with good lateral agility has what it takes to develop into Wes Welker or Julian Edelman. If selected, Renfrow would probably compete with Braxton Berrios for one of the final spots on the depth chart. New England is probably still in the market for a slot receiver, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Renfrow start his career in New England.
Other Fits: Riley Ridley, Hakeem Butler
Tyree Jackson
The Patriots didn’t select a quarterback at any time in the first three rounds, but that doesn’t mean they’re not in the market for a backup passer. Tom Brady has about three to five years left in his tank, so New England should take a shot at drafting a high-upside prospect like Tyree Jackson.
Jackson is a fantastic athlete with an absolute cannon of an arm. There’s no part of the field he cannot reach and he’s capable of putting the ball down and picking up yards with his legs. If developed properly, he has the raw ability to be one of the better quarterbacks in the league.
That said, he needs a lot of help if he’s ever going to reach his ceiling. Jackson’s accuracy is scattershot at best and he doesn’t see the field well. He trusts his arm a little too much and attempts throws he probably shouldn’t. He’s not ready to start, but he could develop into the steal of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Other Fits: Ryan Finley, Brett Rypien
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