The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, which means it\u2019s time to finalize mock draft season. Thanks to COVID-19, there are no Pro Days to observe as the pre-draft process comes to a close. While some players are performing their own isolated workouts, by and large, there will be no new information about these prospects between now and the NFL Draft. Based on everything the scouting community knows, let\u2019s take a look at a seven-round mock draft for the New England Patriots.<\/p>\n
Note that the Patriots mock draft was performed using the Pro Football Network Mock Draft Simulator<\/a>, so all of these players have a decent chance of being on the board when New England is on the clock.<\/p>\n As things currently stand, the Patriots have a 75-pick gap between their first and second selections in the NFL Draft. That is simply too large of a gap, especially in a class as deep as this one. There will be good players available later on in the draft, and New England would be wise to move out of the first round and pick up some additional draft capital along the way.<\/p>\n Jalen Reagor is a fantastic player that will have a long and healthy NFL career. The TCU product is capable of getting open at all levels of the field and has the speed and explosiveness necessary to make something great happen every time he touches the ball. He can do a little bit of everything and should be a great weapon to increase Jarrett Stidham<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s chances of turning into a true franchise quarterback.<\/p>\n The Patriots don\u2019t have an immediate need at safety, but Bill Belichick<\/strong> tends to address his needs before they\u2019re readily apparent. Devin McCourty<\/a><\/strong> and Patrick Chung<\/a><\/strong> are both on the wrong side of 30, and safety Ashtyn Davis<\/strong> could be the heir to the safety throne. Davis possesses phenomenal football instincts, can cover the deep part of the field, has positional versatility, and is a great athlete. Personally, he\u2019s one of my favorite prospects and should be a longtime fixture in New England.<\/p>\n The Patriots lost Kyle Van Noy<\/a><\/strong>, Jamie Collins<\/a><\/strong>, and Elandon Roberts<\/a><\/strong> in free agency, so it\u2019s safe to assume that they\u2019re going to add at least one linebacker in the NFL Draft. Logan Wilson<\/strong> is a perfect fit, as the Wyoming product is a sound tackler with the speed and agility to go sideline to sideline. He\u2019ll probably spent most of his time in the middle of the defense, freeing up Dont\u2019a Hightower<\/strong> to play more of an edge role.<\/p>\n Willie Gay<\/strong> is a second-round talent that might fall down the board due to character concerns. The Mississippi State product received multiple suspensions during his collegiate career, although unconfirmed rumors indicate that said suspensions were for minor issues like cheating a chemistry test. The Patriots have enough resources to investigate those rumors and, if they\u2019re true, they should be more than willing to pull the trigger on a great outside linebacker like Gay.<\/p>\n The New England Patriots need tight ends, and there simply aren\u2019t that many good ones in this draft class. Devin Asiasi<\/strong> is no superstar, but he\u2019s one of the few players in this class capable of making an impact as both a receiver and a blocker. He probably won\u2019t be anything more than average, but average is still a lot better than what the Patriots currently have.<\/p>\n The Patriots need to start thinking about life after Julian Edelman<\/a><\/strong>. Ohio State\u2019s K.J. Hill<\/strong> is one of the best slot receivers in the class and should be able to compete for snaps right out of the gate. He\u2019s not nearly as athletic as Edelman, but he has a good set of hands, runs tight routes, and fits the overall profile of a prototypical Patriots slot receiver.<\/p>\n The Patriots have two solid offensive tackles in Marcus Cannon<\/a><\/strong> and Isaiah Wynn<\/a><\/strong>. However, the depth behind those two leaves a lot to be desired. Yodny Cajuste<\/strong> is the next guy on the depth chart, and he missed his entire rookie season recovering from what was initially supposed to be a three-month offseason surgery. Charlie Heck<\/strong> has the build to develop into a future starter, although his footwork and overall game will need some coaching up.<\/p>\n Antoine Brooks<\/strong> is a versatile player without a true position. He\u2019s a little too small to be a linebacker and a little too slow to be a safety. That said, he\u2019s solid against the run and can play well in certain shallow zones. If anyone would know how to utilize a player like this, it\u2019s Bill Belichick.<\/p>\n The Patriots already took two receivers, but this point in the draft is more about going after the best player available than it is trying to find positional fits. Tyrie Cleveland <\/strong>is the best player left on the board and one of the only ones with a clear path to NFL success. The Florida product excels as a contested-catch specialist and could develop into a decent red zone threat, although he lacks the speed and route-running prowess to be a regular NFL starter.<\/p>\n Danny Pinter<\/strong> is nothing special as a prospect, but he should be able to challenge Hjalte Froholdt<\/strong> for the top interior backup position. He\u2019ll need to add on some muscle and his short arms are a concern, but he\u2019s smooth on his feet and has the positional versatility to play guard, center, and even tackle in a worst-case scenario.<\/p>\n Dalton Keene<\/strong> is a raw prospect that you take a flier on in the later rounds of the NFL Draft. The VA Tech product tested well<\/a> at the NFL Combine, doesn\u2019t shy away from blocking, and has potential as a pass-catching threat. He\u2019ll probably need a year or two before reaching his ceiling, but he could be a pleasant surprise late in the draft.<\/p>\n This one is pretty simple. Stephen Gostkowski<\/a><\/strong> is gone, and the Patriots need another kicker. Rodrigo Blankenship<\/strong> is arguably the best kicker in the NFL Draft and should have first shot at winning the job.<\/p>\n James White<\/a><\/strong> and Rex Burkhead<\/a><\/strong> are both entering the final years of their respective contracts, and are both getting up there in age. Running back J.J. Taylor<\/strong> is undersized for the position and doesn\u2019t have breakaway speed, but he\u2019s a savvy enough route runner with reliable hands. He\u2019s not a glorified wide receiver like White, but he can make plays out of the backfield and has a history of returning kicks. The Patriots could do a lot worse than Taylor with the final pick in this mock draft.<\/p>\n Main photo:New England Patriots Seven-Round Mock Draft<\/h2>\n
23rd<\/sup> Overall: Traded to Cincinnati Bengals for 33rd<\/sup>, 65th<\/sup><\/h3>\n
2nd<\/sup> Round – 33rd<\/sup> Overall: Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU [NFL Draft Profile<\/a>]<\/h3>\n
3rd<\/sup> Round – 65th<\/sup> Overall: Ashtyn Davis, S, Cal<\/h3>\n
3rd<\/sup> Round – 87th<\/sup> Overall: Logan Wilson, ILB, Wyoming [NFL Draft Profile<\/a>]<\/h3>\n
3rd<\/sup> Round \u2013 98th<\/sup> Overall: Willie Gay, OLB, Mississippi State [NFL Draft Profile<\/a>]<\/h3>\n
3rd<\/sup> Round \u2013 100th<\/sup> Overall: Devin Asiasi, TE, UCLA [NFL Draft Profile<\/a>]<\/h3>\n
4th<\/sup> Round \u2013 125th<\/sup> Overall: K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State [NFL Draft Profile<\/a>]<\/h3>\n
5th<\/sup> Round \u2013 172nd<\/sup> Overall: Charlie Heck, OT, UNC<\/h3>\n
6th<\/sup> Round \u2013 195th<\/sup> Overall: Antoine Brooks, S, Maryland [NFL Draft Profile<\/a>]<\/h3>\n
6th<\/sup> Round \u2013 204th<\/sup> Overall: Tyrie Cleveland, WR, Florida [NFL Draft Profile<\/a>]<\/h3>\n
6th<\/sup> Round \u2013 212th<\/sup> Overall: Danny Pinter, G, Ball State<\/h3>\n
6th<\/sup> Round \u2013 213th<\/sup> Overall: Dalton Keene, TE, VA Tech<\/h3>\n
7th<\/sup> Round \u2013 230th<\/sup> Overall: Rodrigo Blankenship, K, Georgia<\/h3>\n
7th<\/sup> Round \u2013 241st<\/sup> Overall: J.J. Taylor, RB, Arizona [NFL Draft Profile<\/a>]<\/h3>\n
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>