2011 NFL Draft: New England Patriots Final Mock Draft with Analysis
It's that time of year again: NFL draft week.
The 2011 NFL draft is just a few days away, and fans of each team are gearing up for an action-packed weekend.
Out of the 32 teams in the NFL, the New England Patriots have set themselves up best for the NFL draft with nine selections—six in the top 92 and three in the top 33, not too shabby.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is in the process of rebuilding his once dynasty football team into a much different team filled with youth and potential for that same greatness that was once reached in the early 2000s.
Here is my final New England Patriots mock draft—hope you all enjoy and be sure to leave your feedback!
*Note: this mock does not include trades, but it's safe to assume that Bill Belichick and the Patriots will make several trades.*
This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @ TonySantorsa.
Round 1, Pick 17: Da'Quan Bowers, Defensive End, Clemson
1 of 9
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 280 lbs.
Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers will witness his draft stock plummet right into the hands of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.
The only way I see Belichick and company selecting Bowers at 17th overall is if they're positive his right knee is healthy from their private workout/meeting that they held with Bowers earlier this month.
Many of you may think that I'm crazy for the having the Patriots select Bowers, who is a 4-3 defensive end, but believe it or not, Belichick can make it work.
According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, the New England Patriots ran a sub-package defense, which is a 4-3 defensive front, 57 percent of the time in 2010—great news for Bowers.
Bowers is an amazing athlete that brings great fear to opposing teams' quarterbacks as he's a relentless pass rusher. In 2010, Bowers recorded an amazing 15 sacks.
If his knee is healthy and Belichick uses him correctly in his defensive alignments, Bowers could be what the Patriots thought that they were going to get from Adalius Thomas a few years ago.
Round 1, Pick 28: Mark Ingram, Running Back, Alabama
2 of 9
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 215 lbs.
Alabama running back Mark Ingram could be exactly what the New England Patriots are lacking on offense—a tough running back that is relentless when carrying the football.
Last season, the Patriots saw much success out of BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but let's face it, Green-Ellis is not a great running back, he's a good one—and Ingram has the potential to be great.
Ingram will add great physical toughness in between the tackles and would take some much-needed pressure off quarterback Tom Brady.
Green-Ellis is your typical "three-yards and a cloud of dust" north-and-south runner, but Ingram could be just as physical but try almost close to five yards per carry.
Round 2, Pick 33: Aaron Williams, Cornerback, Texas
3 of 9
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 205 lbs.
Honestly, I really do believe that the Patriots will be trading the 33rd overall pick as it's the first overall pick in the second round—Belichick will be receiving phone calls all night long regarding this pick from other teams; it possess too much value not to trade.
However, if the Patriots do decide to draft at 33rd overall, cornerback Aaron Williams seems like an appealing option.
We all know that Bill Belichick loves to stockpile on cornerbacks—and not to mention versatile cornerbacks.
The former Texas defensive back lined up as a free safety and as a cornerback during his days as a Longhorn which is certainly appealing in Belichick's eyes.
Williams could potentially give Leigh Bodden and Kyle Arrington a run for their money as the team's No. 2 cornerback, or Williams could even outplay safety Brandon Meriweather as the team's starting free safety.
Versatile is huge in the eye's of Belichick, and that's just one of the many great traits that Williams possesses.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Round 2, Pick 60: John Moffitt, Offensive Guard / Center, Wisconsin
4 of 9
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 320 lbs.
Wisconsin's John Moffitt is a very versatile offensive linemen—he could line up as either guard or center.
The Patriots have major question marks at their left guard position with the unclear future of Logan Mankins, and Moffitt could potentially be the 2011 starter. Also, the Patriots also lost offensive linemen Stephen Neal to retirement this offseason, and Neal was one of the team's utility linemen—a role that Moffitt could fill in as.
Moffitt is a nasty, tough player in the trenches, something that New England desperately needs.
If developed properly, Moffitt could be a very solid offensive linemen that will maul over defenders.
Round 3, Pick 74: Randall Cobb, Wide Receiver, Kentucky
5 of 9
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Kentucky wide receiver Randall Cobb has the potential to be a very productive possession wide receiver in the NFL.
The Patriots already have talented wide receivers in Wes Welker and Deion Branch, but physicality is something that New England lacks at the wide receiver position.
Cobb is a very physical player that performs well against press coverage. He uses his hands very well at the line of scrimmage, and has no problem going against physical man-to-man coverage.
A very intriguing trait that Cobb possesses is versatility—Cobb lined up as quarterback, running back, wide receiver and kick/punt returner during his time at Kentucky—he's a definite athlete.
Cobb had a very productive 2010 season as he reeled in 84 passes for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns.
Round 3, Pick 92: Sam Acho, Defensive End / Outside Lineback, Texas
6 of 9
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 265 lbs.
Sam Acho is a perfect sub-package player for New England's 3-4 defense.
The former Texas Longhorn lined up as defensive end and outside linebacker during his college years and had some very productive seasons. During his four-year career, he tallied up 32.5 sacks, 137 tackles and eight forced fumbles—it's safe to say that Acho was a playmaker.
Acho appears to fit the "Patriot-mold" as he's a relentless player, that plays with a high motor and will not stop until the whistle—something that Belichick loves.
Moving down the road, due to his size, Acho appears to be best fit as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
Round 4, Pick 125: Greg Jones, Inside Linebacker, Michigan State
7 of 9
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 245 lbs.
Michigan State inside linebacker Greg Jones has the potential to be a great run-stopping linebacker in New England's 3-4 defense.
Jones was extremely productive during his four years at Michigan State as he tallied up a whopping 465 tackles and 46.5 tackles for a loss.
He may not be an every-down linebacker, as the Patriots already have Brandon Spikes and Jerod Mayo, but Jones could be a quality sub in shot-yardage formations.
Round 5, Pick 159: DeMarcus Love, Offensive Tackle, Arkansas
8 of 9
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 315 lbs.
Offensive linemen DeMarcus Love out of Arkansas is a rather interesting pick for the Patriots.
Love may struggle to make the team, but he has something very unique to offer—ability to play left or right tackle—he's had experience in playing both positions.
During his time at Arkansas, Love has proved to be a very athletic blocker that can keep up with speed rushers but will tend to struggle against power rushers—needs to play with a much better balanced base.
Round 6, Pick 193: Chris Neild, Nose Tackle, West Virginia
9 of 9
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 320 lbs.
The Patriots may look to add some depth at the nose tackle position as Vince Wilfork has seen his playing time increase tremendously over the past few seasons—he has a huge workload, and it adds up for a big guy like him.
West Virginia's Chris Neild appears to be a possible canidate to play in New England's 3-4 defense as a nose tackle.
Neild has decent size for the position and has a very strong upper body and is a space eater.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
