2015 Patriots Mock Draft: Early Offseason 7-Round Predictions
Ricky Bobby would say, "If you ain't first, you're last." Well, the New England Patriots have found a way to be both at the same time. They finished the season as Super Bowl champions and are also the last ones to get started on their preparations for the 2015 NFL draft.
It takes a special kind of crazy to pull off a seven-round mock draft in early February, with the results of free agency and the draft process itself still leaving a lot to the imagination. But then again, anyone who expects any of these mock drafts to be 100 percent accurate is crazy in his own right.
Like everything else on Planet Earth, nothing in the draft happens in a vacuum, but let's pretend it does anyway. Since we've already agreed this won't be accurate by the time the actual draft rolls around, why bother stressing the details? Let's just take a look at some of the players the Patriots could be targeting with each of their picks.
Round 1: Cedric Ogbuehi, OL, Texas A&M
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The last time the Patriots had the 32nd pick in the draft, they picked a tackle named Logan Mankins and moved him to guard. This past offseason, they traded Mankins away, and now they once again have the 32nd pick in the draft. Time to pick another young big guy for the trenches?
The early season situation at guard was a disaster, with the Patriots cycling through a number of different combinations before finally settling on Dan Connolly at left guard and Ryan Wendell at right guard. Both men played well this season, but it may be time to find long-term solutions at those positions.
Enter Cedric Ogbuehi, whose experience at both guard spots and tackle spots will pique the interest of Patriots scouts. His athleticism would make him a great weapon to pull out in space as a lead blocker on outside runs and screens.
Also, his experience both outside and inside would give the Patriots options at several other spots on the line. They could continue to move players around and find the combination that works best, as they did in 2014.
Round 2: Danielle Hunter, DE, LSU
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Every trait you could want in a pass-rushing edge defender, Danielle Hunter has it. From his long arms to his freakish athleticism, he has the look of a high-ceiling defensive end.
He notched only 1.5 sacks in 2014, despite playing 80 percent of the defensive snaps, but he could be a situational player for the Patriots by spelling Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein shared some interesting thoughts on Hunter, saying, "Hunter's floor is high thanks to his overwhelming physical traits and motor, but his ceiling will only go as high as the level of coaching he is able to incorporate."
He should be able to realize that potential with Bill Belichick coaching him and with guys like Jones and Ninkovich to learn from.
Round 3: Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA
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The Patriots drafted defensive tackle Dominique Easley in the first round last year, but he could not escape his history of injuries and finished the season on injured reserve with a knee injury. They also have on the roster defensive tackle Sealver Siliga, a talented and young presence in the middle who was affected by multiple injuries in 2014 as well.
They have some depth, but they also have some concerns. Vince Wilfork is 33 years old and is set to count for $8.9 million against the salary cap in 2015, according to Spotrac. That could be a problem as we look at the Patriots' current salary-cap situation, where they are currently projected to sit $4.2 million above the cap.
At 6'5" and 330 pounds, McCarthy isn't exactly a pass-rushing force, and he's had some conditioning issues, according to Rob Rang of CBS Sports, but he is versatile to play multiple spots on the line and has the strength to take on multiple blockers. With that skill set, McCarthy could be the next in the line of "war daddies" that Belichick employs on his defensive line.
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Round 4: Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers
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The Patriots were fortunate that their lack of attention to the depth of the tight end position didn't come back to hurt them. It had been one of the many concerns for the Patriots over the years, with a slew of injuries to tight end Rob Gronkowski preventing him from playing in half (17 of 34) of the Patriots' games from 2012-2013.
Now, the Patriots will have some mid-round opportunities to replenish the depth chart at tight end. With that, there's a possibility that the running joke of Rutgers players to run through Foxborough could continue.
Tyler Kroft is more of a "Joker" tight end than a true in-line tight end, with sure hands and impressive quickness to get open in short spaces and to get away from defenders in the open field. The Patriots traded for tight end Tim Wright, who was in and out of the game plan (four games with three or more catches, 15 games with two or fewer catches), but the Patriots shouldn't pass up an opportunity to fortify their depth chart with a 6'6", 240-pound pass-catching monster.
Round 4: Ramik Wilson, ILB, Georgia
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The other position where the Patriots failed to add enough depth last offseason was linebacker. They were fortunate to not be hurt by their decision too badly; the loss of Jerod Mayo was met with the emergence of both Jamie Collins and Dont'a Hightower into top-notch starters, and the Patriots were able to trade for linebackers Jonathan Casillas and Akeem Ayers during the season.
The Patriots will have a big decision to make with regards to Mayo's contract this season; the veteran linebacker is coming off a season-ending knee injury, his second season-ending injury in as many years, but he is set to count for $10.6 million against the cap.
If the Patriots want a linebacker to fill Mayo's role in the 3-4, Georgia's Ramik Wilson would be a good candidate. He stands nearly the same stature as Mayo (Wilson is 6'2" and 237 pounds; Mayo is 6'1" and 250 pounds), and he has a solid fundamental background, but he needs to add some functional strength. He has the frame to do it, though, and a few months in an NFL workout and diet program should do the trick.
Round 6: Jermauria Rasco, DE, LSU
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If you're going to double-dip at a position, why not do it with two players who were teammates in school?
The Patriots are in need of some depth at defensive end; the draft would be a great place to fix that, and LSU would be a great place to look. Defensive end Jermauria Rasco isn't the type of flashy pass-rusher who will warrant a pick on the first two days of the draft, but he has the fundamental tools such as lane integrity and awareness and already has a few pass-rush moves in his arsenal.
According to CBS Sports' Rob Rang, he was considered a more polished player than Hunter headed into the 2014 season. That being said, he wouldn't even necessarily be thrust into the equation immediately, with the likes of Jones and Ninkovich already in the fold.
Round 7: Damian Swann, CB, Georgia
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When it comes to late-round draft picks, if you don't offer value on special teams, you may as well not hold your breath to be picked by the Patriots.
That's why Georgia cornerback Damian Swann actually makes sense as a draft pick for the Patriots. He has experience in special teams coverage units and as a punt returner, averaging 4.6 yards per return in his career. And at 6'0" and 180 pounds, he has the frame to add some bulk and some untapped potential as a cornerback.
But if he's going to make the roster, he'll have to make an impact on special teams, especially in a deep cornerback group that consists of Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Malcolm Butler, Kyle Arrington, Alfonzo Dennard and Logan Ryan.
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