Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios for New England Patriots' Top 3 Picks

You'd think we'd learn by now.

The NFL draft never goes exactly as predicted or envisioned, and yet, year after year, we rush back like bloodthirsty vultures ready to pick up any bits of draft analysis that find their way into the tangled interweb.

NFL teams must prepare for everything, whether it's how they hope the draft will unfold, how they think it will unfold or how they hope it won't unfold—in other words, the best- and worst-case scenarios.

But how does one define best- and worst-case scenarios? A worst-case scenario would involve reaching for a player who may not be a perfect fit for the scheme; on the other side a best-case scenario would be if the perfect fit is still available a few picks later than he is expected to be.

Here's a look at some of the possible best- and worst-case scenarios for the New England Patriots' first three picks in the 2015 NFL draft.

Round 1, Pick 32: Best-Case Scenario

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State

On the surface, the Patriots appear to be set at the defensive tackle spot.

They just spent a first-round pick on a defensive tackle last year in Dominique Easley. Predraft injury concerns be damned, they probably won't give up on him just yet despite a season-ending knee injury. They also have young up-and-coming nose tackle Sealver Siliga, a 6'2" 326-pound monster in the middle of the line. 

Why, then, would they also need Florida State defensive tackle Eddie Goldman? The 6'4", 336-pounder has the versatility to line up in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 front, and he'll need that kind of versatility to play in the Patriots' ever-morphing defense. He may never put up big sack numbers, but he will always be an effective two-gapping defensive tackle to plug those lanes in the running game.

In other words, he's everything the Patriots love in their defensive linemen, and he could be a key addition to an already deep group.

Round 1, Pick 32: Worst-Case Scenario

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

Trade

It's what we've come to expect at this point. The Patriots love wheeling and dealing on draft day to get the most out of their picks, affording themselves as many opportunities as possible to find players who can help the team. 

The Patriots moved around in the first round (either trading down or out of the first round altogether) in five of the past seven drafts. They traded out of the first round three times (2009, 2011, 2013) and moved down twice (2008, 2010). They had two first-round picks in 2011, using one on Nate Solder and trading the other to the New Orleans Saints for a second-round pick and a first-round pick the following year.

Make no mistake: Someone will want this pick. The added bonus of tacking on a fifth-year option onto a rookie deal is simply too valuable to pass up for teams picking early in the second round.

Recent history tells us that the Patriots would be better off making a pick in this spot, though. They have not had success at the top of the second round, with Ras-I Dowling (33rd overall, 2011) and Ron Brace (40th overall in 2009) among the high-second-round whiffs in recent Patriots history.

Round 2, Pick 64: Best-Case Scenario

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State

The Patriots are far from needy at the wide receiver position. Brandon LaFell proved himself to be a legitimate threat at the receiver position. Julian Edelman built off his dominant underdog performance in 2013, and Danny Amendola came on strong at the end of the 2014 season and throughout the playoffs.

That being said, with LaFell's contract running up in 2017, now might be the time to get a jump on developing another wide receiver to take over if he should leave the fold. 

Arizona State's Jaelen Strong has the size at 6'2" and 217 pounds. He has the speed after running a 4.44-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. With a 42" vertical, he has the leaping ability as shown in one highlight reel after another. 

What he doesn't have, though, is the polish in his routes. Give him some time to learn from Tom Brady and the other Patriots receivers, and he should be ready to assume a starting role in the offense in a couple of years. 

Round 2, Pick 64: Worst-Case Scenario

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Ali Marpet, OL, Hobart

The Patriots need help on the offensive line—that is, unless they either re-sign Dan Connolly on the double or are inexplicably comfortable with Josh Kline and Jordan Devey playing major roles on offense.

For all intents and purposes, Hobart's Ali Marpet looks like the kind of player the Patriots would value. He has position flexibility to play either guard or center and has sound fundamentals. Like Connolly and Ryan Wendell, he's not a mauler at guard, but he uses good technique to hold his ground. He's also athletic enough to block out in front of a play.

Albert Breer of NFL Media called Marpet "one of the more interesting stories of the draft season" probably due to a couple of factors: (1) his showing at the scouting combine, where he ran a 4.98-second 40-yard dash at 307 pounds and (2) his performance at the Senior Bowl, where he held his own against others who will be playing on Sundays despite the low level of competition he faced in college.

That being said, he may need some time to get acclimated to the NFL and would be a better selection in the third round. 

Round 3, Pick 96: Best-Case Scenario

J Pat Carter/Associated Press

Duke Johnson, RB, Miami

There's a good chance Miami's Duke Johnson will be off the board when the Patriots pick at the end of the third round. If not, there's a good chance they're crazy if they don't take a shot on him.

He may not have the ideal size of an NFL running back at 5'9" and 207 pounds, which is a little small to withstand the brutality of being an every-down inside runner. He excels, however, in his ability to contribute in the open field and use his quickness as a one-cut runner.

The Patriots tend to run a mix of power and zone schemes, so Johnson may not be more than a rotational back, and he'll certainly have to learn to pass-block if he wants to contribute in passing situations. He'll also have to learn to hang onto the football, as he fumbled six times over the past two years, according to Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.

For the price of a third-round pick, though, Johnson would be worth taking a chance on as a developmental player.

Round 3, Pick 96: Worst-Case Scenario

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Anthony Harris, SS, Virginia

One day in 2011, seemingly out of nowhere, the Patriots cut veteran strong safety James Sanders. Ever since then, they've been searching for an answer at strong safety.

Steve Gregory, Tavon Wilson, Duron Harmon and Patrick Chung have started for the Patriots in that time. Last year, the duo of Chung and Harmon served as the primary two strong safeties, with the former contributing on first and second downs and the latter coming in on passing situations.

The Patriots could go with a safety-by-committee approach again in 2015, or they could search for someone who could be their long-term three-down strong safety. Harris has all the qualities the Patriots love in their defensive backs: He is interchangeable between the free safety and strong safety positions, willing to come into the box and stuff the run and has enough speed to cover in pass defense.

Harris has been projected as a fourth-round pick, but if the other good options are off the board, he would make a decent selection at the end of the third round. 

Unless otherwise noted, all scouting combine information and NFL draft notes provided by NFL.com.