New England Patriots Mock Draft: B/R Community Top 100 and 7-Round Results

The majority of the mock drafts you'll see on the interwebs are made entirely by one (maybe two) people.  But that's obviously not how the real NFL draft plays out, so to better simulate the process, Bleacher Report's team of draft correspondents conducted a mock draft for the top 100 selections over the past few days.  That covers every pick of the first three rounds plus the first pick of Round 4.

Drafting from the New England Patriots' perspective, I found myself with some fun dilemmas (though I'm sure the Pats front office would hardly call the process fun).  While the Pats have needs, there are no glaring deficiencies that will prevent the defending champs from contending in 2015.  Thus, it was often a struggle debating between a potential reach for a need position and the best available player at a less pressing area.

No trades were allowed, so I made four selections during the community portion of the draft.  Based on these results, some Pats fans might be relieved that this underqualified scribe isn't actually running the Foxborough draft room.  Nonetheless, this exercise presented some intriguing scenarios that New England may actually need to face. 

Read on for full results from the top 100 (Patriots picks are in bold) as well as projections for New England's Rounds 4-7 picks.

Round 1 Results

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
1	Buccaneers	Jameis Winston	QB	Florida State
2	Titans	Marcus Mariota	QB	Oregon
3	Jaguars	Dante Fowler Jr.	DE	Florida
4	Raiders	Leonard Williams	DT	USC
5	Redskins	Brandon Scherff	OL	Iowa
6	Jets	Vic Beasley	OLB	Clemson
7	Bears	Amari Cooper	WR	Alabama
8	Falcons	Bud Dupree	DE	Kentucky
9	Giants	Kevin White	WR	West Virginia
10	Rams	Andrus Peat	OT	Stanford
11	Vikings	Marcus Peters	CB	Washington
12	Browns	DeVante Parker	WR	Louisville
13	Saints	Shane Ray	DE	Missouri
14	Dolphins	La'el Collins	OL	LSU
15	49ers	Trae Waynes	CB	Michigan State
16	Texans	Breshad Perriman	WR	UCF
17	Chargers	Danny Shelton	DT	Washington
18	Chiefs	Randy Gregory	LB	Nebraska
19	Browns	Todd Gurley	RB	Georgia
20	Eagles	Jake Fisher	OL	Oregon
21	Bengals	Landon Collins	S	Alabama
22	Steelers	Kevin Johnson	CB	Wake Forest
23	Lions	Malcom Brown	DT	Texas
24	Cardinals	Cameron Erving	OC	Florida State
25	Panthers	Ereck Flowers	OT	Miami (FL)
26	Ravens	Jaelen Strong	WR	Arizona State
27	Cowboys	Byron Jones	CB	Connecticut
28	Broncos	T.J. Clemmings	OT	Pittsburgh
29	Colts	Arik Armstead	DE	Oregon
30	Packers	Owamagbe Odighizuwa	OLB	UCLA
31	Saints	Eric Kendricks	LB	UCLA
32	Patriots	Melvin Gordon	RB	Wisconsin

Running back is certainly not New England's biggest need, even with the free-agent defections of Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley.  And yet, Melvin Gordon was far and away the best available player on the board, making this a real no-brainer.

Gordon would certainly be the most talented back the Pats have employed in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era, and he possesses the type of transformational talent level that could keep New England's window of Super Bowl contention firmly wide-open.  He's not the perfect prospect; his ball-security issues at Madison were particularly concerning, as there's no quicker ticket into Belichick's doghouse.

Still, there's a reason most mock drafts have Gordon off the board before pick 32, with The MMQB's Peter King reporting earlier this month that he would not get past the Baltimore Ravens at pick 26.  If this scenario actually came to fruition, the Pats would likely receive plenty of tempting offers to trade down into Round 2.

But while Belichick might salivate at a bidding war, Gordon might be too premium of a prospect to pass up.  I briefly considered Laken Tomlinson or Nelson Agholor instead, both of whom play positions of greater need but are a tier below Gordon.  Whether the Pats take the Wisconsin running back or trade down, this would be a dream win-win for the organization at the end of Day 1.

Round 2 Results

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Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
33	Titans	Jalen Collins	CB	LSU
34	Buccaneers	Ty Sambrailo	OL	Colorado State
35	Raiders	Nelson Agholor	WR	USC
36	Jaguars	Dorial Green-Beckham	WR	Oklahoma
37	Jets	Laken Tomlinson	OG	Duke
38	Redskins	Ameer Abdullah	RB	Nebraska
39	Bears	Eli Harold	OLB	Virginia
40	Giants	Damarious Randall	S	Arizona State
41	Rams	D.J. Humphries	OL	Florida
42	Falcons	Eric Rowe	S	Utah
43	Browns	Donovan Smith	OT	Penn State
44	Saints	Phillip Dorsett	WR	Miami (FL)
45	Vikings	Stephone Anthony	LB	Clemson
46	49ers	Preston Smith	DE	Mississippi State
47	Dolphins	Devin Funchess	WR/TE	Michigan
48	Chargers	Tevin Coleman	RB	Indiana
49	Chiefs	Eddie Goldman	DL	Florida State
50	Bills	A.J. Cann	OG	South Carolina
51	Texans	Benardrick McKinney	OLB	Mississippi State
52	Eagles	Devin Smith	WR	Ohio State
53	Bengals	Maxx Williams	TE	Minnesota
54	Lions	Duke Johnson	RB	Miami (FL)
55	Cardinals	Ronald Darby	CB	Florida State
56	Steelers	Nate Orchard	DE/LB	Utah
57	Panthers	Jay Ajayi	RB	Boise State
58	Ravens	Clive Walford	TE	Miami (FL)
59	Broncos	Grady Jarrett	DT	Clemson
60	Cowboys	TJ Yeldon	RB	Alabama
61	Colts	Paul Dawson	LB	TCU
62	Packers	P.J. Williams	CB	Florida State
63	Seahawks	Carl Davis	DL	Iowa
64	Patriots	Tre' Jackson	OG	Florida State

A three-year starter at Florida State, the mauling 6'4", 330-pound Tre' Jackson would seem like a perfect fit next to his collegiate teammate Bryan Stork. 

Offensive line coach Dave DeGuglielmo appears to prefer a gap-blocking scheme that favors power and anchor strength over the lighter, agile linemen who were a staple under Dante Scarnecchia.  Given that Jackson has also visited Foxborough, he would seemingly sit firmly on the Patriots' Day 2 radar.

However, I'm starting to wonder if this pick is realistic now. 

According to The Seattle Times' Bob Condotta, NFL draftnik Mike Mayock suggested that Jackson's stock has slid out of the second round.  Misinformation is ripe at this time of year, of course, but Jackson's 2014 film represented a clear regression from his previous season.  Coupled with weight issues, it's understandable that teams might have some concerning red flags surrounding him.

I'm not privy to these whisperings, so I selected Jackson based on the opinion that guard is New England's biggest need.  Tomlinson, A.J. Cann and Donovan Smith all would have been worthy alternatives, but each was off the board by pick 64.  Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett would have been the selection had he still been available. 

This kind of dilemma is why I believe that the Pats might trade down from pick 32 with the intention of selecting a Tomlinson or Cann type.  New England rarely forces a pick for the sake of need, so this scenario probably isn't wholly realistic.  Nevertheless, with good value at receiver and cornerback looming later in the draft, I saw Jackson as a high-upside prospect with the physical tools to start from Day 1.

Round 3 Results

Pick	Team	Player	Position	School
65	Buccaneers	Rashad Greene	WR	Florida State
66	Titans	Cedric Ogbuehi	OT	Texas A&M
67	Jaguars	Jeremy Langford	RB	Michigan State
68	Raiders	Ali Marpet	OG	Hobart College
69	Redskins	Danielle Hunter	DE	LSU
70	Jets	Tre McBride	WR	William & Mary
71	Bears	Jaquiski Tartt	S	Samford
72	Rams	Sammie Coates	WR	Auburn
73	Falcons	Mitch Morse	OG	Missouri
74	Giants	Rob Havenstein	OT	Wisconsin
75	Saints	D'Joun Smith	CB	Florida Atlantic
76	Vikings	Shaq Thompson	OLB	Washington
77	Browns	Jordan Phillips	DT	Oklahoma
78	Saints	John Miller	OG	Louisville
79	49ers	Denzel Perryman	ILB	Miami (FL)
80	Chiefs	Tyler Lockett	WR	Kansas State
81	Bills	Bryce Petty	QB	Baylor
82	Texans	Doran Grant	CB	Ohio State
83	Chargers	Hau'oli Kikaha	OLB	Washington
84	Eagles	Quinten Rollins	CB	Miami (OH)
85	Bengals	Za'Darius Smith	DE	Kentucky
86	Cardinals	David Cobb	RB	Minnesota
87	Steelers	Jeff Heuerman	TE	Ohio State
88	Lions	Josh Shaw	CB	USC
89	Panthers	Michael Bennett	DT	Ohio State
90	Ravens	Derron Smith	SS	Fresno State
91	Cowboys	Trey Flowers	DE	Arkansas
92	Broncos	Henry Anderson	DE	Stanford
93	Colts	Mike Davis	RB	South Carolina
94	Packers	Brett Hundley	QB	UCLA
95	Seahawks	Alex Carter	CB	Stanford
96	Patriots	Kenny Bell	WR	Nebraska
97	Patriots	Ifo Ekpre-Olomu	CB	Oregon
98	Chiefs	Senquez Golson	CB	Ole Miss
99	Bengals	Steven Nelson	CB	Oregon State
*100	Titans	Nick O'Leary	TE	Florida State

 *First pick of Round 4.

Wide receiver and corner have nice depth into Day 3, so while the Patriots could certainly select a higher-rated prospect at either position, there's no harm in waiting.  Kenny Bell and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu would both face crowded depth charts, but each possesses a unique skill set that could allow him to contribute from Day 1.

Bell might not be a familiar name for many Pats fans.  The Nebraska wideout was a consistent four-year starter at Lincoln, putting up his best statistical lines in 2012 (50/863/8) and 2014 (47/788/6). 

Bell (6'1", 197 lbs) reminds me a bit of Brandon LaFell, as both have the size, hands and body control to make them perimeter threats even without track-star speed.  Bell also had the third-fastest three-cone drill time among receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine, a drill the Pats have always weighed heavily.

Ekpre-Olomu was a first-round prospect headed into 2014, but inconsistent play and a torn ACL in January have sent his stock plummeting. 

A three-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection, the Oregon product is as deadly a ball hawk as any corner in this draft with his fluid movements and hyperaggressive instincts.  At 5'9" with 30⅞-inch arms, Ekpre-Olomu pushes the boundaries of being too small to survive in the NFL.  Still, his film is undeniably impressive, and in off-coverage schemes, he has Pro Bowl-level talent.

Stanford corner Alex Carter, who went one pick before these back-to-back selections, likely would have been a more natural fit for the Patriots' hybrid man-zone scheme.  There also wasn't much value in interior defenders at linebacker and defensive tackle, hence the decision to replenish the pipeline with a pair of game-tape standouts.

Round 4 Projection

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Pick 101: Bobby Richardson, DT, Indiana

Pick 131: Jake Ryan, LB, Michigan

With a pair of fourth-round picks, the Patriots are well-positioned to move around the board on Day 3.  Having taken three offensive players and just one defender, I decided to replenish the defensive ranks with a pair of high-motor Big Ten defenders who could fulfill specific niches immediately.

The 101st pick was the first non-community pick, so I actually didn't need to do any guesswork on prospect availability here.  The 6'3", 283-pound Richardson might appear a bit small, but considering that the Pats already have a pair of capable two-gapping run-stuffers in Sealver Siliga and Alan Branch, I think the need for a Vince Wilfork replacement is a bit overstated. 

However, a team can never have enough pass-rushers, and if 2014 first-rounder Dominique Easley continues to struggle, Richardson offers an alternative for sub-packages.

Ryan, meanwhile, fits the mold of the fluid, lighter linebackers the Pats have favored the past few seasons.  While he could use work diagnosing runs and play action—he tends to overrun plays—Ryan is a football junkie with the versatility to play all three linebacker spots in New England's system.  A team captain at Ann Arbor, he's also an ideal program fit for the Patriots.

Neither of these players figure to evolve into rookie-year starters like last year's fourth-rounder Bryan Stork did.  However, Richardson and Ryan would add important depth along the front seven, which will need to carry the defense given the personnel downgrades in the secondary.

Round 6 Projection

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Pick 178: Ibraheim Campbell, SS, Northwestern

The Patriots don't own a fifth-rounder due to last October's Jonathan Casillas trade, so there's a long 47-pick wait until New England's sixth-rounder.  It wouldn't be surprising to see New England recoup that fifth-rounder at some point, but for now, we'll act as if it is sitting the round out.

Strong safety isn't necessarily a pressing need given that Tavon Wilson and Patrick Chung are mostly "big nickel" specialists at this point.  But Northwestern's Campbell has potential as a downhill enforcer and core special teamer, making him a worthy lottery ticket at this point in the draft.

Campbell (5'11", 208 lbs) is a playmaker who resembles a heat-seeking missile, having forced four fumbles and picked off three passes his senior season despite playing only a part-time role on the Wildcats defense. Unfortunately, Campbell isn't ready to play meaningful defensive snaps because of raw diagnostic instincts, which will likely need multiple years of development. 

But as someone who contributed on special teams in college, Campbell already has a clear avenue onto the game-day 46-man roster.  New England has made a habit of investing in core special teamers on Day 3, and Campbell possesses enough defensive developmental upside to suggest that he could turn into more than that.

Round 7 Projection

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Pick 219: Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA

Pick 253: Corey Robinson, OT, South Carolina

In previous seventh rounds, the Pats have taken fliers on buy-low athletes in need of molding.  The bust rate is obviously high at the end of the draft, but the likes of Julian Edelman, Matt Cassel and David Givens have provided exponential returns for their relatively puny investments.

McCarthy (6'5", 338 lbs) is a massive body with the versatility to play multiple two-gapping techniques, but he was a severe collegiate disappointment after arriving as a 5-star recruit, per 247Sports.  He also has had surgery on both knees, a red flag for someone his size. 

Still, he has rare athletic traits for someone who might not get drafted, so McCarthy is probably worth a flier in the hopes that he can stay healthy and rectify the conditioning issues that plagued his time at Westwood.

Robinson is another massive human being (6'7", 328 lbs) with tree branches for arms (35⅝").  A starter at left tackle in Columbia, Robinson is one of numerous collegiate tackles who will likely need to make the move inside due to inferior lateral agility. 

The ex-Gamecock also has upper-body technique issues (hands, punch, waist bend, etc.) that need correction, but he could be a nice developmental guard with the body type to succeed in DeGuglielmo's system.

*All measurables and combine stats via NFL.com.