5 Potential Prospects New England Patriots Could Target in 3rd Round of Draft

Just because the New England Patriots don't have a first-round pick doesn't mean they can't still find talented players in the 2016 NFL draft.

Make no mistake; there is a drop-off in talent from round to round, but the Patriots have proved they can still add players who fit their system in the middle rounds.

The third round has been kind to the Patriots in recent years; they added cornerback Logan Ryan and safety Duron Harmon in 2013 as well as defensive lineman Geneo Grissom in 2015. All three players are primed for big roles at their positions in 2016, and the first two have developed a great deal since they entered the league.

In fact, the third round should serve exactly the purpose the Patriots need in the 2016 draft. They don't need top-of-the-line starters as much as they need depth players who can develop into starters or major pieces of a platoon at their positions.

Here are some players that fit the bill at the Patriots' positions of need.

Nick Vigil, LB, Utah State

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Even before the retirement of Jerod Mayo, the Patriots were in need of more depth at linebacker. Of course, losing one of their most experienced (albeit injury-prone) linebackers doesn't help, but Utah State's Nick Vigil can.

The 6'2", 239-pound linebacker is a little undersized by the Patriots' lofty standards (most of their linebackers stand 6'3" or taller and weigh 250 pounds or more), but the first-team All-Mountain West linebacker has demonstrated the mental and athletic acuity to make the transition to the NFL.

He had tremendous production for the Aggies, with 267 total tackles and 30 tackles for loss, according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, but Zierlein adds that some of Vigil's production is more a result of his heady style of play than above-average athleticism.

That being said, Vigil's impressive 6.73-second three-cone drill was among the five fastest for a linebacker at the scouting combine, and it certainly caught the eye of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who loves the three-cone drill as an evaluator of change-of-direction ability and quickness. Vigil might not be the total package, but if he can just play a supporting role, he'll fit the bill for the Patriots.

C.J. Prosise, RB, Notre Dame

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There's a catch-22 involved with evaluating college running backs. Does a team want a player with experience or a player who still has a lot of tread left on his tires?

With Notre Dame's C.J. Prosise, the Patriots can get a little of both. Prosise has proved he can carry a load for an offense, with 157 carries for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns along with 26 receptions for 308 yards and a receiving touchdown last year. But that was his only year of major production as a running back, as he made the full-time switch to the position in 2015 after an eye-popping spring scrimmage.

"He's talented and caught all of us off-­guard to start the season," an NFL scout told Zierlein. "He looks like he has no idea what he's doing at times in protections, and that is what could keep him off the field early in his career."

Zierlein also noted that Prosise needs to learn to run with lower pad level, but he would hardly be the first running back to improve in that area under Bill Belichick. In fact, LeGarrette Blount often credited Belichick with helping to improve his running style by getting him to consistently lower his shoulder and make use of his frame—and Prosise certainly has the frame at 6'0" and 220 pounds.

That being said, there's some concern with ball security—which just happens to be one of Belichick's biggest pet peeves in running backs. Prosise fumbled five times on 157 carries in 2015, but with more experience, he could yet find the cure for his fumblitis.

Leonte Carroo, WR, Rutgers

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Believe it or not, the Rutgers-Patriots pipeline has dried up in recent years. Yes, there's still a smattering of former Scarlet Knights: Devin McCourty, Harmon, Ryan, Kevin Snyder and Jonathan Freeny are the players who share an alma mater with Belichick's son, Stephen. If any player in the 2016 draft pool warrants a renewal of that pipeline, it's wide receiver Leonte Carroo.

The 6'0", 211-pound wide receiver might not have the exact dimensions some scouts and teams will covet in the draft, but you wouldn't know it from his playing style. According to Zierlein, Carroo is a proven competitor as a run-blocker, having played in a scheme that asked him to do so on a frequent basis.

He has been a favorite target in Rutgers' offense over the past three seasons (122 catches, 2,373 yards, 29 touchdowns) and has been a lightning rod for big plays, averaging 20 yards per catch over the past two seasons despite defenses paying extra attention to him.

According to Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of CBS Sports, he understands the nuances of running routes to get open, and he has strong hands to catch the ball away from his frame, which are favorite qualities of Belichick's. The Patriots need that kind of receiver in their effort to replace Brandon LaFell on the boundary.

Darius Latham, DT, Indiana

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With a pair of key departures at defensive tackle this year in Sealver Siliga and Akiem Hicks as well as another major loss the year before in Vince Wilfork, the Patriots are overdue to replenish the depth chart at defensive tackle. They've done well to add talent to the top in first-round picks Dominique Easley (2014) and Malcom Brown (2015), but the deeper you look, the thinner it gets.

Indiana defensive tackle Darius Latham is exactly the kind of defensive tackle the Patriots need. According to Zierlein, Latham has the ability to fit in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 front and has played the 1- and 3-technique in Indiana's versatile defense. The 6'4", 311-pounder sports 34 ¾" arms to help keep offensive linemen at bay and to allow him to shed blockers when they get contact.

Latham isn't without his downfalls, like any prospect, but according to an NFL assistant defensive line coach, his weaknesses aren't much of a concern.

"He's got a projectable frame that can add more weight and muscle," the coach said, per Zierlein. "I look at his power and his ability to create disturbance in the pocket, and that is what he will get drafted on. The so-called 'cons' is what we get coached to improve."

The Patriots may not need Latham to be more than a rotational player, but his ability to play multiple spots on the line makes him a better fit than most for that role.

Kyle Murphy, OT, Stanford

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One look at Stanford offensive tackle Kyle Murphy, and the words "NFL offensive lineman" might scroll across your eyes like something out of a cartoon. The 6'6", 305-pound tackle has 33 ½" arms to help him redirect pass-rushers around the edge, forcing them to take the long way to the quarterback and negating their quickness by controlling their movements.

The problem with Murphy is that he needs those arms to do most of the legwork (no pun intended) because his feet are "just average from a quickness standpoint," according to Zierlein. One thing the Patriots will like about him, however, is his athleticism in space; they tend to ask their tackles to block out in front of perimeter runs and screens.

According to Rang, Murphy also has the lower-body power to drive defensive linemen off the ball, and he gets out to the second level quickly as well, but because of his lack of foot quickness, he can sometimes get off-balance when trying to change direction.

The Patriots are in need of depth at offensive tackle to upgrade over Marcus Cannon as the third on the list, and they could look to Murphy to provide that depth.