New England Patriots Mock Draft Roundup: What the Experts Are Saying
There's never any shortage of first-round mock drafts any year in the lead-up to the NFL draft, but that's not the case for New England Patriots fans hoping for some insight into how the team will use its second- and third-round choices.
There are only so many experts willing to "go the distance" and provide a mock draft accounting for the second and/or third days of the NFL draft. Thankfully, there are at least a few brave souls that wade through the treachery of putting on a different thinking cap for each of the NFL's 32 head coaches and general managers through two to seven rounds of the selection process.
The Patriots have plenty of needs that could be addressed with their two picks in the second round and two picks in the third round, but what direction do the experts think the Patriots will, could or should go?
Will the Patriots take that explosive deep-threat wide receiver everyone wants? What about a stout interior defensive lineman? With needs at those positions, as well as cornerback, offensive tackle, running back and linebacker, the Patriots have plenty of options at their disposal.
Here's a roundup of a handful of the two- to seven-round mock drafts scattered over the Internet.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN: DT Chris Jones, Mississippi State
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Mel Kiper Jr. correctly points out that the Patriots have opened a need at defensive tackle with the release of 2014 first-round pick Dominique Easley. That's a need that could easily be filled with the selection of Mississippi State standout Chris Jones in the second round.
As the Patriots prepare to shift toward a 3-4 defensive scheme, they will need linemen who excel at holding the point of attack rather than penetrating into the backfield as Easley did. Jones would be the ideal fit, as he is known for an ability to do both; NFL.com's Lance Zierlein says Jones has "a body type and skill set to play all along the defensive line in both odd and even fronts."
The versatility to play the roles of either a two-gap or one-gap defensive lineman will help Jones go far with the Patriots, where they could be switching between different defensive fronts on a week-to-week or even a play-to-play basis.
Jones' length (6'6", 310 lbs, 10.75" hands, 34.5" arms) makes him a fit at any of the positions in a 3-4 defense, but he might be at his best when lined up over the nose, where his power and length can allow him to disrupt the pocket with a push up the middle.
With so much potential and such a versatile scheme fit, Jones could be off the board well before the Patriots go on the clock at No. 60. If he's still available, though, he should be among the names discussed in the Patriots war room.
Chris Burke, Sports Illustrated: RB Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech
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Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated seems to agree with me: Running back is one of the Patriots' primary top-of-the-depth-chart needs headed into the draft.
Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Dixon has a world of talent—he didn't accidentally become the leading rusher in school history with 4,483 rushing yards and 72 touchdowns. He's also shown some versatility in the passing game over the past two years, with a combined 63 receptions for 849 yards (13.5 yards per catch) and 13 touchdowns.
He put up some great numbers with the ball in his hands throughout his career, but there were two problems with his game that may cause some red flags with the Patriots: what he did when the ball wasn't in his hands and his propensity for allowing the ball to fall out of his hands.
There are mixed reviews of his abilities in pass protection; NFL.com's Lance Zierlein regards Dixon's blitz pickup skills as "suspect" due to his smaller frame (5'10", 215 lbs), while CBS Sports' Dane Brugler regards pass protection as one of the strengths that makes him a well-rounded player. Both men agree he needs to work on ball security with 14 career fumbles.
Dixon would not be the first Patriots running back with fumblitis, but after the turbulent Patriots tenure of running back Stevan Ridley, who knows if the Patriots will be eager to invest in another back who could cough up the ball in key situations—no matter how much of a fit he may be otherwise.
Jon Abbott, Pro Football Focus: DL Hassan Ridgeway, Texas
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In Pro Football Focus' seven-round mock draft, Patriots mock general manager Jon Abbott made Louisiana Tech's Kenneth Dixon his first selection. It doesn't really matter which order the Patriots take the two players since their picks are back-to-back. So, to avoid a redundant slide, let's look at Abbott's second pick: defensive lineman Hassan Ridgeway.
In a similar way to Mississippi State's Chris Jones, Ridgeway (6'3", 303 lbs, 33" arms) has the traits to be a fit in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 front. Both CBS Sports' Dane Brugler and NFL.com's Lance Zierlein commend Ridgeway for his power and stout style of play at the line of scrimmage. Both those traits would be on display in full effect in the Patriots' two-gap defensive scheme.
Ridgeway's true roots are in gap penetration, however. According to Brugler, Ridgeway showed up at Texas as a 250-pound edge-rusher and leaves the school as a 300-pound interior behemoth.
One player who will certainly be thrilled about the selection is Malcom Brown. The Patriots' 2015 first-round choice played alongside Ridgeway for two years from 2013-14. Zierlein quotes an NFL general manager as saying that Ridgeway is the more talented of the two, so if the Patriots were high on Brown, imagine how they could possibly feel about Ridgeway.
If he's available in the second round, that would be like stealing.
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Dane Brugler, CBS Sports: DB Sean Davis, Maryland
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With Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan at the top of the Patriots batting order in the secondary, the biggest needs at cornerback are at the third and fourth spots on the depth chart. What the Patriots truly need is a defensive back with the versatility to line up inside and outside, and who might even be able to double as a safety at times.
That's where CBS Sports analyst Dane Brugler's selection of Maryland defensive back Sean Davis comes in.
According to Brugler, the Patriots have shown "a great deal of interest" in Davis. It would just make too much sense; Davis is exactly what the Patriots like in a defensive back. His experience at cornerback and safety would make him a viable depth chart option at either position to come off the bench in his first year while he develops and finds a niche.
At 6'1" and 201 pounds, he has the size to compete with boundary receivers, but his man coverage skills leave a lot to be desired. According to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, Davis was burned for 614 receiving yards into his coverage. That being said, he has shown ball skills with three interceptions in 2015.
He ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash and a blazing 6.64-second three-cone drill at the NFL Scouting Combine. With that kind of athleticism, he'll do well no matter what he's asked to do—and he could even be a weapon on special teams.
Kevin Duffy, MassLive.com: CB Cyrus Jones, Alabama
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As Kevin Duffy of MassLive.com notes, both Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan are free agents after the 2016 season, so the need at cornerback is not immediate. However, it would be in the Patriots' best interest to look at developing cornerbacks to eventually become starters for the long term.
Where else to start but Alabama? Cornerback Cyrus Jones spent three years under Alabama head coach Nick Saban and played multiple positions throughout his career, but he made the full-time switch to cornerback ahead of the 2013 season. The 5'10", 197-pound corner is like most other Alabama products in the defensive backfield in that he excels in man coverage, where he can jam at the line of scrimmage.
One of his weaknesses, however, is his size. He is a lot like Butler in that he can be outmatched against bigger wide receivers, but also that he is feisty enough in coverage to compensate at times, competing for the ball at the point of the catch.
That may be why NFL.com's Lance Zierlein indicates Jones may be on a path to become "a nickel cornerback who may be fitted to plenty of Tampa-2 coverage due to lack of speed." That being said, Zierlein also notes that Jones' ability on special teams and his toughness in run support may drive his stock up.
According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Patriots have worked out Jones in advance of the draft, so there is some interest in at least digging deeper. Belichick could certainly do worse than to add Jones to his deep secondary.
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