New England Patriots Mock Draft and Big Board: Updated Day 2 Predictions

The first round of the 2016 NFL draft is in the books, and although a lot went down Thursday night, not a lot changed if you're the New England Patriots.

Most of the players who were expected to be drafted in Round 1 have been selected, and there are still 28 selections to go before the Patriots go on the clock with the 60th overall pick—that is, unless they decide to trade up.

A handful of prospects on our original big board went in the first round, so we updated that. To add to the fun, we've done yet another mock draft (in case you haven't had enough of those). Here's an updated look at the Patriots' potential draft targets. 

Top-100 Big Board

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

From the Patriots' perspective, not much has changed since the beginning of the draft.

Without a first-round pick, they still have the same needs they had at this time Thursday. They still have the same number of picks. Most of the players they expected to be gone are gone.

As such, you won't see many changes in the top-100 big board that was posted Thursday. We had previously accounted for the players who were expected to be gone in order to come as close as possible to fitting all 11 of the Patriots' potential draft picks on one board. 

Here's a look at the top 100 remaining players.

New England Patriots Big Board

Rank	Player	Position	School
1	Le'Raven Clark	OT	Texas Tech
2	Chris Jones	DT	Mississippi State
3	Jordan Jenkins	OLB	Georgia
4	Austin Johnson	DT	Penn State
5	Tyler Boyd	WR	Pittsburgh
6	Michael Thomas	WR	Ohio State
7	Kenneth Dixon	RB	Louisiana Tech
8	Jason Spriggs	OT	Indiana
9	Sterling Shepard	WR	Oklahoma
10	Cyrus Jones	CB	Alabama
11	Alex Collins	RB	Arkansas
12	Leonte Carroo	WR	Rutgers
13	Shon Coleman	OT	Auburn
14	D.J. White	CB	Georgia Tech
15	Pharoh Cooper	WR	South Carolina
16	Jordan Howard	RB	Indiana
17	Adolphus Washington	DT	Ohio State
18	Harlan Miller	CB	Southeastern Louisiana
19	Vadal Alexander	OG	LSU
20	Joshua Perry	OLB	Ohio State
21	Sean Davis	DB	Maryland
22	Sheldon Day	DT	Notre Dame
23	Devontae Booker	RB	Utah
24	Vonn Bell	SS	Ohio State
25	Willie Beavers	OT	Western Michigan
26	Hassan Ridgeway	DT	Texas
27	Kendall Fuller	CB	Virginia Tech
28	Jake McGee	TE	Florida
29	Christian Westerman	OG	Arizona State
30	Kenyan Drake	RB	Alabama
31	Braxton Miller	WR	Ohio State
32	Juston Burris	CB	North Carolina State
33	Landon Turner	OG	North Carolina
34	C.J. Prosise	RB	Notre Dame
35	Willie Henry	DT	Michigan
36	Nelson Spruce	WR	Colorado
37	Javon Hargrave	DT	South Carolina State
38	Maliek Collins	DT	Nebraska
39	Malcolm Mitchell	WR	Georgia
40	Charles Tapper	DE	Oklahoma
41	Carl Nassib	DE	Penn State
42	Devon Cajuste	WR	Stanford
43	Ricardo Louis	WR	Auburn
44	Keenan Reynolds	RB	Navy
45	Justin Simmons	FS	Boston College
46	Hunter Henry	TE	Arkansas
47	Matthew Ioannidis	DT	Temple
48	Theiren Cockran	DE	Minnesota
49	Connor McGovern	OG	Missouri
50	Joel Heath	DT	Michigan State
51	Aaron Burbridge	WR	Michigan State
52	Rees Odhiambo	OG	Boise State
53	Roy Robertson-Harris	DE	Texas-El Paso
54	Jihad Ward	DE	Illinois
55	Glenn Gronkowski	FB	Kansas State
56	Blake Martinez	ILB	Stanford
57	Steve Longa	OLB	Rutgers
58	Jhurell Pressley	RB	New Mexico
59	Caleb Benenoch	OT	UCLA
60	Anthony Zettel	DT	Penn State
61	Jordan Payton	WR	UCLA
62	Austin Hooper	TE	Stanford
63	Keyarris Garrett	WR	Tulsa
64	Kyler Fackrell	OLB	Utah State
65	Jonathan Williams	RB	Arkansas
66	Travis Feeney	OLB	Washington
67	Nick Vigil	OLB	Utah State
68	Devon Johnson	RB	Marshall
69	K.J. Dillon	SS	West Virginia
70	Bronson Kaufusi	DE	Brigham Young
71	Paul Perkins	RB	UCLA
72	Ufomba Kamalu	DE	Miami (Fla.)
73	KeiVarae Russell	CB	Notre Dame
74	B.J. Goodson	LB	Clemson
75	Adam Gotsis	DT	Georgia Tech
76	Tyler Higbee	TE	Western Kentucky
77	Jerald Hawkins	OT	LSU
78	Tavon Young	CB	Temple
79	Sebastian Tretola	OG	Arkansas
80	Brandon Wilds	RB	South Carolina
81	Will Redmond	CB	Mississippi State
82	Darrell Green	OG	San Diego State
83	Roger Lewis	WR	Bowling Green
84	DeAndre Houston-Carson	FS	William & Mary
85	Joe Haeg	OT	North Dakota State
86	Dean Lowry	DE	Northwestern
87	Zack Sanchez	CB	Oklahoma
88	Lawrence Thomas	DE	Michigan
89	David Morgan	TE	Texas-San Antonio
90	Cole Toner	OT	Harvard
91	Ben Braunecker	TE	Harvard
92	De'Vante Harris	CB	Texas A&M
93	Joe Dahl	OG	Washington State
94	Kevin Peterson	CB	Oklahoma State
95	Chris Brown	WR	Notre Dame
96	Terrance Smith	OLB	Florida State
97	Ryan Smith	CB	North Carolina Central
98	D.J. Reader	DT	Clemson
99	Antonio Morrison	ILB	Florida
100	Stephen Weatherly	DE	Vanderbilt

Round 2

Associated Press

Le'Raven Clark (No. 62) has the look of an NFL tackle.

Round 2, Pick 60: OT Le'Raven Clark, Texas Tech

Five offensive tackles came off the board in the first round, but only one of them was on our original Patriots' big board, and it wasn't the one at the top. Texas Tech's Le'Raven Clark has elite length for an NFL tackle, at 6'5" and 319 pounds with 36 ⅛-inch arms. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein said that Clark "has a Pro Bowl upside with the floor of an average NFL starter."

If there's anyone who can get that Pro Bowl upside out of him, it's offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia, who will love Clark's agility and smooth footwork. Give him a year to develop on the sideline, and Clark could be ready to take over for Sebastian Vollmer on the right side.  

Round 2, Pick 61: DT Austin Johnson, Penn State

The Patriots could beef up the trenches on both sides of the ball with their first two picks, and one of those picks could be from former Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien's final recruiting class. Defensive tackle Austin Johnson has the size to play any number of spots on the defensive line at 6'4" and 314 pounds; he will mostly be classified as a gap-eating interior lineman, though, and could be a 3-4 nose tackle. 

He doesn't have the explosiveness off the line of, say, Dominique Easley, but he might possibly have the stout two-gapping ability of Malcom Brown. In the Patriots' shift from a 4-3 to a 3-4, and in their attempt to compensate for the departures of Akiem Hicks and Sealver Siliga, Johnson could be a fit in the long run and provide the depth they need in the short run. 

Round 3

Lance King/Getty Images

If Kenneth Dixon isn't available, Jordan Howard (No. 8) could be a target for the Patriots in the third round.

Round 3, Pick 91: RB Jordan Howard, Indiana

I've written that Kenneth Dixon is as close to a complete back as the Patriots could hope to find in the second or third round of the draft. If he's not available, however, Indiana's Jordan Howard could be a solid Plan B. He's not quite as quick or agile as Dixon, but he has the vision and feel for running and weaving through traffic; and at 6'0" and 230 pounds, he is a force between the tackles. 

Howard is not a versatile threat out of the backfield, with just 24 career receptions to his name, but an AFC running back coach called him "the best pure running back in this draft," according to Zierlein. If the Patriots are in need of a LeGarrette Blount replacement after the 2016 season, they could benefit from having Howard on the roster with a year of experience under his belt. 

Round 3, Pick 96: WR Leonte Carroo, Rutgers

Leonte Carroo is not the biggest receiver in the class, at 6'0" and 211 pounds, but the Rutgers product is a willing run-blocker and knows how to use his frame to make contested catches. He isn't an elite downfield threat, but CBS Sports' Dane Brugler and Rob Rang compared him to Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate for his ability to haul in the ball away from his frame and to make extra yards after the catch. 

He was arrested and charged with simple assault in September 2015, but if the Patriots are comfortable with his off-field character, he would be worth a third-round pick. He is clearly respected by his teammates as a former captain at Rutgers, and he has the physical tools to succeed at the NFL level. 

Round 6

Associated Press

Matt Ioannidis (No. 9)

Round 6, Pick 196: DT Matt Ioannidis, Temple

With the departure of Dominique Easley, Sealver Siliga and Akiem Hicks, the Patriots could justifiably add more than one defensive tackle to their rotation this weekend. That's especially true with their shift to a 3-4 front—although the Patriots are always going to be a scheme-flexible defense and therefore will always need scheme-flexible linemen. 

At 6'3" and 299 pounds, Matt Ioannidis is big enough to line up at either of the interior line positions in a 3-4-3 defense and almost any of the positions in a 3-4. There's little, if any, doubt about his ability to hold multiple gaps at the line of scrimmage. There are doubts, however, about his ability as a pass-rusher. Zierlein describes Ioannidis as a "muscle-bound slow-twitch player." He doesn't need to generate fierce pressure, as long as he's freeing up opportunities for his teammates.

Round 6, Pick 204: TE Jake McGee, Florida

As the tight end position becomes more important in New England, so does the need for more depth. Jake McGee may not be a dominant blocking tight end such as Rob Gronkowski, but he has plenty of ability as a receiver. Zierlein says McGee has "hands for days" and at 6'5" and 250 pounds, with 32 ⅝-inch arms, he has a large catch radius and knows how to use it. 

He was used as a "move" tight end in Florida, which means he has experience lining up all over the field; he even played quarterback in high school, allowing him to quickly read and adjust to different defensive calls. More than just his on-field ability, Zierlein also remarks on McGee's leadership qualities, a trait the Patriots covet in their draft picks. 

Round 6, Pick 208: CB Juston Burris, North Carolina State

At 6'0" and 212 pounds, North Carolina State's Juston Burris has the build of a prototypical boundary press-man corner. He's not the best athlete on the field, but according to Brugler, Burris' best weapon is his physicality to knock receivers off their routes. He does need to rein in his aggressive nature at times, though, when it can be used against him for big plays.

Zierlein points to Burris' "twitch to spring into action and attack at the catch point" as an indication that he could hold his own in zone coverage if asked, but he'll be at his best if he uses his physical tools in man coverage.

Round 6, Pick 214: DE Lawrence Thomas, Michigan State

Two defensive linemen in one round? Why not? Michigan State's Lawrence Thomas is one of those tweener defensive end products; at 6'3" and 286 pounds, he's too big to play defensive end in a 4-3 but too small to play defensive end in a 3-4. Perhaps he could shed some weight to play defensive end or outside linebacker; maybe he could pack on a little extra muscle to anchor as a 5-technique.

That's the beauty and the difficulty of Thomas: he is a former fullback and linebacker, and therefore he's still learning the nuances of the defensive end position, according to CBS Sports' Rob Rang. That's why you draft a player like this in a late round. That being said, he has shown some nice moves and enough quickness, agility and strength to measure up as an NFL defensive end. It's all about bringing those tools together and turning him into a pass-rushing machine. 

Round 6, Pick 221: OT Cole Toner, Harvard

The Patriots have never drafted a Harvard prospect in the Bill Belichick era, but that could change if they target tackle Cole Toner. At 6'5" and 306 pounds with 33 ⅛-inch arms, Toner has the length of an NFL tackle. The question is whether he has the other tools. There are some areas of his game that need improvement, but that's Scarnecchia's job, and a job he does well. 

Zierlein notes that Toner's tape is solid but that the level of competition he faced in the Ivy League is far below that which he'll face on a weekly basis in the NFL. If Toner can improve his play strength and correct some of the issues in his fundamentals, he could battle for a backup spot in a thin rotation at tackle. 

Round 7

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Florida State linebacker Terrance Smith (No. 24) could contribute on special teams while carving out his eventual role in the Patriots defense.

Round 7, Pick 243: WR Ricardo Louis, Auburn

It's a little surprising to see an athlete like Auburn's Ricardo Louis still available in the seventh round. He was one of the combine's top performers in the 40-yard dash (4.43 seconds), bench press (18 reps at 225 pounds) vertical jump (38 inches) and broad jump (11 feet). 

Those tools might be enough for the Patriots to take a chance on him, even though a scout told Zierlein that he "[doesn't] see anything draftable about him," due to his minimal routes and focus drops. He did show signs of improvement last year when asked to diversify his route tree, and he has already demonstrated ability as a catch-and-run receiver.

Round 7, Pick 250: OLB Terrance Smith, Florida State

Terrance Smith sneaked onto the big board in our latest revisions, sidling into the back end of our updated mock draft. The 6'3", 235-pound Florida State product ran a 4.77-second 40-yard dash at the combine and showed off some explosiveness with a 34.5-inch vertical jump. 

Brugler describes Smith as a "rangy athlete with terrific speed and footwork" but says he "lacks ideal power and growth potential." He may find himself pigeonholed as a passing-down specialist as a result, but the Patriots could use a player or two like that for their depth chart. His ability to contribute on special teams will help him make the roster in the meantime.