New England Patriots Mock Draft and Big Board: Updated Day 3 Predictions

The first three rounds of the 2016 NFL draft are in the books, and the New England Patriots are finally on the board with their first selections of the weekend.

Now that the draft board has been whittled down a bit, and now that the Patriots have addressed some of their needs headed into the draft, the complexion of the final day of the selection process has changed a bit. Many of the prospects on the Patriots' board are gone and must be replaced by new prospects.

As such, any predictions of their final selections are now moot, as not only have the Patriots added to their selections for Saturday with a fourth-round pick, but they've also missed out on some of the players that might have been targeted, while others are available that might not have been expected.

Here is a refreshed look at what could be in the Patriots' future Saturday.

Top-100 Big Board

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Thirty-five of the original 100 players from my final big board have been drafted by an NFL team, and the Patriots only drafted one of them. Here's hoping my batting average improves in Rounds 4-7.

Here's an updated look at the top 100 prospects the Patriots should be targeting. 

New England Patriots Big Board

Rank	Player	Position	School
1	Kenneth Dixon	RB	Louisiana Tech
2	Alex Collins	RB	Arkansas
3	D.J. White	CB	Georgia Tech
4	Pharoh Cooper	WR	South Carolina
5	Jordan Howard	RB	Indiana
6	Vadal Alexander	OG	LSU
7	Harlan Miller	CB	Southeastern Louisiana
8	Joshua Perry	OLB	Ohio State
9	Sheldon Day	DT	Notre Dame
10	Devontae Booker	RB	Utah
11	Willie Beavers	OT	Western Michigan
12	Hassan Ridgeway	DT	Texas
13	Jake McGee	TE	Florida
14	Christan Westerman	OG	Arizona State
15	Juston Burris	CB	NC State
16	Landon Turner	OG	North Carolina
17	Willie Henry	DT	Michigan
18	Nelson Spruce	WR	Colorado
19	Malcolm Mitchell	WR	Georgia
20	Charles Tapper	DE	Oklahoma
21	Devon Cajuste	WR	Stanford
22	Ricardo Louis	WR	Auburn
23	Keenan Reynolds	RB	Navy
24	Jack Allen	C	Michigan State
25	Matthew Ioannidis	DT	Temple
26	Theiren Cockran	DE	Minnesota
27	Connor McGovern	OG	Missouri
28	Joel Heath	DT	Michigan State
29	Aaron Burbridge	WR	Michigan State
30	Roy Robertson-Harris	DE	UTEP
31	Glenn Gronkowski	FB	Kansas State
32	Blake Martinez	ILB	Stanford
33	Steve Longa	OLB	Rutgers
34	Jhurell Pressley	RB	New Mexico
35	Caleb Benenoch	OT	UCLA
36	Anthony Zettel	DT	Penn State
37	Jordan Payton	WR	UCLA
38	Keyarris Garrett	WR	Tulsa
39	Jonathan Williams	RB	Arkansas
40	Travis Feeney	OLB	Washington
41	Devon Johnson	RB	Marshall
42	K.J. Dillon	SS	West Virginia
43	Paul Perkins	RB	UCLA
44	Ufomba Kamalu	DE	Miami (Fla.)
45	B.J. Goodson	LB	Clemson
46	Tyler Higbee	TE	Western Kentucky
47	Jerald Hawkins	OT	LSU
48	Tavon Young	CB	Temple
49	Sebastian Tretola	OG	Arkansas
50	Brandon Wilds	RB	South Carolina
51	Darrell Greene	OG	San Diego State
52	Roger Lewis	WR	Bowling Green
53	DeAndre Houston-Carson	FS	William & Mary
54	Joe Haeg	OT	North Dakota State
55	Dean Lowry	DE	Northwestern
56	Zack Sanchez	CB	Oklahoma
57	Lawrence Thomas	DT	Michigan State
58	David Morgan	TE	UTSA
59	Cole Toner	OT	Harvard
60	Ben Braunecker	TE	Harvard
61	De'Vante Harris	CB	Texas A&M
62	Joe Dahl	OG	Washington State
63	Kevin Peterson	CB	Oklahoma State
64	Chris Brown	WR	Notre Dame
65	Terrance Smith	OLB	Florida State
66	Ryan Smith	CB	North Carolina Central
67	D.J. Reader	DT	Clemson
68	Antonio Morrison	ILB	Florida
69	Stephen Weatherly	DE	Vanderbilt
70	Andrew Billings	DT	Baylor
71	Mike Thomas	WR	Southern Mississippi
72	Rashard Higgins	WR	Colorado State
73	De'Vante Harris	CB	Texas A&M
74	Kyle Murphy	OT	Stanford
75	Jordan Lucas	S	Penn State
76	Scooby Wright III	LB	Arizona
77	Kalan Reed	CB	Southern Mississippi
78	Cre'von LeBlanc	CB	Florida Atlantic
79	Thomas Duarte	TE	UCLA
80	Nick VanHoose	CB	Northwestern
81	Daniel Braverman	WR	Western Michigan
82	Devin Lucien	WR	Arizona State
83	Darius Latham	DT	Indiana
84	Nick Kwiatkoski	LB	West Virginia
85	Will Parks	CB	Arizona
86	Steven Daniels	LB	Boston College
87	Kentrell Brothers	LB	Missouri
88	Jeremy Cash	SS	Duke
89	Joe Schobert	LB	Wisconsin
90	Byron Marshall	WR	Oregon
91	Spencer Drango	OG	Baylor
92	Parker Ehinger	OG	Cincinnati
93	Jack Allen	C	Michigan State
94	Charone Peake	WR	Clemson
95	Ronald Blair	DE	Appalachian State
96	Miles Killebrew	SS	Southern Utah
97	Jayron Kearse	S	Clemson
98	Destiny Vaeao	DT	Washington State
99	Demarcus Robinson	WR	Florida
100	Kolby Listenbee	WR	TCU

Round 4

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Round 4, Pick 112: RB Alex Collins, Arkansas

The Patriots didn't pick up a running back in the first three rounds of the draft, which has already caused a little unrest in Patriots fans. However, there are still plenty of talented backs available, and the Patriots can start Day 3 on a high note by picking up Arkansas running back Alex Collins.

The 5'10", 217-pound bruiser carried a heavy load for the Razorbacks in his three-year college career, with 665 carries for 3,703 yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. He was not much of a factor in the passing game, though, with just 37 career receptions. One area in which Collins struggles is with ball security—and as Stevan Ridley learned, that's not going to fly in New England. If he can improve his ball security issues, he can at least compete with LeGarrette Blount for first- and second-down opportunities.

Round 6

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Round 6, Pick 196: OT Willie Beavers, Western Michigan

Yes, the Patriots used one of their Day 2 picks on an offensive tackle in Joe Thuney, but they could justify another addition to the depth chart Saturday, and Western Michigan's Willie Beavers might be the man for the job. He certainly has the build at 6'4" and 324 pounds with 33 ½-inch arms. Apparently, given his late-round availability, the Patriots aren't the only team with questions about his ability to transition to the NFL.

Despite his size, he might be much better suited for a zone scheme; he has the quickness and fluidity of an NFL tackle but not necessarily the power and patience. He needs some work mastering the details of the position, but he has the best support system available in Patriots offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia.

Round 6, Pick 204: TE Jake McGee, Florida

With the heightened importance of the tight end position in the Patriots offense comes an increased need for depth at the position. Florida's Jake McGee might not be ready for a starting role, but he could develop into a solid piece to the Patriots offense for some unique looks and packages.

At 6'5" and 250 pounds, he's not quite big enough to maul linebackers and defensive ends as a blocker setting the edge in the running game, but he has enough quickness to take advantage of linebackers in coverage and enough size to be a matchup nightmare for safeties as well. He's not going to be a dynamic playmaker at the NFL level—not with his lack of explosiveness—but he can serve a purpose.

Round 6, Pick 208: WR Aaron Burbridge, Michigan State

Luckily for Aaron Burbridge, most NFL teams aren't expecting to find explosive athletes in the sixth and seventh rounds of the draft. The Michigan State wide receiver is far from a freak athlete, but he makes up for the lack of game-breaking physical traits with a high level of football awareness. He knows how to run his routes to create separation, and he tracks the deep ball well.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have the long speed to consistently get open on deep balls, and he doesn't always secure the easy catches. At 6'0" and 206 pounds, he's not exactly going to dominate those physical, contested catch situations, but he knows how to use his size in the running game. If he can use his keen route-running ability to his advantage and consistently get open, he can be a threat to a roster spot.

Round 6, Pick 214: S Jordan Lucas, Penn State

Even with three talented safeties already on the roster, the Patriots could still use some more depth at the position, especially if Patrick Chung becomes a free agent next year. Penn State safety Jordan Lucas has the tools to fill a similar role to the one Chung currently occupies, although he does have some work to do in certain areas.

At 6'0" and 201 pounds, Lucas is a little bigger than Chung, and it shows in run support. He knows how to take good angles, and he consistently hits through his target. Where he struggles is in pass coverage, where he has poor discipline at times and can be caught peeking into the backfield and out of position. If the Patriots use him correctly, he can be a force against the run. If he finds himself in pass coverage, though, he will have a bull's-eye on his chest and back.

Round 6, Pick 221: OLB Steve Longa, Rutgers

The Patriots couldn't get out of a draft without taking a Rutgers player, could they? With a thin depth chart behind Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins at linebacker, the Patriots could use an infusion of youth. Rutgers linebacker Steve Longa has the ability to line up at multiple spots, both inside and outside, and he can contribute on special teams while he learns the ropes of the NFL.

At 6'1" and 241 pounds, Longa is a little smaller than your typical (or preferred) NFL linebacker, but in today's NFL where passing reigns supreme, there will always be a place for an undersized linebacker who can contribute in the passing game. Now, he'll just need to hone his fundamentals in coverage to ensure he can carve out that niche for himself if he wants to make the final cut.

Round 7

Orlin Wagner/Associated Press

Round 7, Pick 243: FB Glenn Gronkowski, Kansas State

Get the family back together. Why not? Kansas State fullback Glenn Gronkowski might not be the dominant athlete his brother is (hence his status as a seventh-round pick in this mock draft), but he has plenty of versatility to find a role. Much like Jake McGee, Gronkowski figures to fit into that H-back type of role in the NFL, where he'll be moved around to create mismatches in both the running and passing game.

At 6'2" and 239 pounds, he doesn't have his brother's dominant size, either. What he does have, however, is an older brother who can show him the ropes and help him quickly grasp the concepts of the complicated Patriots offense. At this point, the Patriots are just looking for depth at thin positions on their roster. Gronkowski might have an outside chance at making the final cut.

Round 7, Pick 250: RB Brandon Wilds, South Carolina

Even after taking Alex Collins with this mock draft's fourth-round pick, the Patriots could still use even more depth at the position. The 6'1", 220-pound Brandon Wilds has the look of a running back who could compete for those first- and second-down touches with both Collins and incumbent LeGarrette Blount.

Wilds was just one piece in a multipronged rushing attack at South Carolina, which actually bodes well for him in the NFL; he hasn't taken too much of a beating at the college level. That being said, he isn't any more explosive for his fresh legs. Without that long speed, he may never be more than one cog in a rotation, but the way the Patriots backfield is presently constructed, his lack of versatility isn't a deal breaker for his ability to make the final roster.