New England Patriots Pre-Combine 7-Round Mock Draft
With the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine underway, it's the perfect time to take another look ahead at this year's draft.
For the New England Patriots, this draft is about maintaining and building upon a roster that was good enough to win a championship in 2016. Finding depth and replacing players who could depart in free agency will be the primary goal here.
Fortunately, this is believed to be a draft deep in overall talent, so the fact the Patriots will be picking at the bottom of each round shouldn't hinder the team's ability to accomplish these goals.
Compensatory picks have been announced, which expands New England's pool to eight total selections. The Patriots received a compensatory pick in Round 5 and also received a third-round compensatory pick from the Cleveland Brown in the Jamie Collins trade.
Armed with eight picks and what we can know before the combine and free agency, here is our updated seven-round Patriots mock draft.
Round 1 (32)
1 of 8
Tim Williams, EDGE, Alabama
The Patriots may have fielded the league's best scoring defense in 2016 (15.6 points per game allowed), but there is one big area in which the team can improve—pass rush.
As a team, New England was rated just 24th in pass rush by Pro Football Focus. The defense is also set to potentially lose defensive ends Chris Long and Jabaal Sheard, who combined for 9.0 sacks last season.
This is why a pass-rusher like Alabama's Tim Williams makes a lot of sense early in the draft. The 23-year-old possesses top-tier talent and potential, but character concerns could cause him to slide on draft weekend.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. actually believed that Williams could have been a top-five selection had he come out last year, per Duane Rankin of the Detroit Free Press.
"I thought Williams, the momentum he built up at the end of the year and the way this league is for pass rushers, he would have gone really high," Kiper said.
Williams stayed and produced a year that included an arrest and some diminishing draft stock. Not only did he raise off-field concerns, but he saw his sack production fall from 10.5 in 2015 to 9.0 this past season. This could allow the Patriots to snag him at the end of Round 1.
Round 2 (64)
2 of 8
Adam Shaheen, TE, Ashland
There are two primary reasons why it would make sense for the Patriots to target a tight end early in the draft. The first is that Martellus Bennett is expected to test free agency and may not return. The second is that Rob Gronkowski's extensive injury history really leaves his future up in the air.
Even if Gronkowski remains healthy moving forward, it would make sense to add another playmaking tight end to the offense.
This is where Ashland's Adam Shaheen comes in. The small-school pass-catcher is a mammoth on the football field (6'6", 277 pounds) and possesses great athleticism. Last season alone, he caught 57 passes for 867 yards and 16 touchdowns.
"He's clearly the third-best tight end in this year's class, and I think you'll start to hear first-round buzz about him by the time his workout is finished," one NFL executive told NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah. "It's hard to find tight ends with his combination of size, speed and toughness. He's a unique talent."
Pairing Shaheen with Gronkowski would give the Patriots one of the deadliest tight end duos in the entire NFL, the kind the team enjoyed back when Aaron Hernandez was still a football player.
If Shaheen's stock continues to rise, the Patriots may have to trade up to get him, but he would likely be worth the move.
Round 3 (96)
3 of 8
Rasul Douglas, CB, West Virginia
The Patriots could end up with a big need at cornerback this offseason, as starter Logan Ryan is slated to become a free agent. In the first of multiple defensive-back selections, we have 6'1", 204-pound Rasul Douglas of West Virginia.
Douglas' size and ball skills should interest New England, even if he doesn't have the physical ability to start right out of the gate. He could step in and serve as a bub corner in zone packages, and even possibly as a free safety.
Based on his production last season—70 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and eight interceptions—Douglas almost feels like a guy the Patriots should target at safety. He even picked up some pointers from former WVU and current Raiders safety Karl Joseph.
"Karl Joseph, the trait I picked up from him is leadership, and how he comes to the job every day, gives his all," Douglas said, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. "He's a hard worker, dedicated, always wants to be the best."
With Duron Harmon also scheduled to become a free agent, Douglas might also fill a need as a rotational safety in sub packages. If the Patriots can snag a guy who can fill multiple defensive roles in the third round, it's a win.
.png?w=256)
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Round 3 (103)
4 of 8
Kendell Beckwith, ILB, LSU
This is the pick the Patriots received in exchange for Collins. This is a pick the Patriots could use to help replace Collins—and potentially Dont'a Hightower should he depart in free agency. The Patriots decided not to use the franchise tag on Hightower, so this is a real possibility.
LSU inside linebacker Kendell Beckwith might not be able to immediately replace the talent or production of either Collins or Hightower, but he is a quality player who could step in and fill a role in the linebacker rotation right away.
At 6'3" and 247 pounds, Beckwith has adequate size and athleticism to fit New England's multi-scheme defense. Interestingly, he's almost the exact same size as Collins. The 22-year-old also has some intriguing past production.
In 10 games this past season, Beckwith produced 91 total tackles, six tackles for a loss, a sack and four passes defended. Pro Football Focus rated him 92nd overall among linebackers for the 2016 season.
Realistically, Beckwith would probably be a higher pick if he were completely healthy. However, he is coming off a torn ACL he suffered in November. A healthy Beckwith might be a second-round pick in this draft (and he still could be). He might go even higher in a draft with less defensive depth.
If the Patriots are willing to accept the injury risk here, Beckwith could be a steal.
Round 4 (137)
5 of 8
Donnel Pumphrey, RB, San Diego State
Depending on what the Patriots decide to do with LeGarrette Blount this offseason, I could see the team targeting a running back much higher than the fifth round. However, I still like the value San Diego State's Donnel Pumphrey could provide here.
Pumphrey isn't going to catch the attention of every team because of his size (5'8", 169 pounds). However, he has never let his size affect his ability to produce on the football field.
The 22-year-old rushed for 2,133 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2016. He also added 27 receptions for 231 yards. This kind of production is what the Patriots should be looking at, not Pumphrey's stature.
"I don't care how big he is, he's a good player. Look, he's tiny so you can't take him too early because there's risk in putting a skinny runner out there," one AFC scout told NFL Media's Lance Zierlein. "You have to have an offense that makes sense for him but everyone I talk to on the road likes the talent."
The Patriots definitely seem to have the type of offense in which Pumphrey could excel. Whether utilizing him as a runner or a pass-catcher, New England would find ways to get him the ball in space.
While New England has similar running backs in James White and Dion Lewis, this only helps provide a blueprint for how Pumphrey might be used at the pro level.
Round 5 (163)
6 of 8
Marquez White, DB, Florida State
In this mock, the Patriots have already addressed the cornerback position once. However, it never hurts to add depth to the back end of a defense and Florida State product Marquez White is the type of player who could provide it.
There are plenty of questions surrounding White, but there are also a couple of things to really like about him. The first is that he comes from a marquee college program and proved to be quite productive there. White amassed 25 tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions in 2016 while battling quality competition.
Pro Football Focus rated White 151 overall among more than 1,500 college corners last season.
White also has size (6'0", 184 pounds) on his side. While not every successful pass-defender is tall, the NFL has recently been trending toward bigger, longer cornerbacks.
While White might need some time to develop his coverage skills, he has the size to match up against bigger receivers and to provide some impact to the special teams unit.
Round 5 (183)
7 of 8
Shaquill Griffin, CB, Central Florida
Loading up on cornerbacks late in the draft could be a wise strategy for the Patriots this year. This class is deep at the position, and New England could realistically land a couple of future starters on Day 3.
Central Florida's Shaquill Griffin possesses good size (6'1", 200 pounds) for the cornerback position, and he has the aggressive, physical mentality that the Patriots want in their defenders. He may, however, struggle to cover speedier receivers, as NFL Media's Lance Zierlein recently pointed out.
"Griffin plays the game with an aggressive tilt both in coverage and in his run support," he wrote. "Griffin has good ball skills with a closing burst to challenge throws, but his anticipation is just average and he may not be able to play off of receivers and still be as effective with his ball production."
The benefit of adding Griffin is that it would give the Patriots another physical cornerback who can jam and play tight against receivers. He also appears well-suited to provide excellent run support. Last season, he amassed 50 tackles, 15 passes defended and four interceptions.
Griffin's physical tools should also allow him to immediately contribute on special teams.
Round 7 (239)
8 of 8
Jerome Lane, WR, Akron
Akron's Jerome Lane might not be the most recognizable receiver in the draft (he isn't), but he has the size and physicality to be a nice developmental prospect and possible special teams contributor.
The 6'3" and 220-pound pass-catcher possesses the size that some of New England's receivers lack. He also had production at Akron, racking up 1,018 yards and six touchdowns on 62 receptions last season.
Depending on how the Patriots decide to develop Lane, he could be used in more of a tight end, H-back role.
"His hands are adequate and he has very good size and strength so it might make sense to beef Lane up and give him a shot at a move tight end spot if he fails to make it as a receiver," NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah wrote of Lane in his draft profile.
A pick this late in the draft is typically going to yield a project of a player. Yet, if Lane is a project that can turn into a versatile offensive chess piece, he sounds like a prospect the Patriots could be interested in acquiring.
*All player measurements via NFL.com
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
