New England Patriots Final 7-Round Mock Draft
It hasn't even been three full months since the New England Patriots completed the most epic comeback in Super Bowl history. However, for the football fans forced to go without the game since then, it's felt like an eternity.
Fortunately, the Super Bowl of the offseason is finally upon us to provide action during the offseason. That's right, folks, the first day of the 2017 NFL draft is here.
For the Patriots, this year's draft is about maintaining a championship roster. Of course, they aren't likely to be doing that early in the draft as trades have left the team without picks in the first and second rounds. Those trades yielded wideout Brandin Cooks and defensive end Kony Ealy, so it's hard to dislike the moves.
New England also traded a fourth-rounder for tight end Dwayne Allen.
New England still has seven selections in the draft, though, and we're going to run down them here. We'll look at each individual pick and mock selections based on factors like player potential, prospect stock, team needs and team fits.
Round 3 (72nd Overall)
1 of 7
Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
Former Washington cornerback Sidney Jones was widely considered the best cornerback in this year's draft class before suffering a torn achilles at his pro day. Now, it's believed he'll drop until at least the second day of the draft.
Jones' injury means he may not be able to play at all as a rookie, though Jones believes he can return sooner.
"I'm going to be back on the field in six months. ... I'll be ready to play," Jones said, per Matt Bowen of ESPN.com. "The doctor said I'll be running in four months."
Snagging Jones would make a ton of sense for the Patriots, who could lose starting cornerback Malcolm Butler next offseason. Jones—who was rated 14th overall among college cornerbacks last season by Pro Football Focus (PFF College)—has the potential to be a starting No. 1 NFL corner.
There is some risk involved, of course, because there is no guarantee Jones will return to pre-injury form. There's also no guarantee Jones will slide all the way to the top of Round 3, so trading up may be required.
However, this would be a shrewd move that fits the Patriots' team-building strategy perfectly. With Butler and Stephon Gilmore starting, Jones likely wouldn't see much playing time as a rookie anyway. By the time his opportunity to start presents itself, Jones should be healthy again.
Round 3 (96th Overall)
2 of 7
Tarell Basham, DE, Ohio
The Patriots could certainly use help in the pass-rushing department, and I think this is an area they will try to address early in the draft. As a team, New England was rated just 24th in pass-rushing by Pro Football Focus.
Due to the wealth of talented pass-rushers in this draft, Ohio's Tarell Basham is likely to be on the board late on Day 2. His small-school status and lack of elite athleticism (he produced just a 31.5-inch vertical and a 7.27-second three-cone drill at the combine) will place him lower than other similar edge-rushers on many draft boards.
Bleacher Report NFL draft analyst Matt Miller projects Basham as a third-round prospect, albeit one with some quality upside:
"On the hoof, Basham is impressive with an excellent build and the long arms needed to keep tackles off his frame. He has a body that could still be growing and might be able to add more weight. He has play power and can anchor at the point of attack. He's played both left and right end and has had to hold up against the run. A high-motor player, Basham is a worker on and off the field.
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Basham should be the perfect high-motor player to situationally rush the passer on New England's defense.
Round 4 (131st Overall)
3 of 7
Rayshawn Jenkins, S, Miami (FL)
The Patriots don't have a major need at the safety position. Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon and Patrick Chung form a pretty formidable trio at the back end of the defense. However, the sun may be setting on the prime of strong safety Chung's career.
While Chung did have some bright moments in 2016, his season was far from consistent. Pro Football Focus rated him the third-worst safety in the league for the season as a whole.
Enter Miami's Rayshawn Jenkins, a physical hard-hitting safety who could one day be New England's enforcer in the box.
Jenkins has the size at 6'1" and 214 pounds, plus his 4.51-second speed is more than adequate for the strong safety position.
"He's not perfect, but come on. He's big, fast and strong. I mean, if you don't want that, then I don't know what to say," one NFL scout told NFL Media's Lance Zierlein.
Miller has pegged Jenkins as a fourth-round prospect. If he's still there when the Patriots are on the clock, they should definitely pull the trigger.
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Round 5 (163rd Overall)
4 of 7
Collin Buchanan, OL, Miami (OH)
Versatility is always important when it comes to offensive-line depth, which is why Miami University's Collin Buchanan could appeal to the Patriots.
Buchanan was a three-year starter at right tackle for the Redhawks, but at 6'5" and 316 pounds, some view him as a powerful NFL guard. The Patriots could potentially bring him in to compete with second-year man Joe Thuney at guard while also having him provide tackle depth.
"I kind of like him," one AFC scout told NFL Media's Zierlein. "I like the way he punches, because it's direct and his hands are pretty quick. When you move from tackle to guard, you have to prove that you can speed up your hands, and I think he has that already."
Zierlein views Buchanan as a third- or fourth-round prospect. Miller views him as a sixth-rounder. Buchanan's actual value probably falls somewhere in between the two extremes. He could be drafted early due to the relative lack of talent at the tackle position. If Buchanan is sitting there at pick No. 131, though, I think the Patriots would pounce.
Round 5 (183rd Overall)
5 of 7
Josh Carraway, OLB, TCU
This is the point in the draft when team start looking for developmental prospects with upside. This is exactly the type of prospect that former TCU linebacker/pass-rusher Josh Carraway is.
Carraway's measurables are far from off the charts (6'3", 242 lbs, 4.74-second 40), but that doesn't mean he can't be a quality rotational defender for New England. He knows how to get to the quarterback (16.0 sacks over the past two seasons) and that kind of ability is always going to hold value.
Carraway played end at TCU, but he projects as an outside linebacker in the Patriots 4-3 base system. Fortunately, the former Horned Frog doesn't seem too picky about where he plays in the NFL.
"I don't care about playing both," said Carraway, per Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. "Throughout this whole process, I've been doing a lot of linebacker drills and working on being able to work in space. Whatever team drafts me, they're gonna get a versatile guy."
Carraway would probably begin his career as a backup linebacker and special teams contributor, but he could eventually emerge as a consistent piece of New England's pass rush.
Round 6 (200th Overall)
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Brendan Langley, CB, Lamar
Te Patriots never seem concerned with where a player came from as long as he can contribute to the future of the team. This is why raw, small-school prospect Brendan Langley isn't likely to scare the team away.
Langley actually played some receiver and cornerback minutes at Georgia before transferring to Lamar. The Bulldogs asked him to move to receiver, and he struggled to gain playing time. Hence the move.
As a starting corner at Lamar, Langley was voted first-team all-conference this past season.
While unpolished as a cornerback, Langley has a lot to like in the measurables department. He's 6'0", 201 pounds, and ran the 40 in 4.43 seconds at the scouting combine.
"Langley is a raw athlete who needs development, but teams will be excited about his potential given his size, his speed and his movement ability," Miller explained in his draft profile for Langley. "What might be most encouraging is that Langley showed improvement every day at the Senior Bowl."
Langley is exactly the type of player Bill Belichick would take a chance on. He has experience as both a receiver and a defensive back, plus he should have a lot of special teams value as well.
Round 7 (239th Overall)
7 of 7
Austin Carr, WR, Northwestern
New England certainly doesn't need to add a wide receiver in this draft. However, Northwestern's Austin Carr is the type of hardworking developmental receiver the team could look to stash for the future.
Carr has good size for the position at 6.1" and 194 pounds, and he has some quality production to lean on. Last season, he caught 90 passes for 1,247 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Carr's skill set should fit in well with the New England offense if he can one day crack the lineup.
"Carr is a big slot receiver who is best left to working on the first and second levels in routes that are more fluid and less angular," NFL Media's Zierlein wrote of Carr. "He's tough enough to work the middle of the field and secure throws in traffic."
While Carr is learning to adapt to the pro game, his size and toughness should allow him to be an early contributor on special teams.
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