The Patriots are heading into an offseason where there’s one buzzword to describe their biggest needs: trenches.
After ranking last in most offensive line metrics and 29th in team pressure rate on defense last season, head coach Mike Vrabel and personnel chief Eliot Wolf set an expectation at the NFL Scouting Combine that their primary focus will be beefing up on the line of scrimmage.
However, reaching to address a need with the fourth-overall pick in April’s draft might not be the best approach. When picking this high in the first round, it’s often wise to take the best player available on the board. The Pats will likely make a list of four prospects they’d feel comfortable taking at No. 4 overall and then weigh that against a cluster of players they’d feel good about taking after executing a trade down.
Assuming a trade-down isn’t there, and stud pass-rusher Abdul Carter is a top-three selection, it’s debatable whether or not this draft has an elite OL/DL prospect worthy of selecting fourth overall. For instance, LSU offensive tackle Will Campbell and Michigan DT Mason Graham are the top prospects that fit. However, neither has ideal measurables for their positions, with Campbell having shorter arms for a tackle (32 5/8″) while Graham is a smaller D-Tackle (6-3, 296 lbs). Both are great players, but they aren’t squeaky-clean prospects, which is what you want in the top five.
With that in mind, our first stab at a seven-round mock draft for the Patriots has a clear theme: don’t reach to fill positions of need. With some luck from two quarterbacks going in the top three picks, the Patriots can go BPA to keep stacking talent on the roster. Following a week at the NFL Combine, here is mock draft 1.0 for the Patriots.
First Round, No. 4 Overall – WR/CB Travis Hunter, Colorado
There’s an argument to be made that Hunter is the best overall player in this class, as the Heisman Trophy winner is an elite prospect on both sides of the ball. However, all three teams picking in the top three need quarterbacks, and although it’s not a great year for QBs, Cam Ward and Shadeur Sanders might be enticing enough to get two of the three teams to bite. After the Rams re-signed QB Matthew Stafford, the Titans, Browns, and Giants are left with Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson, and possibly Aaron Rodgers as veteran options. With the Raiders and Saints also being QB-needy teams picking in the top 10, there’s a lot of demand, as always.