PatsPropaganda 2017 Mock Draft

The NFL draft is finally upon us! Though the Patriots don’t currently have a first or second round pick, history tells us that won’t stop them from finding players who can not only make the team, but contribute.

My big board features a list of 50 players that I feel are the best fits for the Patriots. While I don’t believe the Patriots put as much consideration into needs as we might think, the fact remains that there are only so many roster spots up for grabs, so here in my one and only mock draft I do factor in what I see as needs.

Generally, this is how I see those needs:

1. Linebacker – The team didn’t fill the hole Jamie Collins left through free agency. While Dont’a Hightower can play three downs, Kyle Van Noy was used as a third down coverage specialist and occasional blitzer, while rookie Elandon Roberts carved out an early down run stopping role. Shea McClellin has versatility but was average-at-best in his first season. Jonathan Freeny got an extension last season, but was outplayed by Roberts in his absence. Finding someone in the mold of Hightower/Collins is important, especially given Hightower’s injury history.
2. Edge – I do like the current three-man rotation of Ninkovich, Flowers and Ealy, but only Flowers is under contract past 2017 so developing another edge player is important this season. Geneo Grissom could get a look in this role as well.
3. Slot Corner – The top trio of Malcolm Butler, Stephon Gilmore and Eric Rowe are better suited outside, while Justin Coleman and Cyrus Jones will compete in the slot. The Pats always draft defensive backs regardless of level of need and adding another slot guy/special teamer should be in the cards.
4. 3rd TE – The top duo of Gronk and Allen are very solid, but we’re all aware of Gronk’s injury history. Adding another big tight end to the pipeline is important.
5. Safety – Jordan Richards seemed to regress last season, and while the top trio of safeties are very good, finding a backup strong safety who could potentially step into a box/slot role if Chung should get hurt would be good insurance.

Yes, signs are pointing to a defense-heavy draft which gets me incredibly excited and leads me to believe it will be far more offense-focused than we think (Belichick always seems to zag when we think he’ll zig).

This week is really the highlight of the offseason and it comes at about the halfway point. The 2017 Patriots will be in even clearer focus by this time next week. It should be thrilling and surprising to watch it all unfold.

Here’s my one and only mock draft of the season!

Round 3, Pick 72: Ryan Anderson, LB, Alabama

Sometimes the best pick is the simplest one and that’s where I’m going with Anderson. He’s similar to Hightower, playing outside linebacker and doing some edge rushing, and is every bit the polished prospect you’d expect coming out of Alabama. His aggressiveness and ability to do his job within the scheme makes Anderson a good fit for how the Patriots play defense. He’s not a three-down linebacker at this point and he might never be, but that’s what happens when your first pick is at the top of the third round. But he could step right in and play a variety of roles since the Patriots could protect his weaknesses in space with how they use him.

He could play outside linebacker, take some heat off of Hightower and perhaps even take a chunk of his snaps should the defensive captain miss time.

Other players I considered in this area include Alex Anzalone and Kendall Beckwith. Anzalone’s athleticism makes him appealing in a different way from Anderson, while Beckwith seems better suited at MLB and a little redundant to Roberts.

Anderson isn’t a flashy pick, it’s just a solid one in an area of need who would fit right into the Patriot Way..

Round 3, Pick 96: Adam Shaheen, TE, Ashland

I went back and forth between Shaheen and Jake Butt here, as their availability in the various mock simulations I ran was inconsistent. Shaheen very well might be gone by this point, but this is my mock and here he falls to 96th overall. The division two prospect would look great as a developmental third tight end behind Gronk and Allen. At nearly 280 pounds, Shaheen is a monster who dominated the lower level of competition. He should be ready for the NFL given his size and speed (4.79 40-yard dash at the combine). Ideally, a one-year apprenticeship behind the two vets could set Shaheen up to form a devastating physical presence in the Patriots’ offense.

Round 4, Pick 131: Corn Elder, CB, Miami

Belichick has always had a thing for feisty little corners like Elder, who could immediately step in and compete for time in the slot while also contributing on special teams. Cornerback always seems log-jammed at the start of camp and I don’t think this summer will be any different, so save your “Pats don’t need corners” comments. After being Mr. Football in Tennessee as a running back, Elder switched to cornerback at Miami. He also returned punts and kicks, so he’s got some versatility, a Patriots hallmark. He plays physical and can play man while also having the processing power to pattern read out of zone. He’s just 183 pounds, something that could hurt him, but that doesn’t usually scare the Patriots as long as he plays aggressive and tackles well, which Elder does.

Round 5, Pick 183: Bryan Cox, ED, Florida

Okay, this one is a bit of sentimental pick, given Cox’s dad, Bryan Cox Sr., was on the Patriots first Super Bowl team, but the younger Cox seems like a solid developmental pick for the Patriots’ edge spot. The first thing is that he plays with fire and can win at the point of attack. He has experience both with his hand down and standing up, a vital component for the hybrid role of edge players in the Patriots’ scheme. Developing his coverage drops would be a key for Cox as a rookie. With some of the Patriots world-class coaching, Cox could develop into a starting edge player in a year or two, a similar path that Ninkovich and Flowers have followed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHP9M9OtK1Q&t=75s

Round 6, Pick 200: Connor Harris, LB, Lindenwood

At 5’11”, 242 pounds and coming out of a small school, it’s easy to knock Harris, but he’s the leading tackler in NCAA history and one of those pure football nerds I just know Belichick has a special spot in his heart for. He even played some running back and punted! Everything you read or see about Harris screams Patriots to me. Just take NFL.com’s strengths:

Voracious appetite for tape. Elite tackle production. Tremendous leadership traits. Instinctive with immediate response to keys. Can race ahead of linemen. Has instant stop/start quickness and change of direction ability. Always attacking downhill. Looks to attack blockers early to disrupt the timing of the run play. Played quarterback and safety in high school and has the quickness in space to cover running backs out of backfield. Gym rat with good power throughout his tightly muscled frame. Burst to the ball puts him in position to make plays. Body-up tackler who finishes what he starts. Can play all three downs.

If that’s not enough to give your worries about his height pause then I don’t know what it is. How would Harris fit? He’d likely have to be a MLB and off the line where he could avoid the big bodied blockers, but he clearly has every trait necessary to play on passing downs in a variety of roles, maybe even as a safety hybrid. The fit is less important than the player and Harris just seems like the kind of guy Belichick would love to bring into the fold.

 

Round 7, Pick 239: Sam Tevi, T, Utah

While this draft has often been panned for the lack of tackle talent, I actually liked quite a few tackle prospects if they could spend a couple seasons in the Dante Scarnecchia School of Offensive Linemaning. Tevi has good feet and a mean streak but he’s still raw and would need every snap under Scarnecchia that he could get. With Nate Solder entering the final year of his deal and Cameron Fleming moving up to the swing tackle spot after Sebastian Vollmer’s retirement, there’s definitely a need to develop an athletic offensive tackle to pair with Marcus Cannon. Tevi is just one who has two big traits the Pats like.