DocE

Waited as long as I could to post this (was hoping the Dorsey/Long at no.2 would have been decided by now). I don't believe the last minute rumors of Dorsey sliding out of the top 3, the Rams, Falcons, or someone on a trade up will take him.

1. Miami- Jake Long OT Michigan
2. St Louis- Chris Long DE Virginia
3. Atlanta- Glen Dorsey DT LSU
4. Oakland- Vernon Gholston DE Ohio State
5. Kansas City- Matt Ryan QB Boston College (easily could be a trade here)
6. New York Jets- Darren McFadden RB Arkansas

I see the expected 6 off the board by the Patriots pick. If I had to pick one of the above to fall to no.7 it would be Matt Ryan, but I see Chris Long as the next best possibility to still be on the board if St Louis takes Dorsey and KC passes for Ryan or a QB.

So the Patriots are on the clock at no.7 with no obvious fit. I am actually warming up to the idea of Sedrick Ellis to the Patriots, but I think they make the trade down with New Orleans. This mock is not about who I want the Patriots to take, but what I think they will do. If it was up to me Vernon Gholston would be a Patriot as I want the edge rusher.

TRADE: New Orleans sends no.10 overall (1300pts) and no. 78 overall (200 points) to New England for no. 7 overall (1500 pts).

7. New Orleans- Sedrick Ellis DT USC
8. Baltimore- Ryan Clady OT Boise State
9. Cincinnati- Derrick Harvey DE Florida
10. New England- Branden Albert- OG/OT Virginia

The Mayo rumor throws me for a loop. I can envision them preferring Mayo to Rivers, but I also can see them using a Mayo rumor to try to entice Detroit in to a trade up from no. 15. I think they take the G/T here and look to go heavy on defense with their 4 picks in rounds 2 and 3.

Rest of the Patriots draft (using PFW's top 100 as the first guide, multiple other web sources for player availability also used).

New England packages no.62 (284pts) and no.78 (200pts) to Denver for no. 42(480pts).

42. Antoine Cason CB Arizona- I hate to do this as everyone has Cason to the Patriots, but I think it is likely. Depending on who you believe Cason is either a late first rounder or a 3rd rounder. I am splitting the difference here.

69. Jeremy Zuttah C/G Rutgers- 2 OL this quickly is probably too much
94. Shawn Crable OLB Michigan- Productive with good measurables
129. Stanford Keglar ILB Purdue- one of the few ILB's who can run
164. Keenan Burton WR Kentucky- WR and returner
197. Zack Bowman CB Nebraska- gamble on health
238. Corey Lynch S Appalachian State- productive, should help on special teams immediately.

There probably should be a 3-4 DE prospect somewhere in here as well as a TE, but there are very few 3-4 DE prospects in this draft and the TE class lacks the blocker that the Patriots need.