Positions of Need:
RB (Ridley, Vereen, Bolden all FAs)
TE (limited talent with often injured Gronk)
DT (Old Vince, Kelly is FA)
CB (Possibily no 24)
S (possibly no McCourty)
Mock:
1. Landon Collins, S, Bama
2. Mario Edwards Jr, DT, FSU
3. Keith Marshall, RB, UGA
4. Tyler Kroft, TE, Rutgers
5. Damian Swann, CB, UGA
6. Braxton Deaver, TE, Duke
God this thread was pointless, sorry guys
Not pointless, though very, very early.
But, as long as we're indulging in speculation:
1. Pats trade Ryan Malett to Arizona for TE Rob Housler, who does well enough in the "move TE" role to earn a contract extension beyond this year.
2. Pats sign Devin McCourty and Darelle Revis to long-term extensions.
3. Pats pick up the 2016 option on Chandler Jones. Still not sure if Dont'a Hightower will develop to the point where it's worth picking up his 2016 option.
4. Pats get a 2015 3rd round comp pick for Aqib Talib.
Mock:
1. Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa. 6'5" 320#. Plays LT for Iowa, but projects best to LG IMO, where he will be a long term successor to Logan Mankins. Scherff is projected as a top 15-20 pick right now, but I'm guessing he'll slip the way Brian Bulaga and Riley Reiff did. If not, La'el Collins (LSU) and Spencer Drango (Baylor) are good alternatives.
- Pats trade their 2nd and 3rd round picks to move up in the 2nd round.
2. Cody Prewitt, S, Ole Miss. 6'2" 220#. Or LB/S Shaq Thomas (Washington), if either slips into the 2nd round. Either would give a physical presence who can cover and hit like a LB. Oklahoma's Eric Striker might also be an option.
3 (comp). Alvin "Bud" Dupree, DE/OLB, Kentucky. 6'4" 267#. Rob Ninkovich will be 31 next year, and it's not clear whether Dont'a Hightower will develop enough to warrant picking up his 2016 option. Manx likes Dupree, who reportedly has a 40" VJ and 10' 7" BJ.
4. Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma. 6'5" 324#. Extremely athletic and surprisingly disruptive for his size, Phillips has been limited by a back injury.
5. Dillon Gordon, TE, LSU. 6'5" 286#. A huge TE who is like an extra lineman. Penn St.'s Jesse James is also intriguing.
6. Matt Jones, RB, Florida. 6'1" 235#. Pats will need a power back for their RBBC unless Ridley is extended.
Again, these are total shot-in-the-dark projections this early on, but I think it's still a worthwhile exercise.