It is time to take a look at conducting our first Patriots seven-round mock draft. Now that the initial FA feeding frenzy is over with and teams have gone crazy spending some salary cap space, we have a little bit better idea where the Patriots are at.
So, with that said, are the Patriots going to make 12 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft? I doubt it very seriously, but for our purposes, we didn’t make any trades, which we’ll try t do later in a different mock.
I used the outstanding Fanspeak Your On the Clock draft simulator again this year. And once again depending upon the Big Board that you use…your results will differ enormously. So Let’s Go Drafting…
Patriots Mock Draft 1.0:
Round 1, Pick 32 – T.J. Hockenson, TE Iowa: Shocking to find him here at #32, while I personally believe him to go much, much higher, the fact that he was still here was far too good an opportunity to pass up.
Hockenson to me is the best overall TE in the draft, I know that his teammate Noah Fant is the most popular guy in many mocks right now but Hockenson is the total package. A tremendous blocker, he can line up inside, outside, as an H-back …wherever you need him to be.
He can attack down the seams or be a QB’s security blanket, a mismatch against linebackers and most safeties. Despite being very young, he can be a Day 1 starter. The eventual replacement for Rob Gronkowski in 2019 if he retires or 2020, if he comes back.
Round 2, Pick 56 – Deebo Samuel, WR South Carolina: Samuel is a perfect fit for the Patriots offense. Samuel has the flexibility of lining up as the “Z” (when Julian Edelman moves on) or in the slot. He’s capable of taking a short/medium pass and taking it to the house.
He doesn’t have great size and is built more like a running back than WR but is very tough, not afraid to go into dangerous spaces and is hard to bring down. Samuel is also a kick returner and brought four back to the house for the Gamecocks.
If he’s still there at #56, the Patriots should take him quickly and he’ll be an immediate contributor on both the offense and special teams.
Round 2, Pick 64 – Greg Little, T Ole Miss: With both Trent Brown and LaAdrian Waddle gone in free agency and Isaiah Wynn recovering from an Achilles injury, tackle is a position that has now increased in scope for the Patriots.
Little is a big prototypical size tackle with the length, and girth you want at left tackle. Another shocker that Little was still on the board at #64 here. He’s got very long arms, is very strong and at times looks positively dominant in the excellent SEC.
But the knock on him is that he at times looks like he’s just going thru the motions. And that lackadaisical attitude won’t cut it in the NFL. But for that, I have two words…Dante. Scarnecchia.
Round 3, Pick 73 – Joe Jackson, Edge Miami: Jackson is another guy who just looks like a guy the Patriots would love. 6’4, 275 and looks like he’s sculpted out of marble. He can play the run and sets the edge well, he is still learning as a pass rusher, but some scouts think he’ll be a better pro pass rusher than he was in college.
He’s not great at any one thing but does everything well. He has a non-stop motor and makes the defense account for him on every snap. Looks like he has good bend around the edge and has good lateral agility which equates to tackles for loss and sack production.
Round 3, Pick 97 – Terry McLaurin, WR Ohio State: McLaurin has good size for a WR at 6’0, 208 with excellent straight-line speed with a 4.35, 40-yard dash at the Combine. He’s physical, an outstanding blocker; is strong after the catch and very capable of breaking tackles.
He’s a two-time Captain, which is something the Patriots always value. He’s considered very coachable with strong hands and is an outstanding gunner on the special teams. Because of the strong roster at Ohio State, he was often overlooked but would fit into the Patriots offense very well.
Round 3, Pick 101 – Isaiah Buggs, DT Alabama: We had a chance to pick Dexter Lawrence in Round 1, but after his suspension for the National Championship Game and the playoffs for PEDs, we passed. However, even with the Patriots signing Mike Pennel, they still need another big body inside to go along with him, Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler.
The question is would Buggs fit the Patriots system? I think the answer is yes. He has good but not great size at 6’2, 295 but is very strong at the point of attack. As an interior pass rusher, he had 9.5 sacks for the Crimson Tide in 2018 but is strong enough to play a two-gap style. He’s limited by short arms but makes up for it with outstanding upper body strength where he can stack and shed blockers.
Round 4, Pick 134 – Saquon Hampton S Rutgers: A strong performance in the East-West week propels him up the board. Hey, the Patriots always seem to reach for
Hampton has good size at 6’1, 205 and ran a very good 4.48 in the 40-yard dash at the Combine. He could play the “Big Nickel” or Dime linebacker role. Another two-time captain from the Patriots pipeline of Rutgers…Core special teamer, Welcome to NE.
Round 6, Pick 205 – Tre Lamar, LB Clemson: Another guy who really fits how the Patriots like to picture a linebacker. He’s huge at 6’3, 255 so he nearly fits the Hightower, Bentley mold inside. He’s a run-stuffing monster in the middle of the field, something the Patriots value. He’s bigger than several of the edge prospects.
He doesn’t have sideline-to-sideline speed although for a big man he’s pretty good in coverage, but his change of direction and stop/start quickness are not great. But the Patriots like thumpers in the middle and Lamar is quick to diagnose and has tremendous strength and straight-line speed. Patriots fans will like his style of play
Round 7, Pick 239 – Kingsley Keke, DL Texas A&M: Keke is a slightly undersized DT in the same vein as Adam Butler. He’s a 6’3, 288 interior lineman, the Aggies had him drop 20 pounds to move from the interior to the edge. But his value in the NFL will be as a subpackage pass rusher. However, he has the strength and flexibility to defend the run as well.
Round 7, Pick 243 – Anthony Ratliff- Williams, WR North Carolina: Ratliff-Williams has good size at 6’0, 205 and is versatile, lining up outside, in the slot and even in the backfield. His route tree was limited, however, he showed nice progress in 2018 in his game. He’s a good physical blocker and has the ability to break tackles and is a very good returner.
Round 7, Pick 246 – Trevon Wescoe, TE West Virginia: Another big blocking TE at 6’3, 267, he’s strong and tough as nails but is still very much a work in progress in the passing game. He’s versatile, lining up as an in-line tight end, H-back and a fullback.
Round 7, Pick 252 – Gerri Green, LB/edge Miss. St: Green was moved to DE in 2018 but was better in 2017 when played on the edge as a linebacker. At 6’4, 252, Green may need a red-shirt rookie season to gain a bit more size and strength. He would be a practice squad candidate with the chance to develop further.
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A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
