Patriots mock draft: How did free agency change New England's plans?

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The start of free agency added quite a bit of context to the New England Patriots’ plans for the upcoming NFL Draft, but it did little to change the team’s biggest needs. Left tackle and wide receiver remain massive holes. Frankly, the entire left side of the offensive line is a need — as are the top spots at wide receiver, considering Kayshon Boutte or Mack Hollins is currently the No. 1 option.

So how can the Pats fix that? It seems obvious at this point that they’ll pick a wide receiver and offensive lineman with their first two selections. But in which order? And which ones?

In this exercise, we opt for help on the offensive line first. (As always, these mock drafts are more an exercise in gaming out possibilities and learning about prospects than a true prediction of what the Patriots will do.)

Round 1 (No. 4 overall): Will Campbell, OL, LSU

I think we can be confident in saying the Patriots would love to trade back if neither Abdul Carter nor Travis Hunter falls to No. 4 (which this mock draft assumes). This is a draft class where prospects No. 4-12 all seem fairly interchangeable. That’s partly why it’ll be so difficult to find a trade partner (more on that next week).

So without a path to moving back, we’ve got the Pats picking Campbell. I have some issues with this pick, and it’s not the one I’d make. But coach Mike Vrabel has shown a willingness to pick short-armed tackles even if it means they might have to move inside to guard. Campbell has everything you’d want from an offensive lineman makeup-wise, but he lacks the arm length and wingspan — important traits for a left tackle amid the rise of speedy and bendy edge rushers. Since the Patriots also have a need at left guard, they could feel comfortable picking Campbell as a Day 1 starter whether it’s on the outside or at guard.

The counterargument is that No. 4 is usually way too early to draft a guard (which is less valuable than a tackle), but it’s the position the Patriots are in with a draft class lacking a Joe Alt-type prospect at left tackle.

Round 2 (No. 38): Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford

Something about the Patriots and drafting wide receivers is just off, and yet they can’t give up trying since the free-agent class was so weak and the trade options at the position don’t want to come here. So their attention turns instead to the draft, where this class of wide receivers is also widely viewed as weak.

Ayomanor was explosive at the NFL Scouting Combine and has the size (6-foot-2, 206 pounds) and traits (38.5-inch vertical jump, 4.47-second 40) of a good pro receiver. The Canadian from small-town Alberta was Stanford’s leading receiver for the last two years and is still just 21.

Round 3 (No. 69): Josaiah Stewart, Edge, Michigan

Stewart (6-foot-1, 249 pounds) is smaller than you’d like for an edge rusher, but he makes up for that with a nonstop motor on the field. The Patriots did a nice job in free agency by adding more depth at edge rusher, but they could still use help at the position, especially in a young player they can develop. Stewart’s size makes him a similar player to Joshua Uche, a fellow former Wolverine who had some nice moments with the Patriots.

Round 3 (No. 77): Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia

No guard (and maybe offensive lineman in general) put on a better show at the combine than Ratledge, who tested as one of the most explosive guards of the last 30 years. He has good size (6-foot-6, 308 pounds) for a guard and the kind of bulldog attitude Vrabel loves. He was a three-year starter for Georgia and could immediately be in the mix to start at left guard for the Patriots.

Round 4 (No. 106): Gunnar Helm, TE, Texas

Helm didn’t test great at the combine (30-inch vertical, 4.84-second 40), but his production showed up on the field with the Longhorns last season. He broke out for 786 yards and seven touchdowns in his first season as a starter. He’s a well-rounded tight end who could use the year to develop behind Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper before stepping into the No. 2 role behind Henry.

Round 5 (No. 144): Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia

Running back isn’t high on the list of Patriots needs, but a back like Etienne would add explosiveness to the running back room of Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. Etienne is undersized (5-foot-8, 198 pounds) but a speedster who ran a 4.43-second 40 at the combine. He’s the younger brother of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Travis Etienne, but he enters the draft without a high usage rate after spending two years at Florida and one with the Bulldogs. He caught a career-high 32 passes last season and could carve out a role as a third-down back with the Pats.

Round 7 (No. 217): Hollin Pierce, OT, Rutgers

There’s no question about whether Pierce looks the part. He’s a massive offensive tackle with long arms (nearly 37 inches) and stands 6-foot-8 and 341 pounds. He was a four-year starter who logged over 3,000 collegiate snaps while picking up just four penalties. There’s plenty to clean up in his game, but given his size, he’s worth a flier in the seventh round.

Round 7 (No. 220): Cam Horsley, DT, Boston College

Now that we’re in the seventh round, let’s lean into Vrabel’s connection with BC coach Bill O’Brien. In a draft class loaded with defensive tackles, it feels like the Pats should leave with one. So we go here with Horsley, a run stuffer in the middle. He was a two-year starter on the defensive line who struggles against the pass but could be an option to replace Davon Godchaux.

Round 7 (No. 238): Drew Kendall, C, Boston College

How about one more Boston College Eagle? The Patriots could use another option in the competition for center considering it’s a new position for Cole Strange. Kendall ran well at the combine and has decent size (6-foot-4, 308 pounds). The Norwell, Mass., native was a three-year starter at BC and was named a captain last season.

(Photo of Elic Ayomanor: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)





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Avatar of Christi Melton
Christi Melton is a writer from The Newspring. She writes about lifestyle, books, sports, education and technology. Her hobbies include reading and playing tennis.

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