The New England Patriots’ offensive skill players have a lot of room for improvement, particularly at tight end and receiver. New England has Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett and may have Josh Gordon, depending on how his suspension and restricted free agency progresses. But aside from them, Tom Brady doesn’t have a proven player to throw to.
So as the Patriots head into the 2019 NFL Draft, they may just see an opportunity to fill out their depth chart, as their needs coincide with strong players on the board.
Here’s a mock draft for the Patriots’ six picks in the first three rounds. (Note: This draft was made through a simulator on Fanspeak.com)
Round 1, pick 32: A.J. Brown | WR | Ole Miss
There are always a few gems who fall late into the first round. Generally, the Patriots pass on them like everyone else, but Brown fits New England’s system as an outside receiver and has the versatility to also play in the slot.
He has two years of experience in the NCAA’s most competitive conference, the SEC. In 2017, Brown put up 75 catches for 1,252 yards and 11 touchdowns. In 2018, he had 85 receptions for 1,320 yards and six touchdowns.
There are two worries with Brown, however. He was not a captain in college, which seems to be a factor for the Patriots when they make a first-round selection. Brown also disappeared in big games, especially against Alabama with one catch in 2017 and four catches for 34 yards in 2018.
Round 2, pick 24: Dre’Mont Jones | DL | Ohio State
Jones is on the smaller side for a defensive tackle at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds. That’s more of a comparable body type to Michael Bennett, who will likely play defensive end in New England when he joins the team in 2019. Jones is similar to former first-round pick Dominque Easley, but New England hasn’t chased anyone with that body type since then.
Because Jones didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school, he will need more development than the typical prospect, but with that risk comes great reward. He’s a solid athlete with room to grow into a three-down defensive lineman.
Round 2, pick 32: Chase Winovich | EDGE | Michigan
Winovich is a bit of a Patriots cliche. He’s a relentless player, can’t rely on his athleticism alone to put up tackles and sacks, and he’s undersized, which makes projecting position in the NFL somewhat complicated.
The Patriots would probably put Winovich in the spot where Rob Ninkovich once played on defense’s left edge, which has featured a rotating cast since (James Harrison, Kyle Van Noy and John Simon). Winovich could be an interesting prospect for Belichick to reshape.
Round 3, pick 9: Yodny Cajuste | OT | West Virginian
The Patriots are probably going to begin thinking about the future on the offensive line. They seem to have their five starters set, from left to right: Isaiah Wynn, Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon. But Cannon’s contract makes him expendable after 2019 and Thuney’s contract expires after 2019. The Patriots also like to carry three capable tackles every year. Right now, they have just two.
Cajuste has some shortcomings in his game with inconsistencies. But perhaps offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia will work his magic in Cajuste’s development.
Round 3, pick 33: Jace Sternberger | TE | Texas A&M
He’s not T.J. Hockenson. He’s not Noah Fant. But those players were off the board when the Patriots picked at 32, so they’ll wait patiently to find value in this year’s draft while grabbing Sternberger. A part of me wonders whether the Patriots might avoid drafting a player this year for fear of putting the pressure of “replacing Gronk” on the youngster. But they can’t put it off forever.
Sternberger has the willingness to contribute as a blocker and pass-catcher. But there is some question as to whether he has the physical tools to block NFL defenders. The risk with Sternberger is that the Patriots might find that he’s just an oversized slot receiver.
Round 3, pick 37: Andy Isabella | WR | UMass
The Patriots picked up an outside receiver with versatility to play inside in Brown during the first round. They’ll double up on that with Isabella.
The UMass standout said he believes his best chance to contribute in the NFL is in the slot, but he played more on the outside during the college career, and he proved at the combine that he has the physical tools to stay outside. The Patriots would probably experiment with Isabella in a handful of roles on offense as they figure out how to deal with his size (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) and his inexperience against higher levels of competition.
