Trying to figure out who Bill Belichick will draft is an exercise in futility. The Patriots rarely ever stick to their allotted draft position and are known to make several draft day trades, including a record eight trades during last years draft.
Due to trades with the Lions and Bears in last year’s draft and compensatory picks, the Patriots will have five picks in the first three rounds of the 2019 NFL draft. New England is projected to receive four compensatory picks for losing Nate Solder (third round), Malcolm Butler (third round), Danny Amendola (fifth round), and Cameron Fleming (seventh round).
The Patriots have rolled into the playoffs once again having won the AFC East for the 10th straight season. Nonetheless, they still have some glaring holes that will need to be addressed via free agency and the draft.
The Patriots ended the season ranked 22nd in total yards allowed and 21st in passing yards allowed. They also ended tied for the 19th most passing touchdowns allowed this season. New England tied for the 2nd fewest sacks in the league with 30 sacks. Defensive back and defensive line will be a priority in the upcoming draft.
With Josh Gordon being ousted from the league once again, the Pats will need some wide receiver help. Patriots wide receivers only accounted for 15 touchdowns this season. Running back James White led the team with seven touchdown catches and was second on the team in receiving yards. The free agency pool will likely be a solution to the Pats’ receiving woes, but there are some intriguing prospects entering the draft this year.
Finally, the Patriots will need to look to the draft for a quarterback that could possibly take over for Tom Brady whenever he decides to hang up the cleats. Tom is no doubt the greatest to ever play the position, but the game will no doubt have to move on without him. Now is the time to pick a QB to sit behind Brady and learn behind the greatest to ever do it.
The Patriots will have one of the last two picks in the draft and if all goes well, they will have the 32nd pick. As previously stated, projecting what the Belichick and the Patriots will do with their picks is near-impossible. There is a lot of football left to be played, as well as the NFL combine and Senior Bowl yet to be played. Many things will change from now until draft day, but here are a few guys that the Patriots might draft in 2019.
DE/OLB Montez Sweat: Mississippi St.
Height: 6-6 Weight: 241 Lbs
Sweat is big, fast and is a dominant pass rusher that will be hard to stop even at the next level. Sweat ended the season with 53 total tackles with 14.5 tackles for loss. He also had 12 sacks on the season. He showed his pass-attacking prowess in a dominating three-sack performance against Auburn. He also put in impressive outings against Florida and Kansas State. Sweat runs a 4.6 40-yard dash and will be a handful off the edge. If he manages to fall to the Patriots late in the first, he might fit well in New England.
DT Dexter Lawrence: Clemson
Height: 6-4 Weight: 350 Lbs
New England loves to have the run-stopping big guy in the middle of their defensive line. Lawrence fits that description and then some. He finished the year with 36 total tackles with seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. At 350 pounds, Lawrence is a rock that is nearly impossible to push around and will set up the outside rushers to get to the quarterback. He has failed to live up to the hype after his stellar freshman season in which he had 62 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He also got busted for PEDs and was suspended for the NCAA Playoffs, which included missing the National Championship victory over Alabama. He seems like a prime candidate to fall to the late second round where the Pats can draft him and get him into the Patriot Way of thinking. If anyone can build him back into the potential beast his freshman season promised, it’s the Patriots.
WR Marquise Brown: Oklahoma
Height: 5-11 Weight: 160 Lbs
The Patriots should look to get their number one wide receiver from the free agency pool or explore a trade for an NFL proven player because this draft isn’t spilling over with number one guys. Julian Edelman isn’t getting any younger and Brown could be that fast little guy that Brady can trust on quick slants and shorter possession throws.
Brown also has the speed (4.35 40-yard dash) to be the deep threat the Patriots are looking for in the downfield passing game. He is a bit like Tyreek Hill and T.Y. Hilton in some aspects but still needs polishing. Some people project him as a late first-round pick and some have him as a fourth-round prospect. He could be a steal with one of the three third-round picks for New England.
QB Daniel Jones: Duke
Height: 6-5 Weight: 215 Lbs
Daniel Jones seems like the ideal prospect to sit behind Brady for a season or two and soak up the wisdom of the first ballot Hall of Fame QB. Jones finished his junior season completing 61 percent of his passes for 2,674 yards with 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Jones has already shown his ability to put touch on his downfield passes while also possessing a strong arm that has power behind it. He has above-average pocket awareness that allows him to keep his eyes downfield and avoid pressure from the defense. He could be a first-round pick due to the overvaluing of the QB position which could be too rich for Bill’s blood. With Brady realistically only having a season or two left, this could be the year that the Pats invest in their quarterback of the future.
S Taylor Rapp: Washington
Height: 6-0 Weight: 207
Taylor Rapp ended his season with 58 total tackles with five tackles for loss. He also had 4 sacks and 2 interceptions. He runs a 4.50 40-yard dash and is more than capable to run with NFL wideouts and tight ends. The Patriots defensive backfield is old, plain and simple. Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung will be 32 in 2019 and Devin Harmon will be 28. Rapp could contribute and get into the Patriots way of playing defense before his elders retire.
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