2021 NFL Draft: Analyzing The Patriots Needs

The 2021 NFL Draft is just a couple of days away. The Patriots currently retain the No. 15 pick in the first round and have needs at a number of positions — cornerback, linebacker, and, of course, quarterback.

Nobody truly has any idea what Bill Belichick will do with his draft picks. Will he trade up for a quarterback? Will he trade down for more picks to replenish the roster? Could Mac Jones fall to No. 15? What if Belichick adds a young stud wide receiver like DeVonta Smith or Jaylen Waddle? Could there be a draft-day trade in the works for a veteran quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo?

This week is all about speculation and trying to get into the mind of Bill Belichick. So that being said, here is my attempt to speculate and present to you what I think the Patriots could do draft weekend based on their current roster needs.

Tight End. Position With Depth:

As it stands today, the Patriots are loaded with bodies at the tight end position. In last year’s NFL Draft, New England drafted both Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. The Patriots also shocked the world by signing the top two tight ends in free agency in Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry. In fact, both Smith and Henry signed multi-year deals. It remains to be seen how Asiasi and Keene look in year two, but it should be noted that Bill Belichick typically expects that sophomore year jump from his players. I don’t see much of a reason for the Patriots to draft a tight end.

Running Back. Position With Depth:

The Patriots have a crowded backfield. They re-signed Super Bowl hero and fan-favorite James White to a one-year deal. They still have both of their starting running backs from last season in Sony Michel and Damien Harris. They also still have J.J. Taylor and Brandon Bolden on the roster too. Michel and Harris, if healthy, have the potential to be an excellent duo. Taylor has shown flashes and bursts of speed in his limited opportunities, and Bolden is making his return after opting out all of the 2020 season due to Covid-19. If anything, maybe the Patriots look for a running back later in the draft to replace Rex Burkhead. Although the Patriots didn’t re-sign Burkhead last offseason until July, so I would not rule out his return if he is healthy and still on the market this Summer.

Defensive Line. Positions With Depth:

New England also made some splashes in free agency on the defensive line. They signed Henry Anderson from New York Jets to a two-year contract worth $7 million. They signed nose tackle Davon Godchaux from the Dolphins on a two-year, $16 million contract. The Patriots also signed Montravius Adams to a one-year contract worth up to $2.5 million. On top of that, New England still has Chase Winovich under contract for a couple of more years, and Lawrence Guy signed a four-year contract that keeps him in Foxborough through 2024. The Patriots did lose defensive tackle, Adam Butler in free agency to the Miami Dolphins though. They also released DT Beau Allen, after spending last season on injured reserve.

That being said, the Patriots should be feeling pretty good about their defensive line. Look for Belichick to add some depth guys if there’s a mid-round player or two that they really like on the board.

Quarterback. Immediate Need:

The quarterback position needing to be upgraded should not come as a surprise. Belichick might be the only person in New England who is sold on Cam Newton. The eye test alone tells anyone that knows anything about football that Newton is no longer the same quarterback he was back in 2015. However, with the offensive additions in free agency, Newton could very easily have a better statistical season in 2021. That’s not saying much though, considering he threw eight touchdown passes and 10 interceptions all season. As for the other quarterback on the roster, it’s looking more and more like the Patriots already know Jarrett Stidham isn’t the future either.

Drafting A Quarterback?

Most draft experts have the Patriots trading up into the top 10 to select Justin Fields or Trey Lance. For me personally, I’m keeping an eye on Alabama’s Mac Jones. Belichick is close friends with Alabama head coach Nick Saban. Belichick has a history of drafting players from Saban’s programs. In fact, Belichick has drafted 10 Saban-coached players over the years.

The 49ers have emerged as favorites to select Jones at No. 3. In fact, Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft was released on April 13, and he has the 49ers taking Mac Jones at No. 3 and the Patriots trading up to No. 10 to select Fields.

Per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the Patriots and Carolina Panthers have done “some groundwork” on a deal involving Carolina’s No. 8 pick.

There’s also another report from NFL Network’s, Tom Pelissero, saying the Patriots and Panthers are talking trade because the Patriots are interested in Fields.

Several teams have been making calls about getting into the top 10 of next week’s NFL Draft — including the #Patriots, who could have their eyes on Ohio State QB Justin Fields if he begins to slide. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/GjJazJXZQp

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 26, 2021

I’m also not ruling out a trade that brings Garoppolo back to the Patriots. I think if the 49ers lower their asking price, Belichick swoops right in and gets his guy.

Linebacker. Position Could Use Some Depth:

Dont’a Hightower may have just gotten a year of rest after opting out because of COVID but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s 31 years old. To add some much-needed talent at linebacker, the Patriots locked up two-time pro bowl linebacker, Matt Judon, to a four-year deal. They also signed linebacker Raekwon McMillan to a 1-year deal. And let’s not forget old friend Kyle Van Noy, who signed back with the Patriots after a brief stint with the Dolphins.

As for drafting a linebacker, it certainly would not hurt the Patriots to draft a young, stud linebacker like Micah Parsons. It would be very beneficial for a player like Parsons to learn the ropes from Hightower.

Cornerback. Position Could Use Some Depth:

As for the cornerbacks, Stephon Gilmore will turn 31 at the start of the season and he’s on the last year of his deal. He has also been the subject of trade rumors dating back to the 2020 trade deadline. Breakout corner J.C. Jackson is on the last year of his deal as well so it could be difficult to retain both of them. The Patriots did sign cornerback Jalen Mills to a four-year, $24 million contract.

It is still unknown where Jason McCourty will suit up in 2021. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported that McCourty visited with the Giants. In the short term, the Patriots have one of the deepest defensive backfields in the NFL. Mills gives them another versatile player to bolster its overall depth. However, since Belichick is always looking ahead, adding cornerbacks in the draft wouldn’t be the worst idea. After all, Belichick does have a knack for finding undrafted gems like  Malcolm Butler and J.C. Jackson at the corner position.

Wide Receiver. Positions With Depth:

 Calling the Patriots wide receiver room a position with depth does sound kind of strange. After all, it has been two straight seasons that the Patriots have had very little production at wide receiver. Belichick addressed that issue during the offseason. He went out and paid Nelson Agholor, and, Kendrick Bourne. Agholor’s deal was a two-year contract worth a total of $26 million. Bourne’s deal was a three-year contract worth $22.5 million. New England also still has Jakobi Meyers, Gunner Olszewski, and N’Keal Harry on the roster.

The biggest question regarding the wide receivers is who is the No.1 receiver? Is this wide receiver room talented enough? Can Belichick be trusted to draft a mid-round receiver? Julian Edelman retired, which is a huge loss. Would Bill Belichick swing a draft-day trade for a legit No. 1 receiver? Back in 2007, Belichick traded a 4th-round pick to the Raiders for Randy Moss. Could Belichick swing a trade for Julio Jones? NBC Sports NFL writer, Peter King addressed the Julio Jones trade rumors in his Football Morning in America column. He gave a list of teams that could be most interested in acquiring Jones. The Patriots were one of those teams.

Offensive Line. Positions With Depth:

On paper, the Patriots currently have one of the best offensive lines in the league. Per PFF’s top 25 offensive lineman rankings, Joe Thuney, Michael Onwenu, David Andrews, and Shaq Mason were all graded out within the top 20 offensive linemen last year. Unfortunately, they lost Thuney and Marcus Cannon to free agency. The good news, however, is that the Patriots brought back Trent Brown to play right tackle, as well as Ted Karras as a backup center. The Patriots could use depth on the offensive line. If any of those starters miss some time due to injury, the Patriots will want to have some young backups waiting to get their chance. They do still have Justin Herron, who was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round (195th overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Potential early-round picks: Mac Jones QB (Alabama), Justin Fields QB (Ohio State), Trey Lance QB (North Dakota State), (Micah Parsons LB (Penn State), Zaven Collins LB (Tulsa), Jaycee Horn CB (South Carolina), DeVonta Smith WR (Alabama), or Jaylen Waddle WR (Alabama)

Potential mid-round picks: Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, (USC), OT Spencer Brown (Northern Iowa), Nico Collins WR (Michigan), Samuel Cosmi OT (Texas), D’Wayne Eskridge WR (Western Michigan), or Demetric Felton RB (UCLA)

 

–Kevin Tame Jr. is a Staff Writer for Full Press Coverage Sports Media and covers the New England Patriots. Follow him on Twitter @Kevin_Tame