In spite of consistently picking towards the bottom of the first round, the New England Patriots are usually involved in some Draft Day drama. Usually it’s by stockpiling late-round picks by trading down. Sometimes it’s by being stripped of their first round pick altogether.
I’m predicting this will be Bill Belichick’s final draft as head coach. That doesn’t mean he won’t stick around as general manager, but 2018 could very well be the last time the Dark One gets to pick out and play with some new toys. The Patriots could absolutely be in the market for one of the draft’s top quarterbacks and have four picks in the first two rounds of this draft to buy their way up. As always, I don’t factor in possible trades in this mocks. I just fire away with the picks they done brung.
Here’s what they should do with them.
Round 1, Pick 23: Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville
2017: 19 tackles, one for a loss, one interception, four passes defended (5-11, 192 pounds)
Alexander played in just six games in 2017, but still comes in as one of the top corners in the draft. Though the Pats added Jason McCourty as a free agent to make up for losing Malcolm Butler, they still need to add a future starter to the mix. Alexander is a value pick here and would have been taken much higher if he hadn’t been hurt.
Round 1, Pick 31: Leighton Vander Esch, OLB, Boise State
2017: 141 tackles, 8.5 for a loss, four sacks, two interceptions, five passes defended, four forced fumbles (6-4, 240 pounds)
Every year NFL scouts and commentators fall in love with an athletic white guy and rate him through the roof. Last year it was wide receiver Cooper Kupp and it worked out alright for the Los Angeles Rams. This year it’s Vander Esch and I’m sticking him in Boston for the obvious reasons.
Round 2, Pick 43: Darius Leonard, OLB, South Carolina State
2017: 114 tackles, 12 for a loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, one pass defended, one forced fumble (6-3, 235 pounds)
Vander Esch shouldn’t be the only outside linebacker the Patriots look to add. Leonard is the exact kind of player Belichick loves to grab. A developmental guy from a smaller school with sky-high potential.
Round 2, Pick 63: Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech
2017: 36 tackles, 12.5 for a loss, four sacks, one pass defended (6-3, 335 pounds)
New England is set at starting defensive tackle with Danny Shelton and Malcolm Brown. That’s never kept Belichick from drafting the best player available and Settle should immediately slide into the rotation.
Round 3, Pick 95: Quenton Meeks, CB, Stanford
2017: 61 tackles, 0.5 for a loss, two interceptions, seven passes defended (6-2, 197 pounds)
You could argue (and probably win) that the Patriots lost the Super Bowl last February with sub-par corner play. Meeks and Alexander would likely be good enough to start as rookies on many NFL teams.
Round 6, Pick 198: Joel Iyiegbuniwe, ILB, Western Kentucky
2017: 117 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, two sacks, one pass defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery (6-1, 230 pounds)
Small school, check. Linebacker with production and talent, double check.
Round 6, Pick 210: Natrell Jamerson, Safety, Wisconsin
2017: 51 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, 10 passes defended (6-0, 198 pounds)
Jamerson is a value pick here in the sixth. He has nice height and size and is solid in pass coverage.
Round 7, Pick 219: Luke Falk, QB, Washington State
2017: 66.9 completion percentage, 3,593 yards, 30 touchdowns, 13 interceptions (6-4, 223 pounds)
Tom Brady (allegedly) made sure to run off Jimmy Garoppolo last season. Right now his back up is Brian Hoyer and that’s a recipe for disaster. Falk is a lot like Brady coming out of college, meaning nobody thinks much better of him than a late-round pick.
