New England Patriots 2019 NFL Draft needs

The New England Patriots continue to set the bar high in the NFL for player development. What are their needs looking ahead at the 2019 NFL Draft?

The New England Patriots are rolling in 2018. However, there are plenty of flaws in this year’s team.  The Patriots are 26th in total pass defense, 25th in total defense, and give up a little over 23 points a game. The Patriots also have holes at wide receiver.

The Patriots leading pass catcher is fifth-year running back James White. The next leading receiver is tight end Rob Gronkowski.

One of the most notable needs for the Pats may be at quarterback. Yes, I said quarterback.

While Tom Brady is still performing at a high level, father time is undefeated. The Patriots are one quarterback injury away from not being able to contend for a Super Bowl title.

The Patriots are stacked with draft picks for the upcoming draft with six picks in the top three rounds. Assuming those picks are going to be kept, the Patriots have a ton of ammunition to address needs on both sides of the ball.

Assuming the Patriots will be picking at the bottom of the first round and have two picks in the second round, quarterback, linebacker, and pass rush should be addressed immediately.

At the end of the first round, talents like Jachai Polite and Montez Sweat may slip into the Patriots’ pick.

We’ve seen University of Florida pass rushers slip at times (ex: Carlos Dunlap, Jermaine Cunningham, Dom Easley, etc.) for multiple reasons. The same could happen to Polite.

The junior has a solid build and length at 6’2″ 243 pounds. His breakout game came on a big stage against LSU where he had two sacks and looked unstoppable. Inconsistency has been an issue for Polite. Depending on what we see from the combine, his talent may not be enough to land him in the top 15 where he’s projected to go by some experts.

Montez Sweat has incredible size as a pass rusher standing at 6’6″ 245 pounds. The Mississippi State standout would be a tremendous addition to a Patriots team lacking a consistent pass rusher since Chandler Jones. He would be considered a steal if the Patriots could land him late in the first round.

The quarterback position could be Solidified for the future if the Pats were able to grab Will Grier in the second round. Grier has been a stud since the moment he started playing college football at the University of Florida before transferring to West Virginia.

Grier has made West Virginia relevant again and has been viewed as a Heisman candidate. His winning ability and leadership can be valuable to the Pats. He can sit behind Tom Brady until he decides to hang it up and be ready to contribute when his time comes.

Over the past two years Grier has thrown for 59 touchdowns and only 19 interceptions. The 6’2″ stud has also thrown for over 6900 yards during his time at West Virgina.

Te’Von Coney could be the other option in the second round to fill a desperate need for the Pats at linebacker. The Patriots lack linebacker depth and speed.

Coney is a tackling machine and can run sideline to sideline. His instinct to get to the ball is something the Patriots can use immediately.