New England Patriots seven-round 2020 NFL mock draft

As Zack Baun started to slip into the middle of the second round, the New England Patriots decided to get aggressive. In this deal, the Pats send the 71st overall pick that was just acquired in the trade down with the Chargers and another third-round selection to the Denver Broncos in exchange for No. 46 overall.

I like this series of moves for New England. They pick up the extra draft capital and still snag a talented prospect who fits their team well early in the second round. Now, they have the extra ammo to go up and aggressively attack another player who could significantly help their defense.

Baun is another tough and physical player who has tremendous versatility on the defensive side of the ball. This makes him an obvious fit for the New England Patriots. Baun is coming off of an impressive season with the Wisconsin Badgers, where he piled up 19.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. He primarily played as a stand-up edge rusher in the Wisconsin defense but showed an impressive overall skill-set that will likely specifically appeal to the Pats.

Baun is not the most explosive rusher on the edge, but he does show a quick first step and some nice flexibility at the position. He also shows impressive block shed ability and is a reliable tackler in space. Baun also showed impressive zone coverage skills when he was asked to drop back. While he may not have one specific skill that stands out, Baun does everything well.

Personally, I like Baun as more of an off-ball linebacker at the next level, but the Patriots would undoubtedly use him in a variety of roles. Linebacker is an obvious need for this team, as they lost Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts in free agency this offseason and Baun feels like a guy who would shine in New England.