New England Patriots seven-round 2020 NFL mock draft

James Proche is a quick and shifty wide receiver prospect who shines in the middle of the field. He is a tough player who catches everything and does a nice job of getting upfield quickly and making plays with the ball in his hands. Proche is best as a slot receiver and we all know how important the slot receiver is in the Patriots offense.

Julian Edelman is not getting any younger and the Pats need to start thinking about his replacement. Proche needs to become a more refined route-runner, but he has the skills needed to shine out of the slot at the next level.

Dalton Keene has quickly become my favorite late-round tight end in the 2020 NFL Draft class. He is a hard-nosed player who was always a strong blocker in college and also filled a variety of roles in the offense. Keene played inline tight end, fullback, H-back and even a bit out of the slot.

His versatility would obviously appeal to the Patriots, as would his reliability as a blocker. Keene even seems to have some untapped potential as a receiver, particularly shining after the catch.

A big and strong defensive tackle who is difficult to move in the middle of the field, Benito Jones feels like a guy who would appeal to Belichick and the New England Patriots. Jones shows extremely strong hands and holds his own at the point of attack extremely well. He is not a high-level one-gap penetrator, but Jones also shows some quick feet for such a big man (6-foot-1, 316 pounds).