New England Patriots four-round 2021 NFL mock draft
Round 1, 11th Overall
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. DeVonta Smith. player. 829. WR. Alabama. 1
Julian Edelman is getting up there in age and N’Keal Harry has not lived up to his first-round pedigree, leading to the Patriots’ desperate lack of impact pass-catchers. They need to address their pass-catcher situation immediately and it would certainly make sense to invest in the wide receiver position early in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Tight end was undoubtedly under consideration here as well, with both Kyle Pitts and Pat Freiermuth still on the board. However, the New England Patriots just drafted two tight ends in the third round last year and wide receiver is arguably an even bigger need. They could not go wrong with taking one of the premier wide receiver prospects in this loaded class at the position.
DeVonta Smith is the guy for the New England Patriots here at No. 11 and they would be counting on him to come in and make an immediate impact. Smith is not the biggest or most explosive receiver in this class, but he is a smooth athlete with strong hands who knows how to get open against all coverages.
Smith always seems to get a clean release at the line of scrimmage and leaves the defensive back scrambling to keep up after the snap. He is a tremendous route runner who breaks in and out of his cuts on a dime and knows how to find the soft spots against zone.
Smith also has fantastic hands and does a great job of getting upfield quickly after the catch. He is a true playmaker at all three levels of the defense, consistently making an impact on intermediate routes and showing big-play ability as a deep receiver and after the catch.
While his slight frame will turn some off of Smith, he does not appear to have any issues getting off of press coverage at the line of scrimmage. Smith can shake free from nearly any defensive back and has great competitiveness when he does need to go up and get a ball in traffic.
Simply put, the New England Patriots need to find offensive playmakers and Smith is one of the most dynamic playmakers in this draft class. He is a safe prospect who also has a high ceiling and could immediately come in and make an impact for this team at an important position of need.