2021 NFL Draft: New England Patriots 7-round mock draft

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Daviyon Nixon, 2021 NFL Draft, New England Patriots

Nov 21, 2020; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; New England Patriots 2021 NFL Draft prospect Iowa Hawkeyes defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon (54) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /

Round 6

Pick Analysis. Daviyon Nixon. 47. Scouting Report. DT. Iowa. 169. player

A twitchy 300-pound defensive tackle, Daviyon Nixon is a cerebral player who plays with purpose on the interior. Nixon has showcased his raw athleticism with a 71-yard pick-six against Penn State as well as a plethora of rim-rattling high school basketball highlights but often doesn’t even need his physical dominance to make a play on the ball.

Nixon has an uncanny intuition of where the ball is going and finds his way to the play on a snap-to-snap basis. The New England Patriots are being forced to bring in a rookie defensive tackle in the 2021 NFL draft due to the raw quantity of impending free agents within the position group, and a player with the tools and intelligence of Nixon would be a perfect fit within the Patriots’ front-seven.

Pick Analysis. Notre Dame. C. Jarrett Patterson. 174. player. 47. Scouting Report

At the heart of the Notre Dame offensive line, Jarrett Patterson has been the personal bodyguard to quarterback Ian Book and served as an effective interior protector under the Fighting Irish.

Patterson is not a physically dominant prospect along the likes of a Wyatt Davis but overcomes his athletic shortcomings with proficient technique and an understanding of how to set up his blocks in order to create rushing lanes for his ballcarrier.

The New England Patriots currently have other in-house priorities ahead of center David Andrews, likely forcing the team to find a sufficient replacement within the latter rounds of the 2021 NFL draft. New England has shown a pattern of taking late-round waivers on potential rookie starters on the offensive line, and Patterson could prove to be a cap-friendly alternative for New England.

Round 7

47. Scouting Report. 207. LSU. Damone Clark. player. Pick Analysis. LB

The 2020 campaign has exposed the lack of depth within the New England Patriots’ linebacking group after having lost Dont’a Hightower to a COVID-19 opt-out, leaving Ja’Whaun Bentley to fend for himself alongside a selection of strong safeties and rookie Josh Uche.

Damone Clark operated as a second-level thumper in the LSU front-seven during their championship run and brings a heavy dose of physicality to any defensive front with his downhill pursuit of the ballcarrier.

Clark is going to be a liability in coverage but is a situational contributor who can excel within the role of a run-stopping interior linebacker.

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