New England Patriots mock draft: Following up a huge free agency

The New England Patriots didn’t like the lingering taste of finishing in third place, did they?

The Buffalo Bills looked like one of the best up-and-coming teams in the NFL last season while the Miami Dolphins’ rebuilding timeline seemed to be accelerated substantially.

The New England Patriots, in their first year of the post-Tom Brady era, not only finished in third place in their division but they also watched Brady hoist the Lombardi Trophy without them.

Not to mention, Gronk was there. Ouch.

The sting of all that went down for the New England Patriots in 2020 prompted a spending spree in 2021 free agency unlike any before it for this franchise.

Bill Belichick got so many new players to coach in 2021, you have to wonder how it’s all going to come together. Cam Newton returns as the quarterback, but he will have a much better supporting cast in 2021 with a number of key players that opted out in 2020 coming back along with a borderline expansion roster of key free agent acquisitions:

• TE Jonnu Smith
• TE Hunter Henry
• EDGE Matt Judon
• WR Nelson Agholor
• LB Kyle Van Noy
• DL Davon Godchaux
• DL Henry Anderson
• DB Jalen Mills

The New England Patriots also traded for a familiar face in right tackle Trent Brown, who will help solidify the offensive line.

Cam Newton has to be thrilled, but the work is not yet done for the Pats. They currently have 10 draft picks to play with and while they could be aggressive in moving up for Cam Newton’s long-term replacement (Justin Fields or Trey Lance) they could also stay put and continue loading up this roster around him.

Here is a seven-round mock draft scenario for the New England Patriots after a big free agency period.

New England Patriots 2021 mock draft

If not QB, where do the New England Patriots go in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft?

That’s a bit tough to say because at pick number 15 overall, they are slightly in no-man’s land.

The demand for quarterbacks and pass catchers ahead of the Patriots’ pick does not bode well for their specific team needs, but there should be a very good defensive talent on the board when the Patriots are on the clock.

One player that has gone underrated throughout the process is Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome, who matches just about every top cornerback when it comes to production and athletic metrics.

Although many fans may scoff at this pick because Newsome hasn’t gotten the fanfare of Patrick Surtain II or even Caleb Farley or Jaycee Horn, he’s probably every bit as good of a prospect with as high (or higher) of a ceiling.

New England has a history of doing great work developing cornerbacks and Newsome has CB1 written all over him.

The Patriots brought back Kyle Van Noy in free agency, they’re getting Dont’a Hightower back after his opt-out in 2020, and Ja’Whaun Bentley has developed into a solid player for them.

With that being said, none of those three guys bring to the table what Jabril Cox does as a linebacker prospect, and that is the ability to be a game-changer in coverage.

Cox transferred to LSU from North Dakota State and his production going from the FCS National Champs to the FBS National Champs didn’t change a bit.

Cox has tremendous game speed and range, and he plays with instincts. He racked up eight pass breakups and three interceptions at LSU, bringing his career college totals to 26 and 9, respectively.

Having a guy like this who can touch 21 MPH in a game situation and play the ball that well from the off-ball linebacker position is becoming a must in today’s NFL.

Although Cox is not as highly regarded as some of the LSU linebackers that preceded him, he would have a chance to be one of the best values in the draft here in the middle of round two.

The New England Patriots made adding pass catchers a huge priority in the 2021 free agency period.

They not only signed Jonnu Smith at tight end, but they also brought in Hunter Henry as well.

In addition to those two guys, the Patriots signed Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne to add to their wide receiver group, which desperately lacked in the talent and depth department.

Former first-round pick N’Keal Harry has been on the trade block this offseason, so his being in the team’s plans is at least up for debate at this point, so the Patriots will likely want to use one of their three top-100 picks on the wide receiver position.

At pick number 96 overall, Tutu Atwell would be a fun one.

Atwell compares somewhat to Penn State receiver KJ Hamler coming out last year, though Atwell is even slighter than the already quite slight Hamler.

Atwell is extremely fast and can make big plays from the slot or lined up on the outside. His size could be somewhat of a concern at the next level which is why he barely cracks the top-100 while Hamler was a high second-round pick of the Broncos.

His best season came in 2019 when he averaged over 18 yards per catch. The Patriots would love to add that kind of big-play ability to their offense in 2021.

The relationship between Bill Belichick and Nick Saban seemingly always pays off for some player or players during the NFL Draft on an annual basis.

In this draft, it benefits a guy who many thought to be LB1 a year ago at this time in Dylan Moses.

Moses suffered a season-ending injury prior to the 2019 season and was working his way back to full speed in the 2020 season for the Crimson Tide. He came back in 2020 to lead Alabama with 80 total tackles but he didn’t look like the guy many thought to be a lock for the first round.

With that being said, Moses’ potential and upside remain enticing, especially in the fourth round.

He was all over the field his first two seasons at Alabama, and if he can regain 100 percent explosiveness, this could prove to be one of the best value picks in the draft.

As previously mentioned, the Patriots have a starting trio of linebackers they could roll with to start the 2021 season, but beyond 2021, there could be some question marks there.

Moses could very well fit in as an eventual starter who would fit nicely in Bill Belichick’s defensive scheme.

New England Patriots mock draft: Remaining Day 3 picks

5. Dazz Newsome, WR, North Carolina

In a draft class as deep as this one at wide receiver, why not double (or triple) up if you have the picks to do it?

Newsome was a playmaker for the Tar Heels out of the slot and despite not having the best pre-draft metrics, he could be a great fit for what New England wants to do offensively. He could also contribute as a punt returner.

6. Adetokunbo Ogundeji, EDGE, Notre Dame

Ogundeji is a long, versatile edge player who could make an impact right away in the NFL as a rotational rusher. He got better and better over his time with the Irish and emerged as a captain and full-time starter as a senior.

7. Richard LeCounte III, S, Georgia

LeCounte seems like the exact type of mid-round player the Patriots strike gold with. He was very productive for the Bulldogs defense and did a great job communicating on the back end.

What he lacks in athleticism he makes up for with football IQ and production.

8. Feleipe Franks, QB, Arkansas

Maybe the biggest arm in the entire draft class, Feleipe Franks is a player more teams should be hoping falls to them on day three. He would be the perfect backup option to Cam Newton with his physical skill set.

9. Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest

As I said, if you double up, why not triple up at wide receiver? Sage Surratt was one of the best receivers in the entire ACC in 2019 and opted out of the 2020 season.

He is a prototypical “X” receiver with length and ability to win at the catch point.

10. Royce Newman, OT, Ole Miss

Royce Newman projects as a versatile backup lineman at the NFL with starter potential. He will almost assuredly go higher than the seventh round, but you take the simulation as it comes to you.

Besides left tackle, he could probably play any position on the offensive line at the next level and has played both guard and right tackle in the last two seasons.