Bean: Ranking the seven paths Patriots could take in NFL Draft
Mock drafts. Power rankings. Both can occasionally be good, but theyâre always SEO powerhouses.So, what if we combine the two? Well, maybe we can have a little discussion about what we want the New England Patriots to do in a couple weeks at the 2021 NFL Draft.For this exercise, letâs take seven realistic possibilities for what the Patriots could do in the first round and rank them. Some involve quarterbacks. Some involve trades.Iâll say right off the bat that I never have a problem with a team drafting a QB they like high, even if it isnât the most popular prospect. As such, Iâll have a couple scenarios here where the Patriots take Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond in the late first round.Here are the scenarios, ranked in terms of what Iâd like to see.
![<p>[<a href="https://youtu.be/d9hA3c2vtQw">Eilish voice</a>] Duh.</p>
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<h5><a href="https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/patriots/2021-nfl-mock-draft-pats-land-two-players-after-trading-extra-first?int">NBC Sports Boston's live mock draft: Who's left at No. 15?</a></h5>](https://media.nbcsportsboston.com/2023/05/Jones_M_US_15423437-1.jpg?quality=85&strip=all&fit=1280%2C720)
[Eilish voice] Duh.
NBC Sports Boston's live mock draft: Who's left at No. 15?
Note that I did not say âor Heisman winner DeVonta Smith.â Iâm going to be a coward and pass on Smith over the sub-180-pound receiver fear. JaâMarr Chase shouldnât make it past the Lions at No. 7, but Waddle could last past the top 10. The Patriots still donât have an actual No. 1 receiver; Waddle could be that, even if it isnât right away.
In any scenario that doesnât see them drafting a QB at No. 15 or earlier, there is ideally a QB they like for either the second round or late first by moving back up.
If theyâre high on Mond, for example, coming out of the draft with both a No. 1 receiver and a quarterback would mean theyâd filled their two biggest needs.
This all depends on who they like and who goes where. Initially I didnât think it would be wise to trade up for a top QB because it would cost an absolute ton to make sure they got one of the top picks. Now that the first three picks are spoken for, trading up for a QB wouldnât mean getting Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson or whoever goes third. If they love the guy who's on the board at No. 7, they arenât paying the two first-round picks San Francisco did to get from No. 12 to No. 3.
Say itâs Justin Fields or Trey Lance they covet. Iâm OK with them giving up as much as next yearâs first-rounder to make sure they have their long-term QB. Itâs that important.
The Patriots arenât very good at drafting. They have a pretty good pick. Thereâs an argument to be made for them staying put and making sure they get the pick right. I wonât make that argument. Iâm cool with them trading down, making a pick and using whatever they got in the trade to move back up and pick again in the first.
Letâs say the Pats trade No. 15 and a fourth to Washington for No. 19 and a third. They can use that third and No. 46 as the main pieces of a package to move back into the first round.
At No. 19, the Pats could still address receiver with Roshod Bateman, cornerback with Greg Newsome II or linebacker with a number of guys. If they like Mond, they could move back up for him, creating another scenario in which they get both a top receiver and a QB.
This is a very plausible scenario. Teams go nuts for quarterbacks, pass-catchers (Kyle Pitts, Chase, Waddle, Smith) and tackles (Penei Sewell, Rashawn Slater) and the result is a whole lot of defenders sliding.
Iâd love if Patrick Surtain II were that guy, but itâs hard to see him making it past Dallas at 10. Maybe fellow cornerback/son-of-NFLer Jaycee Horn?
Micah Parsons is very intriguing. He could be the next great Patriots linebacker if they deem his character questions overblown.
Youâll hate this, but I donât, assuming whoever they wanted at No. 15 isnât there.
The Patriots have had mixed results in drafts that saw them load up on second-round picks and this year is even harder than usual for scouting players. That said, one way to finally have a home run draft pack is to throw a lot of darts early.
Thatâs what theyâd be doing with Nos. 33, 45 and 46. Plus, they could always move up from No. 33 into the 20s using one of their fourth-rounders.
The Pats could always move way down â possibly out of the first round â and pick up a 2022 first-round pick. Meh. Iâd rather take my chances now, though you can understand why a team would rather have future picks than current ones.
Next yearâs draft wonât be full of guys who opted out of their draft year, the way players did over the last year due to COVID-19 concerns. Plus, private workouts and facility visits will be back on the table. Next yearâs prospects will be far easier to evaluate.
The biggest takeaway from this exercise: In all the scenarios we've conjured up -- and I feel like we've thought up every single one over these last few months -- we don't even consider the Patriots taking an offensive player unless it's a quarterback or receiver.
What if Rashawn Slater is somehow there? Do they get their left tackle of the next however many years or would they give the Bengals, Jaguars or another a team with a young QB a call and try to fleece them?
