The New England Patriots’ roster, as it is currently constructed, has a few spots that look deep. The offensive line and the secondary, for example, seem well-equipped for 2021 and beyond. But then there are positions where New England has seemed deeply undermanned: tight end, quarterback, receiver and inside linebacker. Bill Belichick has said he doesn’t draft for need. But this is one of those years where it might be smart to find plug-and-play rookies at those positions. With all the cap space the Patriots have, they could pair the rookies with veterans to help in the event of slow development.
Here’s our first four-round mock draft. (We didn’t go seven rounds, because we’re not yet familiar enough with this draft class to bother diving that deeply. But we’ll get there.) Let’s jump in.