New England Patriots mid-season 2018 NFL Mock Draft

Logan Jakubajtys

CHESTNUT HILL, MA - OCTOBER 07: Harold Landry

The New England Patriots added another 2018 NFL draft pick in the Jimmy Garoppolo trade with the 49ers this week and now they could be looking for the QB of the future.

The New England Patriots have clear needs on defense, and now they may have some holes to fill on offense as well before next season. The pass rush has not improved in 2017, and New England will want to address it. Trey Flowers has been solid, and Deatrich Wise Jr. will continue to improve, but the team still needs more. Of course, Derek Rivers will be back next season as well though. Still, I think the Patriots will look for a boost on the edge.

The pass rush has not improved in 2017, and New England will want to address it. Trey Flowers has been solid, and Deatrich Wise Jr. will continue to improve, but the team still needs more. Of course, Derek Rivers will be back next season as well though. Still, I think the Patriots will look for a boost on the edge.

Beyond that, the Patriots will likely need to add a linebacker and a cornerback. Dont’a Hightower should be back next season, but he clearly struggles to stay on the field. New England could look to draft a middle linebacker to one-day takeover there. The corner will be less of a need as I expect New England to franchise tag Malcolm Butler in the offseason, but after next year I think he’s gone. Another team will simply pay him more money.If a cornerback is drafted in 2018 he’ll have some chance to develop before possibly stepping up as a starter.

For this early mock draft, I did not factor in any new trades. I also am projecting the Patriots picks to come somewhere between 27-32 in each round of the NFL Draft. The only exception is the 2nd round pick from the 49ers that New England received in the Jimmy Garoppolo trade. That pick should be between 33-36 overall. Now, let’s get to it with New England 1st round draft pick in 2018.

1st round pick: DE Harold Landry, Boston College

Boston College Eagles prospect Harold Landry will stay in New England as the Patriots draft him in the backend of the first round. The North Carolina native is a senior at BC and so far this season 38 total tackles, with 8.5 for a loss, and 5 sacks in 8 games. That’s actually a dip in production for Landry as he had 16.5 sacks last season in 12 games. This year, it looks like Boston College will be bowl eligible and we should get to see him in an extra game. Over the course of Landry’s Boston College career, he has 158 tackles and 25 sacks in38 games. At 6’3″, 250lbs, Harold Landry has the size and skill to step in and produce in the NFL right away. The Eagles prospect has drawn comparisons to Vic Beasley and Dee Ford for comparison. The New England Patriots defense would have a great pass rush with Landry on their side.

2nd round pick (via San Francisco): LB Malik Jefferson, Texas

Addressing another need on the defense right away, the Patriots use their pick from the 49ers on Texas’ middle linebacker Malik Jefferson. He’s just a junior, but Jefferson is expected to declare for the 2018 NFL Draft after this season. He’s played in 30 games for the Longhorns so far in his college career and he’s had a lot of success. Jefferson has 197 tackles and 13 sacks over parts of three seasons. In 2017, he has had his best season overall so far with 76 tackles through 8 games. That’s the 3rd best in the Big 12 to this point. Jefferson will help the pass rush, but he’s also fairly strong against the run. He has 24.5 tackles for loss in his Texas career.

The Patriots could look to groom Malik Jefferson to take over for Dont’a Hightower one day. He would be given time to develop his skills as a backup before eventually becoming New England’s defensive leader.

2nd round pick: OT Jamarco Jones, Ohio State

With their own 2nd round pick, the New England Patriots will make their first draft selection for the offense. Tom Brady looks like he’ll be playing for a while, and they may want to look at improving his blindside protection. Offensive tackle Jamarco Jones is a great mid-round choice for the Patriots.

Jones is a senior, and although he sometimes lets pressure through, he’s solid overall. There are certainly plenty of areas for improvement though, which is why Jones could find himself in the 2nd round instead of the 1st in the NFL Draft. In July he had surgery for an appendectomy and then had four impacted wisdom teeth removed. Jones says he lost about 20 lbs overall in July. It took until October for him to feel fully healthy, and it’s shown as his play has continued to improve.

Dante Scarnecchia could work his magic with Jamarco Jones to create a competition between him and Tony Garcia for a starting role on the Patriots offensive line next season. I think it’s time to move on from Nate Solder.

3rd round pick*: QB Luke Falk, Washington State

* The Patriots will send either a 2018 3rd or 4th round pick to the Eagles as part of the Eric Rowe deal. If he plays in less than 50% of the Patriots snaps for the season, it will be the 4th rounder. Right now, he’s played just over 18% of the snaps, so I’m projecting that New England will keep the 3rd round pick.

Luke Falk has had an up and down season so far for the Washington State Cougars. He’s been benched twice, but when he’s on, he’s really on. Falk is a pretty accurate passer as he’s completed 68.7% of his passes in his college career. His inconsistencies though could drop him into the 3rd round here.

Through 39 games as a quarterback for Washington State (Drew Bledsoe’s alma mater), Falk has amassed 13,000 total passing yards with 112 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. For a college QB those a great numbers, but the Patriots would want to see him cut down on the turnovers. Falk is also in a spread offense at Wazzu currently, so he’ll need to adjust to a more pro-style system. Luckily, he fits the typical QB mold at 6’4″ and 225lbs, so there aren’t any issues there. Falk could become the Patriots QB of the future behind Tom Brady the GOAT.

6th round pick: CB Kareem Orr, Chattanooga

Kareem Orr was originally at Arizona State, and he played well there as a freshman and sophomore with 91 tackles and 7 interceptions in 22 games. The 5’11” corner then chose to transfer to an FCS program, UT Chattanooga. Orr is originally from Chattanooga, and in August his girlfriend gave birth to their first child. It was important to him to be home for that. The NCAA granted Orr the ability to play right away, and through 8 games with the Mocs he has 31 tackles and 1 interception. He could one day be a Patriots starter when Malcolm Butler leaves town.

7th round pick: RB Nick Wilson, Arizona

Senior running back Nick Wilson from Arizona is either a 7th rounder or an undrafted free agent. The Patriots will likely have to draft a running back as Dion Lewis, Brandon Bolden, and Rex Burkhead will all be free agents this offseason. Wilson is a guy that could fit the bill as a Lewis replacement.

In 33 games for the Wildcats, Wilson has 2,784 rushing yards on 493 carries for a 5.6-yards per carry average. He’s been able to find the end zone 30 times on the ground as well. He’s not a huge receiving threat for Arizona, but I believe he has the skills to become one. As a University of Arizona student, I may be a bit biased but I think Nick Wilson is the perfect Patriots player. He seems willing to do whatever it takes for the team to succeed.

Next: Mid-season Patriots offensive player grades

So, while it’s still very early, what would you think of this New England Patriots draft class? I feel like this would fill a ton of needs on both the offense and the defense. The pass rush would be greatly improved, and the QB of the future (for real this time) could be on the team with years to develop. Let me know your thoughts on Twitter @CandCFansided!