Pre-Super Bowl 7-round New England Patriots 2018 mock draft, with trades

Round 2, Pick 43 (via SF): DE/OLB Harold Landry, Boston College

The Patriots won’t have to wait too long to make their next draft pick as they acquired the San Francisco 49ers second round pick in the Jimmy Garoppolo trade. That pick happened to fall at 43rd overall. So, just 11 picks after their first rounder, New England will be on the clock again. This time, they should address the need for more pass rushers. Yes, Trey Flowers is solid and Deatrich Wise had a great rookie year, but more is always better. Derek Rivers will also return from injury to make his debut, but the Patriots could develop a very scary, young, pass rush if they add one more explosive player. Boston College’s Harold Landry could be that man.

Some scouts have Landry as a first-round prospect, so it wouldn’t be shocking if he goes that early. If he manages to slip into the top of the second round though, New England should jump on the opportunity to draft him.

At BC, Landry appeared in 9 games in 2017. He recorded 38 total tackles and 5 sacks. He has the explosiveness to make a difference on an NFL roster though. Injuries limited him as a senior, but in his junior season, Harold Landry had 51 tackles, 16.5 sacks, 22 tackles for a loss, 7 forced fumbles, and 4 pass breakups. Walter Football highlights his pass rush skills and his struggles as a run defender.

"“In the pass rush, Landry shows some moves with a spin, cuts to the inside, and speed around the corner. If he adds some strength to do a rip move, that could be devastating with his speed to get upfield and his ability to dip underneath blockers. In the run game, Landry is going to have some issues in the NFL. He lacks strength and length, and it wouldn’t be surprising if his listed numbers are inflated and he is a little shorter or lighter. Landry can get pushed around, but that isn’t surprising considering he is undersized for a defensive end. Landry must get stronger to hold his ground and shed blocks in the NFL.”"

So, perhaps as a rookie, Landry could be used as a situational pass rusher, but he should be able to add strength to become more of a factor in the run game. The Patriots could use a local talent like this one.