We are just days away from the 2019 NFL Draft in Nashville, and the New England Patriots look to make their picks count.
It is now April, which means the 2019 NFL Draft rumors and mock drafts will flood every corner of the internet (if they haven’t already). It is nearly impossible to determine where some players will be selected, but that doesn’t stop anyone from trying their best to figure it out, especially when it comes to the New England Patriots.
In recent years the Patriots have not done much of this “drafting” thing. I don’t know if Bill Belichick was bored or what, but the defending Super Bowl champions have notably traded and stocked up on picks year after year until we got to now.
As of the time of this article, the New England Patriots have 6 picks in the first 3 rounds, the most by any team in the draft.
The Patriots are of course an aging team, and the young talent on the roster is few and far between. Being that this is one of the more well-rounded drafts in recent memory, good selections could set the team up well for the coming years. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won’t be around forever, so it’s important they can hit at least one home run this year.
These picks are based on need, and overall prospect grade. Sometimes a great player at a position not of need will be on the board, and that is something to consider as well.
Nonetheless, here is my Patriots 3 round mock draft.
Round 1, Pick No. 32: Noah Fant (TE) Iowa
With the departure of Rob Gronkowski, it truly is the end of an era of dominance for the New England Patriots tight end position.
Though Gronkowski battled countless injuries throughout his tenure, the Pats never had to worry about anything more than insurance policies at the position for the last decade. The large issue that creates now is the extreme lack of depth at tight end.
Right now the tight ends signed to the Patriots roster are Matt Lacosse, Jacob Hollister, and Stephen Anderson. In other words a collection of “who” players to the casual Patriot fan. It is clear the Patriots need to bolster that corps. That’s where we insert Noah Fant.
Fant is an absolute freak of an athlete. Standing at 6’4 and weighing over 240 pounds, Fant really impresses with the fact he ran an official 4.5 at the combine, an amazing time for someone his stature. He reminds me of a young Jimmy Graham, and it is noticeable how athletic he is (like Graham) when watching him on tape.
The only knock on Noah Fant is really his numbers at Iowa. He was in a run-first offense and had to split time with other elite Iowa product T.J Hockerson for starting reps. I am not too concerned with this though as tight ends rarely exceed statistically in college due the emphasis on pushing the ball outside to the hashes. I think it would be unfair to judge him for his lack of production because it was more of just a lack of opportunity.
Belichick is known for at least picking the tight end position a lot in the draft, so Noah Fant is not only a practical pick but also a great pick at 32.
Round 2, Pick No. 56: Will Grier (QB) West Virginia
Oh predicting the New England Patriots take a quarterback. This is the second year in a row I’ve mocked a QB to New England, and for the love of everyone’s sanity, I hope that I am finally correct.
I have been very vocal about the fact the Patriots need to look for an heir to Tom Brady throne. TB12 will be 42 by seasons start and is not getting any younger. Tom can have all the avocados he wants, but the fact remains that he is up there in age for a professional athlete sense, and one hit could legitimately end his career.
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Coming back from a serious injury at this age for an athlete is really unheard of, and after nearly two decades of taking hits in the NFL, it is a real risk the team needs to take more seriously. It is also obviously important Bradys successor can learn from Tom, as I think it would be quite beneficial to learn from the best to ever do it. Anyway, back to the draft.
Will Grier started off as a cocky kid who got kicked off the Florida Gator football team but slowly transformed into a successful young man at West Virginia who was widely respected by his peers. Grier developed into a really good football player and should be drafted as such. His main issue is just being able to translate his skills to the next level.
Grier is a solid 6″2 but has a more athletic frame than most. He can escape pressure from the pocket and delivers a good ball on the run. Grier is widely praised for his deep ball accuracy and overall pretty solid ball placement.
Grier has a lower grade to scouts because he does not have that “wow” arm, and has a below average release point. A lot of what he did at West Virginia was simple schematics, and not based on his own mental processing. WVU has always had an excellent “air raid” offense, and they can make pretty average players look excellent.
Will Grier has to prove it is him that is special and not just the system, and I think New England is the perfect place to do that. He is far from a “plug and play” at QB, but a year or two under Tom Brady could do him wonders. Grier has something to prove, and I see him to a New England a perfect fit in that regard.
Round 2, Pick No. 64: Andy Isabella (WR) UMass
Everyone that knows who Andy Isabella is thinks that he would be the perfect Patriot. A star at UMass, Isabella is the perfect all around team player. He carried the UMass passing attack and was the NCAA D1 leader in receiving yards.
Isabella is on the shorter side at just 5″9, but he really does play much bigger than that. He has extremely strong hands, and rarely gets physically overpowered at the line of scrimmage. If he was taller, he would easily be a top-20 selection in this year’s draft.
Isabella is not just your average “small, white, slot” receiver either. A track star, Isabella ran a 4.31 40 Yard Dash time at the combine which was good to land him in the top 5 in fastest players in the draft. He is an elite deep threat due to his speed, and his natural quick cuts mean he is nearly unguardable one on one.
In the draft, Isabella is right next to Riley Ridley (brother of Atlanta’s Calvin Ridley) as far as having the sharpest routes. Route running is an underrated draft metric as it is the best way to create separation against a defensive back, and Isabella is elite at such. He, of course, is very elusive, and his speed means he is amazing after the catch.
The New England Patriots lack next level offensive pass catching. Julian Edelman is able to succeed in large part due to the focus on others such as Rob Gronkowski and the run game and is able to take advantage of the gaping holes that leave.
However, with Gronk’s departure and no other real receiving threat of note on the roster, Edelman will have to assume WR1 duties and that just won’t end well. With Isabella, Edelman’s workload decreases and that is the role he fits best in. Isabella would be an excellent offensive weapon, and I think Bill Belichick can recognize this can’t miss talent.
Round 3, Pick No. 73: Vosean Joseph (LB) Florida
Florida Gator LB Vosean Joseph is one of the more interesting players in the entire draft.
Joseph flies off the screen due to his remarkable athleticism. As far as just overall speed to the ball he is second to none in the class. He really is just a great mold for a player, but notice I did not call him a great “football” player. There is a reason for that.
Joseph’s play reminds me of a player that comes in from another country and their athleticism is the reason they are on the field. There are times when watching the tape that he just flat out looks lost. For someone who has played as long as he has, he should have no reason to not have much better football instincts than what he has.
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Not everyone can excel in every part of the game, but that is one area you would like your player to have when selecting a player this high.
There is also so much good that does come with Joseph though. It is hard to find someone that hits and plays as hard as Joseph. Even though some of his tapes may be very poor, it is never due to lack of effort, and he shows how great he is at other times during watching his film as well. He is solid at rushing the passer, and always reacts well to the ball.
On tape, he has the potential of an Anthony Barr, which is definitely someone you would like to have on the field. He is a mediocre player right now, but with coaching and just learning NFL instincts could be an elite player at the next level
It also helps that the Patriots need linebacker help desperately. Kyle Van Noy has far exceeded expectations, but outside of him who can you really rely on?
Donta Hightower has an extensive injury history and is quite a “hit or miss” player as of late. Joseph is the type of player that is great for the Patriots. He has all the potential in the world but just needs to fine tune his skills. There is no better place that can do that for a player than New England.
I think Joseph is a must add for the New England Patriots, and Bill Belichick has an extensive history of filling up the linebacker room in the draft.
Round 3, Pick No. 97: Justin Hollins (Edge) Oregon
I really don’t understand how Justin Hollins has not generated more buzz around him leading up to the draft.
Hollins was a late bloomer in Eugene to the team’s tremendous outside depth, but in 2018 he was able to show how well he could play when given the opportunity. This season he powered the Ducks pass rush with 6.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss. Not earth-shattering numbers of course, but very impressive collegiate numbers on a defense that was not elite at rushing the passer elsewhere.
Hollins even helped his stock even more by performing amazingly in the postseason. He won the defensive MVP in the Redbox Bowl and followed that up by winning the same award at the East-West Shrine Game. The ladder he was particularly dominant, as he had two sacks and a combined 10 tackles (4 for a loss). His athletic ability allows him to get off the edge quickly and overpower slower tackles.
He played a lot of defensive ends, but the fact he ran a 4.5 40 yard dash at the combine means that he can also play outside linebacker.
The occasions he was asked to drop back and cover or play as a spy he also did fairly well, so he has all the makings of an all-around player in the NFL. His main issue is really that he is almost too athletic. His body is not exactly what you would like from a pass rusher, as he is not impressively strong or imposing. His technique and agility are what makes him special, and of course, that can be taken away by experienced tackles.
The New England Patriots of course just lost Trey Flowers, and are in the market for a new edge rusher. If Hollins bulks up a little bit and gets a bit more consistent, he could be a solid pro. He fits the type of players Bill Belichick likes, and can honestly help the team for the years to come.
Round 3, Pick No. 101: Will Harris (S) Boston College
I see the New England Patriots getting local here with their sixth selection in the draft. I seemingly like Will Harris more than most people, but that may just be because I watched him so frequently during his time as an Eagle.
Harris is athletic and is a good all-around coverage safety. A vast majority of safety prospects that are coming out are just hard hitters and lack coverage skills, but Harris is pretty solid at shadowing players coming across the middle. To find safeties that can cover in the third round of the draft is pretty impressive, so I think Harris is useful for that alone.
Harris can do more than just shadow guys though and can tackle very well. He is always hustling to the ball, and really has a great feel for the game. When watching tape he is quite noticeable at all times, and you can never say he doesn’t play the game at 100 percent at all times. Like Joseph, he just has that natural will and aggression while playing, and I think every coach will tell you they love that in a football player.
The main issues with Harris are that he just lacks NFL instinct. He has all the tools, but has below average play recognition and is not effective in the run game. It is not that he is bad with said things, but he is definitely susceptible to play fakes and fast changes of direction. Harris is not a day-one starter, but he doesn’t need to be.
Both Patrick Chung and Devin McCourty are getting up there in age, and the Patriots are in dire need of grooming a young safety.
Will Harris could learn a lot from these guys, and be groomed into something special. A few years in the system would do wonders, and I think Harris can be the player the New England Patriots wanted Jordan Richards to be for such a long period of time.