An analysis of the New England Patriots greatest draft needs as the team and rest of NFL heads into the offseason.
The NFL season is over now that the Kansas City Chiefs have defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. With that, free agency and the NFL draft will be upon us in the very near future. The New England Patriots have a lot of decisions to make in terms of free agents and draft prospects in order to stay competitive in the AFC.
The Patriots have a laundry list of free agents heading into the 2020 offseason. Players such as Tom Brady, Matthew Slater, Joe Thuney, and Kyle Van Noy, among plenty of others, are all due for new deals as we move towards free agency.
Here, we will look at the most important holes the Patriots will need to fill and how they will be able to fill said holes through this year’s draft.
Of course, all of these depend on what New England decides to prioritize when the time comes and also this does not take into account what trades may or may not be made come draft night.
Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
Laviska Shenault Jr. is a junior receiver out of Colorado. Standing at 6’2, weighing 220 pounds, Shenault is a guy who has great size. He can act as a player who can break free for big plays in the open field. He is also a guy who can do a little bit of everything for any team who would pick him.
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Laviska Shenault tallied 191 touches, 2,223 yards from scrimmage 11.6 yards per touch, and 17 total touchdowns in his college career.
Shenault Jr. took handoffs, he can block, he was a wildcat quarterback, and he also plays well in the slot. As we all know, the New England Patriots love versatility, thus Laviska Shenault could be a perfect fit if the Pats decide to take him at 23rd overall, as he is unlikely to fall that far after, and the Pats currently have no second-round pick.
Projected: 1st to 2nd round pick
K.J. Hill, Ohio State
This Ohio State prospect could be a scary good addition to the Patriots offense. K.J. Hill can run routes, has RAC ability, he’s quick, and has very good hands. In 2019, Hill would have 57 catches, 636 yards, and 10 touchdowns for the Buckeyes.
At 6-foot, about 190 pounds, he can line up inside or outside the numbers. He is also predicted to run in the 4.4 range, which is extremely good. He can complement New England Patriots wideouts N’Keal Harry and Julian Edleman well.
Projected: 2nd to 3rd round pick
Thaddeus Moss, LSU
The son of Hall-Of-Fame WR and former Patriot Randy Moss, greatness is in the blood of LSU tight end Thaddeus Moss. He stands at about 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds. He has a very solid build at the position and has pretty good athleticism and agility.
In 2019, he would tally 47 catches, 570 yards, and 4 touchdowns for a championship LSU Tigers squad that was loaded on the offensive side of the ball. The one knock about him would be his blocking, which is something that he could improve on. But as it stands now, he could be a very good receiving tight end.
He is seen by scouts as a second-to-fourth round pick, the New England Patriots could definitely snag him up to bolster a tight end room that needs fresh talent.
Cole Kmet, Notre Dame
Cole Kmet, in the eyes of many, is the most “NFL-ready” tight end in this year’s draft. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, he has great size for the position. He can be effective lined up out wide, next to the offensive line, or even in the slot. Along with solid route-running, he can be a starter on day one.
In 2019, his junior season, his totals were 43 catches, 515 yards, and 6 touchdowns, compared to his sophomore season in which he only had 15 catches for 162 yards.
He is projected as a second-to-third round draft choice.
Terence Steele, OT, Texas Tech
Terence Steele has a very good size for a starter in the NFL, at 6’6 and 310 pounds. At the tackle position, he has very good length on the edge and has long arms which is always a great thing to have. Originally a left tackle, switching Steele to the right side saw him cut his hurries in half, showing great potential and improvement at that position, considering the New England Patriots already have their blindside blocker in Isaiah Wynn.
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He will fight to recover when he gets beat, which is good. But he lacks versatility and needs to work on getting stronger and developing better techniques. If he can get better, he can be a solid starter on the right side.
The Texas Tech offense ranked top-5 in the country in pass attempts, yet they ranked in the top-25 in fewest sacks allowed, which is extremely impressive.
Projected: 2nd or 3rd round pick
John Simpson, G, Clemson
This young man fits the ‘Bill’, so to speak. Coach Belichick takes a liking to players like John Simpson who have wide frames that can run block and be strong defenders in the passing game as well. Simpson also has good awareness and toughness for the position. He may, in fact, be the best guard in the draft in eyes of some in what is an otherwise weak class for the position.
With Joe Thuney in line for a big-money deal, look for the Pats’ to consider Simpson if they can’t bring Thuney back.
Projected: 3rd to 5th round pick.
Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State
The junior out of Penn State has an awesome motor and is very active on the field. At 6’5, he is on the taller side for his position but is effective at using his length to his advantage. He can consistently win when contact is first made. Yetur Gross-Matos has a fantastic range due to his wide wingspan. The only knock is that he has room for improvement, but has tremendous talent and a very high ceiling.
In his sophomore and junior season, he would rack up 94 tackles (34.5 tackles for loss) and 17 sacks. He was extremely productive during his college career.
Projected: 1st to 2nd round pick
Curtis Weaver, Boise State
At 265 pounds, Curtis Weaver has a thicker build for the position but is able to move very well. He has good hand technique and is adept at setting the edge. He has great upper body strength and is able to get through tighter gaps in the offensive front allowing him to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Weaver was also consistently productive during his time in Boise with 128 total tackles (47.5 for loss) and 34 sacks. He even has 2 interceptions and 3 pass defenses. All in 3 seasons.
He does not, however, have the kind of bend that you would normally like to see in a pass rusher, and his mobility can is something that can be improved.
Projected: 1st to 3rd round pick