New England Patriots 2020 NFL Draft: 7-round mock draft wish list

Seventh round, No. 241: Jonah Jackson. offensive guard Ohio State

The New England Patriots have yet to address their clear need in the interior of the offensive line. Assuming David Andrews is ready to go, there still is a need for a backup center. Guard also needs reinforcement. Unless they expend the draft capital on a versatile player like Cesar Ruiz very early in the draft, they will need to find an interior player to develop.

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A player who has position flexibility to play both center and guard in the NFL would be the best fit.  A possibility with their last pick in the draft is Jonah Jackson, an offensive guard/center from Ohio State

Jackson might be someone who can fill in in a pinch and with coaching might become the adequate back-up (or more) at both positions the Patriots desperately need to fill. NFL.com has him at 6’3″ tall’, weighing in at 306 pounds and notes the following about Jackson:

"Guard/center prospect whose run-blocking and pass protection tape are polar opposites. He’s not a natural bender and the hand placement is rough, making sustaining blocks a challenge. However, the narrow base as a drive blocker turns into a wide, balanced base in pass sets. He’s a terrific processor of twists and blitzes who expedites his process and finds his work. If a team can improve the hands and body control they might have something, but he’s more likely a backup option for teams targeting pass protection inside at guard or center."

Good pass protector, but maybe not so good in the running game. OK, but having the position versatility to provide backup at both center and guard is a real positive, including in gameday roster formation. In a late 7th round pick, especially from Ohio State (though NFL.com notes he spent four years previously at Rutgers), he’s definitely worth a flyer.

As we have seen in the past (Andrews himself went undrafted), there are gems who can be found later in the draft and in undrafted free agency and Jackson just may be one of them. At least he would provide versatile backup options at two positions on the New England Patriots depleted by free agency. A good bet if available at the end of the draft.

New England Patriots 2020 “exciting 7-round draft ‘wish list'” final thoughts

So, there’s my humble attempt to put together an “exciting 7-round draft ‘wish list'” for the New England Patriots in 2020. In these trying times, I hope this provides a bit of a diversion for Patriot and draft fans who get a kick out of such things. I know that as a long-time draft fan, it’s always interesting to see what sportspeople and fans think about whom the Patriots might select.

Of course, any similarity between these “wish list” players and any players the Patriots actually draft will be purely coincidental and is frankly, impossible.