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

Sixth round, No. 204: Geno Stone, strong safety, Iowa

The New England Patriots are aging in the secondary. Twins Devin McCourty and Jason McCourty are nearing 33 years old and along with Patrick Chung are nearing the end of their careers. Even Steph Gilmore is approaching 30. Fortunately, the pipeline at cornerback is relatively solid but at safety, maybe not so much.

In this second sixth-round pick, the patriots help prepare for the looming loss of Patrick Chung, likely sooner rather than later.

A veteran with a lot of miles on him, Chung has really been a key player for New England in his second stint with the team, but his playing days are nearing an end. Chung will be 33 later this year and has been bedraggled by injury for many seasons. Age and wear and tear have taken their toll. Time to head toward the future with a replacement.

The Patriots recognize that and go strong safety here with Geno Stone from Iowa.

Stone is similar to Chung size-wise. NFL.com has him at 5’10” and weighing in at 207 pounds. I like their note on this trait,

"Stone’s football IQ is obvious, as he’s often triggering down on top of a route before the quarterback is even winding up."

Aha! Anticipation. That’s a great trait in any football player and for a strong safety, the ability to identify between run and pass is key since he has to defend against both.

Geno Stone, the Patriots second 6th round pick.