Round 4 (Pick 107): Cobee Bryant, CB, Kansas
Last season, the cornerback opposite Christian Gonzalez struggled. Eliot Wolf should address the position with his fourth-round selection and draft Cobee Bryant out of Kansas. Cobee arrived at Kansas as a 3-star recruit (per 247Sports) in the 2020 recruiting class, and was named First-Team All Big-12 during the 2022, ‘23, and ‘24 seasons.
Cory Giddings from Bleacher Report emphasized Bryant’s length, which helps in both bump-and-run and press coverage of receivers and also breaking up passes in the air. While potentially less powerful physically, his run defense is also sound.
While Bryant may not be the starting cornerback opposite Christian Gonzalez come week 1, he has the potential to develop into one, which in the fourth round is great value. In addition, if he does fall to New England, Bryant will have a great mentor to learn from in Gonzalez.
Round 5 (Pick 143): Charles Grant, OT, William & Mary
As I mentioned previously, the Patriots need to fix their offensive line and should throw as many darts at the board as possible to do so. Thus, with the fifth-round selection of my Patriots Mock Draft, I have the team selecting Charles Grant from William & Mary.
Brandon Thorn from Bleacher Report focused on Grant’s versatility as an Offensive Tackle. He excelled in William & Mary’s run-dominant, zone-based blocking scheme, with excellent quickness and timing and the ability to immobilize defenders beyond the line of scrimmage. On passing plays, Grant has mobility and range, paired with strong hands and an ability to keep rushers in front of him.
Given the high priority of adding skilled protection for Drake Maye, a fifth-round selection of Grant just might be a bet that pays off for the Patriots.