6. (182nd overall): Jacob Cowing, WR, Arizona
At this stage of the NFL Draft, you never should be drafting for need. The Patriots took a QB in the first round of this mock draft, and I think the rest of the draft should be built around making life better for that guy.
That means you take flyers on receivers and skill players to surround him with as much talent as possible. Jacob Cowing ran a blazing 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, raising his stock perhaps to the point that the Patriots won't be able to get him here. But if Cowing or a player like him is available at this stage, it could end up being a steal for the Pats. Cowing racked up over 4,400 receiving yards in his collegiate career between UTEP and Arizona.
7. (229th overall): Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Houston Christian
Use the late rounds of the NFL Draft to take shots on tremendous athletes or big-time small-school guys. Jalyx Hunt is coming out of Houston Christian, and I've never done a single mock draft in 15 years that included a player from there.
But if you can play, the NFL will find you.
Jalyx Hunt is a DE prospect in the 2024 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.73 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 46 out of 1637 DE from 1987 to 2024.
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 29, 2024
Spilts projectedhttps://t.co/YNvpFXbshE pic.twitter.com/BUonT4IhBK
At the very least, a player like this gives you upside and special teams ability right away.
The Patriots are favored to draft one of Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye with the No. 3 overall pick. FanDuel Sportsbook has their odds at +175. If you have a better idea of who they are going to select, head over to FanDuel, claim your sign-up bonus, and make your wager.
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.