The New England Patriots pick at the end of the first round in the draft after winning the Super Bowl and with a few weeks to go, names like Dorial Green-Beckham, Jaelen Strong, Shaq Thompson, Nelson Agholor, Devin Smith, Ronald Darby, Melvin Gordon, Carl Davis and TJ Yeldon have come up as potential targets for Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in the early rounds.
The Patriots have long been a team that stockpiles picks and they have one of the top scouting departments in the league. The team can find talent in the late rounds and in the bottom of rounds and they will try and do that again this year. 98.5 The Sports Hub's Adam Jones and Rich Keefe put together some potential targets for the team this year and positions like wide receiver, defensive tackle, linebacker and cornerback were listed as need areas.
The team has a solid group at wide receiver with Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Brandon LaFell, but they could use more depth for Brady. The WR class is deep this year and that should allow the team to find some talent, even in the later rounds. Jones put receivers into groups with names the Patriots likely won't be able to get, including Kevin White, Amari Cooper and DeVante Parker, along with potential targets, which include Dorial Green-Beckham, Jaelen Strong, Smith and Agholor.
The Patriots also have a number of other positions and players to consider, with Thompson, Darby and Carl Davis all coming up in mock drafts. Thompson is a versatile player from Washington and that is one skill that Belichick loves. Thomason has played linebacker, safety and running back for the Huskies and he likely would be a linebacker in the NFL. The team has Dont'a Hightower injured and he could be a potential replacement to start the season.
Thompson met with the Patriots at the combine and he had a strong 40-yard dash time at 4.64-seconds. If Thompson is on the board when the Patriots pick, expect him to be an option. Thompson comes in after putting up 146 tackles in three seasons with five interceptions and three sacks for the Huskies. Thompson also showed his versatility, rushing for 456 yards and two touchdowns last season for Washington.
Green-Beckham is an intriguing prospect, as most scouts agree he has top 10 talent. But Green-Beckham has a domestic violence issue from off the field and that could keep teams from picking him. With his talent, a team like the Pats could take advantage, as he usually would be a top 10-15 pick. Gordon is a player to watch, as he is considered to be one of the best backs in the draft. The Pats lost Shane Vereen in free agency to the Giants and they could look at Gordon or Yeldon as targets.
Belichick and the Patriots have made numerous trades at the draft in the past, but with the deep class coming out this year, they likely will keep their first round pick. The team also may consider cornerbacks after Brandon Browner and Darrelle Revis signed elsewhere this winter.
