The New England Patriots did not use their No. 31 overall pick on a player Thursday night, instead trading up to select offensive tackle Caleb Lomu 28th overall. Now, attention turns to Friday where they are currently set to have two selections — one in both the second and third rounds.
Who might be on their radar? With some help from our very own Pats Pulpit Big Board and the Consensus Big Board compiled by our friend Arif Hasan, let’s take a look at the top-50 players still remaining for New England
on day two of this year’s draft.
(*denotes players listed on the Pats Pulpit Big Board)
Wide Receiver
Potential targets: Denzel Boston* (Washington), Germie Bernard (Alabama), Chris Bell* (Louisville), Chris Brazzell II* (Tennessee), De’Zhaun Stribling* (Ole Miss)
The Patriots likely took another step forward towards acquiring A.J. Brown Thursday night as the Eagles selected a Round 1 wide receiver, but some intriguing talent remains available at the position. That includes a handful of outside receivers who would complement New England’s current room nicely.
Tight End
Potential targets: Eli Stowers* (Vanderbilt), Max Klare* (Ohio State), Oscar Delp* (Georgia) Sam Roush (Stanford), Justin Joly* (NC State)
An enticing group of tight ends are set to hear their name called on Day 2 and it would be no surprise if one is by the Patriots. The team has been linked to Stowers — a pure receiving tight end — of late while they also held Georgia’s Oscar Delp on a pre-draft visit. Adding another former Buckeye in Max Klare is also a possibility.
Offensive Tackle
Potential targets: Caleb Tiernan (Northwestern), Austin Barber (Florida), Markel Bell* (Miami), Dametrious Crownover* (Texas A&M), Jude Bowry (Boston College), Travis Burke* (Memphis)
After selecting Caleb Lomu Thursday night, Eliot Wolf acknowledged the tackle gap that exists after the top seven in this draft. That may make it unlikely New England targets the position again on Day 2, although teams can never have enough tackle depth.
Interior Offensive Line
Potential targets: Emmanuel Pregnon* (Oregon), Chase Bisontis* (Texas A&M), Gennings Dunker* (Iowa), Jalen Farmer (Kentucky), Billy Schrauth (Notre Dame)
If the Patriots were to target the offensive line again, it likely would come along the interior at guard given Alijah Vera-Tucker’s injury history and Mike Onwneu’s status in the last year of his contract. The team held Pregnon on a pre-draft 30 visit and wanted to meet with Bisontis, but could not due to time constraints.
Defensive Line
Potential targets: Kayden McDonald* (Ohio State), Christen Miller (Georgia), Lee Hunter (Texas Tech), Domonique Orange* (Iowa State)
Some top-end talent remains available on the defensive line, with McDonald likely to be one of the first names off the board Friday night. Orange would likely be the Patriots target in this range as a big, powerful nose tackle.
Defensive edge
Potential targets: T.J. Parker (Clemson), Cashius Howell* (Texas A&M), Zion Young* (Missouri), R Mason Thomas* (Oklahoma), Gabe Jacas (Illinois), Derrick Moore* (Michigan), Keyron Crawford* (Auburn), Jaishawn Barham (Michigan), Romello Height* (Texas Tech), Dani Dennis-Sutton* (Penn State)
A deep defensive edge class leaves plenty of intriguing names available. The group will likely be picked through by New England’s second selection, but they still should be able to find talent at their biggest position of need. With the search being focused on speed along the edge, Keyron Crawford is a name to watch while Thomas, Barham, and Height’s game are also built off of their athleticism.
Linebacker
Potential targets: CJ Allen (Georgia), Jacob Rodriguez* (Texas Tech), Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas), Jake Golday (Cincinnati), Josiah Trotter (Missouri)
Just two off-ball linebackers heard their names called in Round 1 (both within the top-10). Eliot Wolf noted the depth at this position is strong on Day 3, but the Patriots could strike earlier if value presents itself — perhaps with Texas Tech captain Jacob Rodriguez.
Cornerback
Potential targets: Jermod McCoy (Tennessee), Avieon Terrell (Clemson), Colton Hood (Tennessee), D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana), Brandon Cisse (South Carolina)
Similarly, just two cornerback came off the board in the first-round which results in five of the consensus top 13 players available being cornerbacks. Jermod McCoy is a polarizing prospect after missing last season due to an ACL tear and teams having concerns about a bone plug in his knee, but the corner is considered a first-round talent. His fellow Volunteer, Colton Hood, and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell also were considered potential first rounders.
Safety
Potential targets: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren* (Toledo), A.J. Haulcy (LSU), Bud Clark* (TCU), Zakee Wheatley* (Penn State), Jalon Kilgore (South Carolina)
McNeil-Warren is one of the top overall players on the board entering Day 2 of the draft, which leads to the Patriots having to look deeper at the remaining safety class. The team had Wheatley in for a pre-draft visit while Clark is an ideal fit for their defensive system and adds a playmaker to the backend with 15 career interceptions.
