The New England Patriots made a splash on Thursday night when they traded up three spots to select Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu at pick No. 28 overall. The move might not tell us what the Patriots are going to do on Friday, but it should tell us what they are not going to do.
With that in mind, here is a Day 2 mock draft for everyone craving more draft content. As always, the rankings in parentheses show each player’s ranking on Arif Hasan’s consensus big board.
Round 2
2-63: TE Oscar Delp (Georgia | No.
101): Delp might not have the reception production of an elite tight end, but he does have the traits that make you believe he could develop into one. He is a very good run blocker. In fact, he is so good that they simply kept him in that role at Georgia, which is a big reason why his numbers weren’t better.
He has to polish his route running, but his ability after the catch is obvious. The Patriots also would love to have a dual-threat tight end on the roster; both of the top guys they have right now — Hunter Henry and Julian Hill — are really only good at one thing.
Delp, meanwhile, would be an instant best friend for Drake Maye, and, with the assumed acquisition of A.J. Brown, the weapons that the Patriots would be putting together could be a lot of fun to watch. Did I reach for him a little? Yes, but tight end is a tough position to get right, and the Patriots like what they have seen in Delp (not to mention he shared a post of himself in a Patriots jersey on social media the other day).
Either way, at the end of the second round, Delp seems like a nice fit for the Patriots regardless of what the consensus board says.
Round 3
3-95: LB/ED Jaishawn Barham (Michigan | No. 85): With the Patriots going tackle in the first round, it sure feels like edge is their most pressing need right now. Then why take a linebacker, you ask? Because I view Barham as more of an edge than linebacker at the next level. He certainly has extensive experience playing off the ball, but showed a lot of promise playing on the line as well.
It will be interesting to see where the Patriots think his skill set best fits their defense, but getting a guy with his burst and ability to beat blocks should certainly help their pass rush. Regardless of where they decide to play him, Barham should be able to instantly bring some much-needed juice to New England’s edge rotation.
Where would those picks leave the Patriots going into Day 3 of the draft? They would still be looking at some more help along their offensive and defensive lines as well as linebacker, wide receiver and running back. However, adding Delp and Barham to the mix would address two of the biggest current issues on the roster and give New England some high-upside talent to develop.
What do you think the Patriots should do in the second and third rounds of this year’s draft? Head down to the comment section to share your thoughts with the community.
