2018 NFL Mock Draft: Browns land Baker Mayfield

RALEIGH, NC - NOVEMBER 04: North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Bradley Chubb (9) enters the field before the game between the Clemson Tigers and the NC State Wolfpack on November 04, 2017 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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BATON ROUGE, LA – SEPTEMBER 10: Arden Key #49 of the LSU Tigers defends during a game at Tiger Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

player. 47. . EDGE. LSU. Arden Key. 31

The New England Patriots fell short of repeating as Super Bowl champs in 2017 but figure to be in the hunt once again heading into 2018.

The highly-publicized Malcolm Butler benching fiasco and coaching turnover figure to be interesting storylines for next season but there’s no doubt that New England always finds a way to tune out the noise. In this draft scenario, they land one of the most talented edge rushers in the class in LSU’s Arden Key with the 31st overall pick.

Some draft experts felt Key was well on his way to a top-ten selection heading into his final season with the Tigers, but off-the-field issues and a lack of production have soured some evaluators on his pro potential. At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Key is as physically impressive of an edge prospect as they come and when he flashes on tape, it’s understandable why some think so highly of him.

He’s a bit raw in terms of technique and will have a lot of questions to answer in regards to the aforementioned off-the-field and production issues but if one of the top corners or tight ends isn’t here at this spot, expect Bill Belichick and the Pats to pounce on Key with their first pick.

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