New England Patriots full 2018 NFL mock draft
By John Buhler
The New England Patriots will have six picks to get better this offseason in the 2018 NFL Draft. Here is the latest NFL mock draft for the Patriots.
The New England Patriots came up literally a Hail Mary short of winning their third Super Bowl in four years. Instead, New England fell to the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis back in early February. Clearly, this team is in win-now mode, as head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady aren’t getting any younger. So what does this mean for them heading into the offseason?
New England will obviously be an active participant in NFL free agency. The Patriots do a better job of scouting players that are already in the league better than everybody else. Since Brady is already 40 years old, Belichick has moved off drafting as many players as he once did. That being said, the Patriots will methodically find the right players in the draft, as well as other undrafted free agents.
New England will have six picks to get better in the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft. The Patriots have their own first, second, third and sixth round picks. They received the San Francisco 49ers’ second-round pick in the Jimmy Garoppolo trade. New England lost its fourth-round pick to the Eagles in the Eric Rowe trade. They also gave up their fifth and seventh-round picks in a deal with the Seattle Seahawks for Cassius Marsh. New England does have a compensatory pick in the fourth round.
The Patriots have primary needs at defensive line, edge and offensive tackle. Secondary needs include center, quarterback and linebacker. New England has tertiary needs at guard, running back and wide receiver, but probably won’t be able to address those needs in the upcoming draft. Here is the latest NFL mock draft for the Patriots.
First Round
Much has been made out of the UTSA Roadrunners edge player Marcus Davenport. While he played for a young football program in Conference USA, Davenport shined in his four years in San Antonio. However, some are skeptical of his level of competition while playing in Conference USA. Though he didn’t shock the world at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Davenport certainly held his own in Indianapolis for the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine.
Overall, Davenport is a fringe first-round talent. Given that the Patriots are in dire need of a pass rusher, they are more than comfortable taking a chance on this boom/bust prospect coming out of UTSA. If he hits, then the Patriots could have themselves one of the very best pass rushers in the AFC for a long time. Getting a talent that caliber at No. 31 would be such a steal.
In college, Davenport recorded 185 total tackles (95 solo, 90 assists), 37.5 for a loss of yardage, 21.5 quarterback sacks, eight passes defended, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, one of those he took to the house for six points. At 6-foot-6, 264 pounds, Davenport will be more than a handful coming off the edge.
Davenport may not emerge as a solid pass rusher right out of the gate. However, the Patriots would be getting a large pass-rushing threat with plenty of growth potential should they draft Davenport out of UTSA. He might be off the board by No. 31, but Davenport is the type of high-value pick the Patriots could be looking for at the back-end of the first round.