2018 NFL Mock Draft: Sam Darnold goes to Browns

By Brad Weiss | Apr 25, 2018

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Sam Darnold (14) of the USC Trojans during a college football game between the UCLA Bruins vs USC Trojans on November 18, 2017 at the Los Angeles memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 04: Alabama defensive lineman Da’ron Payne (DL15) participates in a drill during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March , 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

. Defensive Tackle. Alabama. Da'Ron Payne. 31. player. 47

With the second of two first round picks on Thursday, the New England Patriots should once again look to fix their defense. The truth is, they looked terrible during the Super Bowl, and not even 500 yards from Tom Brady could help them beat the Philadelphia Eagles. While a cornerback should be brought in with pick No. 23, eight picks later, New England should bring in a guy to help the front of their defense.

Da’Ron Payne showed during his time at Alabama that he is an elite defensive tackle, and is going to be a solid player at the next level. He has the skill set to be a run stopper, but also has the quickness to get after people in the backfield. This Patriots defense was exploited back in February, so using two first round picks to get better on two levels of the unit makes a lot of sense.

New England is going to be a playoff team again in 2018, as Brady and most likely Rob Gronkowski should be back with the team. However, they lost a lot of talent this offseason to free agency, as maybe players were rubbed the wrong way by Bill Belichick benching Malcolm Butler in the Super Bowl. Payne and Hughes will help the defense immensely, making them the best team in the AFC East once again.

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