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New England Patriots full 2020 mock draft

By Kelly Thompson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 29: Defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos of Penn State runs a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 29, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 29: Defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos of Penn State runs a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 29, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 23: Darnay Holmes #1 of the UCLA Bruins defends as Michael Pittman Jr. #6 of the USC Trojans makes a catch during the first half of a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 23, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 23: Darnay Holmes #1 of the UCLA Bruins defends as Michael Pittman Jr. #6 of the USC Trojans makes a catch during the first half of a game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 23, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Round 3

In typical Belichick fashion, the patriots of stocked up on picks in the 3rd-7th rounds and they stand with three of those selections in round three. After addressing the biggest defensive need in the first round, expect the team to focus most of the rest of the draft on lottery tickets for the offense. They’ll use these picks to find wide receivers in this incredibly deep draft and to work on the offensive line.

USC. Michael Pittman Jr.. 87. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 808. WR

Pittman could go higher than this but his below-average strength and average 40 yard dash time will give NFL teams pause and push him down the board. There are so many strong wide receivers in this draft that teams do not need to take unnecessary risks in the first two rounds. So Pittman lands here, and the Patriots are excited to add this dynamic weapon to a bad receiving corps. Pittman caught over 100 catches and gained over 1,200 yards last year for USC, and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, in total earning a place on the second-team All-American roster.

Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Nick Harris. 98. 818. C. Washington. player

Harris lacks versatility along the front, which may hurt his draft stock in the long run. He has the talent to be a Pro Bowl-caliber center in the NFL but has little to no ability to play anywhere else along the line. Even still, at this point in the draft, the Patriots cannot pass on his upside in the center of the line. The center position is not a need for New England, but guard play certainly is and drafting Harris will allow them to shift others to play guard. As long as the team can cover up his lack of versatility, Harris is an excellent addition at center for Josh McDaniels.

Washington. Hunter Bryant. 818. Scouting Report. 100. player. Pick Analysis. TE

With their third pick of the third round, expect Belicheck to target the true best player available at this spot. In this draft, that’s tight end, Hunter Bryant. Bryant has some injury concerns and gets pushed down the board a bit given the lack of adequate medical checks during the coronavirus outbreak prior to this year’s draft. He also lacks ideal size (6-foot-2) for an NFL tight end.

But when you flip on the game film, you see instantly what made the Husky product a second-team All-American in 2019. He’s not going to help much in pass blocking, but he does serve an important ‘extra slot receiver’ role in McDaniel’s offense. This is a bit of a roll of the dice – but the exact type of move that has paid off time and time again for New England over the last two decades.

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