5 players Patriots should draft in the first round

2. Kyle Pitts

The chances of Pitts falling all the way to No 15 are pretty small, but his terrific with New England lands him at the second spot on this list. He isn’t going to make Patriots fans forget all about Rob Gronkowski anytime soon, but Pitts has legitimate All-Pro potential at the tight end position.

In truth, Pitts looks more like a slot receiver than a tight end when he’s given an opportunity to flex out and run routes in space. Whatever he lacks as an in-line blocker he more than makes up for with his ability to run any route in the NFL playbook.

The Patriots could do a lot to leverage Pitts’ talents by setting him up for mismatches all over the field. Linebacker and safeties struggle to run with him down the field. Most cornerbacks lack the strength to handle his size when he matches up with them in one-on-one coverage.

New England has a big need at wide receiver to fill in this year’s draft, but don’t rule out the possibility that upgrading their options at tight end could have a similar effect. Pitts is one of the safest bets in Round 1 to be productive as a rookie and to blossom into an above-average starter in very short order.