Analyzing some potential early draft targets for Patriots and what it would take to land them

When it comes to the first two days of the draft, here are 10 names for the Patriots to consider -- realistic prospects who could fill some needs and add depth at key positions in 2019. At the same time, if New England wants to take a run at some of them, it’ll take a little maneuvering. That being said, here are our top 10 most intriguing prospects to be had over the first three rounds of the draft and what it would take to land them.

SWINGING FOR THE FENCES
These are upper-echelon prospects who (theoretically) fit when it comes to the Patriots’ needs, but will almost certainly necessitate a trade into the upper reaches of the first round to get them. Could New England part with some of its draft capital to move up? That’s the question with these prospects.

TE T.J. Hockenson: Hockenson is considered the best tight end in a really impressive class. For a New England team looking to replace the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Hockenson might not immediately fit the bill, but he’s the closest thing available at the position this year. Last year, he started 13 games and led the team with 49 catches for 760 yards (good for a 15.5 yards per catch average) and six touchdowns. All this means the Patriots would have to make a near-unprecedented decision to move into the top 10 to get him. Ultimately, the 6-foot-5, 251-pounder represents the wish-upon-a-star desires of many New England football fans who are looking for The Next Gronk. Could he be that guy?

TE Noah Fant: The other Iowa tight end is a hyper-athletic pass-catcher who finished 2018 with 39 catches for 519 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 249-pounder does have that short-area quickness New England treasures (6.81 3-cone time), but isn’t as good a blocker as Hockenson, and has occasionally been plagued by drops. Regardless, the pre-draft buzz around Fant is that he won’t last much past the middle of the first round. If the Patriots want to give their tight end room a boost and don’t necessarily want to yield as much draft capital as they would in a deal to get them Hockenson, Fant would make an awfully intriguing consolation prize.

MOVING STRATEGICALLY
This group features players who could very well be available in the middle of the first round, which means if the Patriots are interested, they’d have to swing a deal and move up from No. 32 to land one of them. In my experience, if you want to make sure a player doesn’t end up with a like-minded team, this is the route New England needs to explore. One possible trade partner here is Oakland — the Raiders have the 24th and 27h pick, Bill Belichick has historically made more deals with Oakland than any other franchise, and he’s tight with Raiders’ GM Mike Mayock.

DL Clelin Ferrell: Ferrell has some Trey Flowers in his game in that he’s a 6-foot-4, 264-pound defensive end (Flowers is 6-foot-4, 269 pounds) who has a knack for getting to the quarterback and also being stout enough to hold up on the edge against the run. He doesn't necessarily have Flowers' versatility, but he can still capably hold the edge in a 4-3, so that's a good a place to start as any. The first-team All-ACC selection and winner of the Ted Hendricks Award, this Clemson product had 53 stops, 19.5 for loss, 11.5 sacks, four pass breakups, and three forced fumbles in 15 starts last year. At this point, the thinking is the Patriots would have to find a trade partner to get them into the 20s if they wanted a shot at Ferrell. But like some who are hoping that Hockenson could eventually replicate Gronkowski’s production, Ferrell is probably the lead candidate if New England was going to try and find another Flowers-like defender.

WR Marquise Brown: “Hollywood” will likely drop a bit because of Lisfanc surgery this past offseason, which means he could go from a top 10 talent to the middle of the first round. If the Patriots are prioritizing wide receiver and they like the look of this former Oklahoma speedster, he could end up being the first-ever first-round receiver pick of Belichick, and first by the Patriots since Terry Glenn in 1996. As we noted here, the 5-foot-9, 166-pounder has that undersized quickness Belichick craves — if New England feels it can scheme up some situations where they get Brown in space, he could be an intriguing choice. (He’d also be one of the smallest guys in franchise history.)

DT Dexter Lawrence: It’s tough to get a read as to just where Lawrence might end up, but at this stage of the process, it appears he could be ticketed for the later part of the first round, which could put him in New England’s neighborhood. The 6-foot-4, 342-pounder was a first-team All-ACC as a junior, starting 13 games for Clemson (44 tackles, 7.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, three pass breakups). Athletic for his size and able to play defensive tackle in three- or four-man fronts, he’s considered excellent against the run and pass, showing a nice knack for using his massive size to his advantage. It’s considered a good market for talent along the defensive front, and if the Patriots aren’t buying on any of the defensive tackles who still might be on the free-agent market (and are satisfied they can add areas of need later on draft weekend or in the trade market) targeting Lawrence near the end of the first round would allow them to add that extra body they need to fill out the group.

STANDING PAT(RIOTS)
These choices would require little lifting on the part of New England — at the most, a flipped pick here and there, a phone call to a familiar front-office trading partner. For the most part, these are guys who project as being available at the end of the first round or the early stages of the second round.

DT Jeffery Simmons: Simmons is a great debate we got into here — would the Patriots take a chance on a talent like Simmons with the understanding you might not have him for all of 2019 because of the knee injury he sustained in while training for the combine? Believed to be a top 10 talent before his injury, the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder could be the latest buy-low prospect to yield big dividends in New England.

TE Irv Smith, Jr.: If the Patriots believe their No. 1 priority is a tight end and they miss out on Hockenson or Fant in the early going, this Alabama product could be a very safe pick at the end of the first round. The son of a former NFL player, he had 44 catches for 710 yards and seven touchdowns last year with the Crimson Tide. The ceiling probably isn’t as high as it is for the likes of Hockenson or Fant, but ultimately, he has the smarts, pedigree, and skill set to be the sort of rookie who can contribute relatively quickly in the NFL.

TE Dawson Knox: Knox and Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger (both of whom have really impressed during the pre-draft process) likely represent the second wave of tight end talent, and are two others who could be available to New England if the Patriots end up sticking at No. 32. Knox averaged 18.9 yards per catch last year with Ole Miss — in all, he had 39 catches for 605 yards in two college seasons.

QB Daniel Jones: The guy who we keep hearing as the quarterback who checks off the most boxes when it comes to the Patriots. Jones isn’t considered a high-end talent like Kyler Murray, but one of the best when it comes to the second-tier signal-callers. While learning at the feet of noted quarterback whisperer David Cutcliffe at Duke, he finished his college career with 8,201 yards passing, 52 touchdowns and MVP honors at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. The one thing we’ve learned from the last few drafts? The Patriots aren’t just going to use a high pick on a quarterback unless they really believe he can be The Next Guy. Do they believe Jones could be the one? We’ll find out draft weekend.

WR N’Keal Harry: We’ve come around on Harry as a potential Patriot for a few reasons, not the least of which is the fact he’s a big receiver who would be available at the end of the first round. ASU coach Herm Edwards also preached his virtues in a phone call with us a week ago, saying “I think he could fit in Foxborough.” A 6-foot-2, 228-pounder out of Arizona State, he finished his college career with 213 catches for 2,889 yards and 22 touchdowns in three years with the Sun Devils. Another guy who could fill a need and likely be available to New England if it decides to stick at No. 32.