NFL Notebook: What will be the player/position preference if the Patriots stay at 14?

Note: Had to deal with a medical situation this weekend — everything wound up being fine; I'm tip-top — so I'm a little behind on stuff, but we'll pick it up quickly. Appreciate your understanding and patience.

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Draft week is finally here. There will be a lot of nonsense/chatter going on this week — like there has been previously — but let's start the week with who we think would be considerations to be selected if the Patriots were to remain at 14. I think their preference would be to trade down, especially due to the fact that this draft lacks a high number of no-doubt, immediate starters — one of the benchmarks for the Patriots in the first round, especially this high. If one of those players is not available at 14, then Bill Belichick would rather trade down and take multiple players who are viewed as "potential starters."

After talking with several league sources, some of whom are familiar with how the Patriots grade for the draft, here is the pecking order we have come up with concerning the players possibly available at 14.

One note: I do not think the Patriots would have a quarterback, receiver, tight end or defensive tackle rated high enough at 14 to select them. I do not think the Patriots would be interested in Jalen Carter unless it was part of a trade-down. Of course, I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again. It's the nature of the draft beast.

The bottom line is this: the Patriots are looking for a Day 1 starter, who is rock-solid on and off the field, at 14.

The pecking order in my view:

G/T Peter Skoronski, Northwestern: I don't think the Patriots would be all that concerned about the arm length/position debate going on with Skoronski. I think the Patriots would view him as a Day 1 starter in their "best five" philosophy on the line. Skoronski could step in and start immediately at right tackle. If his arms are an issue, they would look at swapping Mike Onwenu and Skoronski. His film is just too good, and he could be an All-Pro at guard long term (if not tackle), and Onwenu is entering a contract year. Skoronski's versatility — he could start and hold his own at LT as well — would enhance his appeal to the Patriots.

RB Bijan Robinson, Texas: If he lasts this long, and I don't think he will, the Patriots would think long and hard about taking a running back here. Remember, Belichick took FB/TB Tommy Vardell ninth overall in 1992 in Cleveland. Robinson is so good in the passing game that he's more than just a running back - a must for a first-round grade. If Robinson is the real deal, Rhamondre Stevenson would be a trade asset with two years left on his contract. 

OT Paris Johnson, Ohio State: The best overall prospect at tackle with off-the-charts intangibles. Walks in and starts at RT the first day and could be the starting left tackle in time — maybe even during camp. Patriots drafted Nate Solder 17th in 2011 and he started at RT as a rookie with Matt Light still on the roster, and moved over to LT. Johnson would be similar.

CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois: Could be dinged by the Patriots' system due to his lack of size, but he's the same height as Darrelle Revis, just 20 pounds lighter and a tad slower. He's more physical than Revis coming out, and close to the same cover guy.

OT Broderick Jones, Georgia: Not quite as polished as Skoronski or Jones — and has more maturity issues that could ding him to the Patriots to trade-down status — but he's a Day 1 RT starter with a ton of upside. Way better prospect than Isaiah Wynn at the same stage, which would justify the higher draft pick.

DE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa: This is about the spot where I think it gets iffy for the Patriots on whether the draft grade matches up with the pick. Van Ness (6-5, 275) would be more attractive to the Patriots than other teams because of his versatility. He plays up and down the line. With Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings heading into contract years, Van Ness gives the Patriots some coverage at that spot. He's a better version of Deatrich Wise as far as inside/outside versatility.  

OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee: Belichick will view his shutout of Will Anderson very favorably, but there are some concerns about his work ethic that the Patriots will definitely ding him on. I think he would have to be a consideration later. At 14, it would be a surprise.

CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon: Off the hoof, looks like a No. 1 cornerback with ideal size and speed, but his lack of ideal instincts and ball skills will hurt him in the Patriots' evaluation. Another guy more viable in a trade-down.

NICKEL PACKAGE

1. Some selected pre-draft quotes from NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah that have some relevance to the Patriots:

The tackles: "I think if you are just saying as a pure tackle, (Darnell Wright's) tape is really, really good. And playing on the right side this year, everybody has talked about the fact that he took a big leap in this year, but it's hard to find guys that are 330 pounds that move like him and are as strong as he is at right tackle. I think he is plug-and-play. I think he is ready to go.

"I have a higher grade on Skoronski. I think Skoronski can play tackle. I think Skoronski can be a good tackle, but I think Skoronski can be an unbelievable guard. My order there would be Skoronski and then Wright, but I have in my final ranking I have Paris Johnson, Darnell Wright, Broderick Jones. They're literally 16, 17, 18 on my list.

"I'm a little higher on Skoronski, but I think all four of those guys are going to be starters. I think if you had to play a game tomorrow and know you were going to line up and play tackle, I think Darnell Wright might be your best option as a right tackle right away who could plug in there and get going. So I don't think there's a wrong answer there, but for me personally I just think Skoronski is the best overall football player."

Second-tier corners: "When you get in the second round at the corners, we'll see what happens with Emmanuel Forbes. I think he has a real shot to go in the first round even though he is 170 pounds currently. But with him, Ringo is intriguing from Georgia. Tyrique Stevenson from Miami. Riley Moss, I really like him, a lot of teams like him, from Iowa. Julius Brents, Kansas State. There's a long list. There's some teams that are Cam Smith teams. Others aren't quite as high.

"There's a lot of depth at this corner position. Whereas the wide receiver position I feel like it's that kind of clump up there at the top. There's a handful of guys, and ideally I think you would want to leave with one of those guys already in the fold."

Alabama players: "To me it's Bryce, it's Will, and then Gibbs and Branch would be the next two. I think in a draft like this when you talk about running backs and kind of go all-in on that and whether you take them, whether you don't take them. There's not 31 players better than Jahmyr Gibbs in this draft. I think teams at the bottom of the first round give him serious consideration.

Branch, I wish he ran a little faster than he did, but the versatility. I think he is the best nickel in the draft. You can play him all over, though. So I think he is going to go mid to late one to early two, in that range. He would be the next one for me.

After that it would be Jordan Battle. Jordan Battle is my third safety. I love the anticipation. I love his eyes. I wish he had a little bit more twitch, but he is somebody that I think especially immediately he is going to get on the field and be really good on special teams as well. Something he did well there.

Those would be my next guys in order. Then you've got Tyler Steen and Emil Ekiyor who would be next as the offensive linemen. Same grade I have on Henry To'oTo'o. I think they'll all go in the third round range would be my guess for those three.

2. Jeremiah's thoughts on a successful draft were interesting - it's a question I'm always asked:

"I always look back at it and try and say, okay, a great draft to me -- a good draft, like the goal should be to get three starters. If you can get three starters out of your draft, to me you feel pretty good about your haul. If you get four, it's an unbelievable draft."

I think he has it about right, which reflects well on the Patriots' last two drafts.

3. I've said this on the pod and in the chat, but here's my thoughts on Bill O'Brien's lukewarm words about Mac Jones — you can't compare what Patriots coaches say to what other coaches at other NFL teams would say. Why? Because on other teams, those coaches were specifically hired because of their plan for the QB or other franchise player — and the owner has often been involved in asking those questions. Those coaches know a large part of their job is servicing that player in the eyes of the owner. In New England, the coaches, in this case the very smart Bill O'Brien, know they are servicing an audience of one: Belichick. O'Brien probably has not been giving any marching orders, but he pays attention and knows how Belichick answered questions at the league meetings — O'Brien probably watched the whole session — and is just following Belichick's lead. I doubt there's anything nefarious to the lack of words.

4. Welcome to the neighborhood, Mr. Rodgers. Interesting that the Packers are now in front of the Patriots and not the Jets at 13.

AFC East QB rankings, before we see how Mac Jones does/doesn't flourish with O'Brien:

Josh Allen
Aaron Rodgers
Tua Tagovailoa
Jones

By the end of the season, if something Jetsian/injury-related happens, I could see the optimistic view:

Allen
Jones
Rodgers
Tua

5. Good for Matt Patricia in taking the leap and actually working somewhere else (Eagles), which is a must for real growth. Wish others would take his lead and leave Belichick's bosom. I do find it ironic that Patricia's now working for the team that he helped to their first Super Bowl title with that gameplan in Super Bowl LII.