Pair of mock drafts have Patriots taking a pass rusher and a high upside skill player

In what has become an increasing rarity in recent years, I’ve found a pair of mock drafts that include the New England Patriots. Since the Patriots don’t have a first or second round pick, they’re usually excluded, but some intrepid draftniks have made three-round mocks, where the Patriots have two selections.

Both of these mock drafts have the Patriots taking a pass rusher, while one has the Patriots adding a receiver and the other has New England selecting a defensive back.

Here’s one mock draft by NFL Draft Analyst Tony Pauline:

72. New England: Daeshon Hall/DE/Texas A&M

96. New England: Amara Darboh/WR/Michigan

Hall is a bigger edge defender that stands at 6’5, 266 pounds and his closest physical comparable is former Patriots EDGE Chandler Jones. He benefit from playing across from unanimous #1 prospect EDGE Myles Garrett, but offers serious potential of his own. Hall is stout on the edge and he shows an ability to get into the pocket and disrupt passing plays, although he needs much more polish as a player.

Darboh 6’2, 215 pound receiver that plays inside and outside on formations. He has a fast 4.45s 40 yard dash and quick 6.81s three cone and it shows up on tape. Darboh has strong hands and accounted for 31.3% of Michigan’s passing yards in a pro style offense. There is a question of where Darboh fits in the Patriots wide receiver depth chart, but there’s no question about his talent.

Another draft by Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo has the Patriots adding two different players to the roster.

72. Tedric Thompson, S, Colorado

New England adds another safety to the mix, and Thompson fits the Patriots’ style, as he’s capable of filling multiple roles, including playing the slot. He won the PFF College award for the nation’s best coverage defender after tying for the lead among safeties with seven interceptions. (Thompson also recorded the third-most pass breakups, with seven.)

96. Ryan Anderson, Edge, Alabama

It’s hard to argue with Anderson’s pass-rush production the last three years, as he’s accumulated 22 sacks, 27 QB hits, and 80 hurries on 703 rushes, but he lacks an ideal position fit at the next level. New England will find a way to use him as a pass-rusher while setting the edge on early downs in the run game, where he consistently moved SEC blockers into the backfield.

Thompson has 31 disruptions (forced fumbles, interceptions, pass break-ups) over the past two seasons, which ranks towards the top of the current draft class. Thompson isn’t the most athletic player at 6’0, 204 pounds, but neither was Duron Harmon and he’s been a mainstay in the Patriots secondary.

Anderson is a curious addition because he has a “misdemeanor third-degree domestic violence” charge for apparently kicking another student’s vehicle. PFF touts Anderson as a player that might not always win his one-on-one battles, but one that will rarely lose, often playing his competition to a standstill.