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The New England Patriots have to be happy about their haul over the first three rounds as they’ve added five quality players to the roster. According to Arif Hasan’s Consensus Big Board, all five players the Patriots selected rank inside the top 77 overall.
Arizona State WR N’Keal Harry ranked 32nd, which is where the Patriots selected him. Vanderbilt CB Joejuan Williams ranked 73rd, but the Patriots took him 45th overall; Michigan DE Chase Winovich ranked 45th, but the Patriots got him 77th overall- so let’s call it a push.
Alabama running back Damien Harris and West Virginia offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste ranked 66th and 77th overall on the consensus big board, and the Patriots selected them 87th and 101st overall. All in all, fantastic value for the Patriots.
But there are still four more rounds in the draft. The Patriots have three selections in the fourth round (118, 133, 134) and four in the seventh round (239, 243, 246, 252).
New England still needs a tight end, they could be interested in another offensive lineman, a quarterback, a defensive tackle, a safety, or a linebacker if the right player is on the board. A double-dip at wide receiver is also on the table, especially with the depth still available.
Here are the top players still on the board.
First Round Prospects (2)
Florida S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson: Gardner was a fringe first round prospect that’s possibly falling due to his performance during team interviews. I would expect the Patriots to be interested the next time they pick.
Iowa State WR Hakeem Butler: Butler was in the running for top receiver in this draft class, but is falling possibly because of concerns about his knee, as well as his high drop rate. If he’s available when the Patriots pick, though, he’d definitely be worth a flier.
Second Round Prospects (6)
Alabama S Deionte Thompson, Iowa S Amani Hooker: Both safeties should come off the board early in the fourth round. Thompson is a centerfielder, while Hooker is a modern safety that lines up everywhere.
Notre Dame CB Julian Love, Penn State CB Amani Oruwariye: Only three cornerbacks came off the board in the third round, so look for these players to come off the board quickly. The Patriots probably won’t be interested since they added Joejuan Williams.
Alabama LB Mack Wilson: Are teams afraid of Alabama linebackers? Of the eight off-the-ball linebackers to be selected thus far, only two have weighed more than Wilson’s 240 pounds (Detroit selected Hawaii LB Jahlani Tavai, Cincinnati selected NC State LB Germaine Pratt). If Wilson is available, maybe the Patriots will stop his fall.
NC State WR Kelvin Harmon: Harmon is a solid receiver prospect, but his falling is simply due to the large number of similarly-skilled receivers in this class.
Third Round Prospects (9)
Minnesota LB Blake Cashman
Miami DT Gerald Willis
Georgia DE D’Andre Walker, Texas DE Charles Omenihu, Iowa DE Anthony Nelson, Alabama DE Christian Miller
Oklahoma OL Dru Samia
Georgia WR Riley Ridley, Missouri WR Emanuel Hall
Fourth Round Prospects (25)
Houston CB Isaiah Johnson
Florida LB Vosean Joseph, Notre Dame LB Te’Von Coney, Notre Dame LB Drue Tranquill
Arizona State DT Renell Wren, Alabama DT Isaiah Buggs, Texas A&M DT Daylon Mack, Texas A&M DT Kingsley Keke
Miami DE Joe Jackson, Eastern Michigan DE Maxx Crosby, Clemson DE Austin Bryant, Oregon DE Justin Hollins
Ohio State OL Michael Jordan, Wisconsin OL David Edwards, Oklahoma OL Ben Powers, Georgia OL Lamont Gaillard
NC State QB Ryan Finley, Buffalo QB Tyree Jackson, Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham
Oklahoma State RB Justice Hill, Oklahoma RB Rodney Anderson, Texas A&M RB Trayveon Williams, Stanford RB Bryce Love
Stanford TE Kaden Smith, Louisiana State TE Foster Moreau