FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots don’t have a first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, but that shouldn’t prohibit them from being able to find quality players on Day 2 and beyond.
“The reality is there’s depth across all positions,” Patriots director of personnel Nick Caserio said at a pre-draft press conference Tuesday at Gillette Stadium.
“Everybody always looks for one position of strength, where is the draft is deep. There’s depth throughout the entire draft. You can really find players from Round 1 through 7. Other teams have done it. We’ve done it through the years.”
The depth of 2016 NFL draft class is pretty strong on defense, particularly among edge rushers and interior lineman. We could see two defensive ends go in the top five, most likely Ohio State’s Joey Bosa and Oregon’s DeForest Buckner. Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson could be a top-10 selection, as well.
This is good news for the Patriots, who might be inclined to take a defensive lineman after releasing 2014 first-round pick Dominique Easley last week.
From an offensive perspective, the quarterback class projects to be good. The Los Angeles Rams could select North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz or California’s Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick. Memphis’ Paxton Lynch should also be a first-rounder, and Michigan State’s Connor Cook could be a good gamble in the second or third round.
Running back is a different story, though, with Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott as the only high-end prospect on the board. Alabama star and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry could move into Round 1, but outside of him and Elliott, teams would be wise to use their first-round selection on another position.
The Patriots don’t really need to take a running back in the first few rounds. Dion Lewis is returning from a knee injury, LeGarrette Blount was re-signed, and Brandon Bolden, Donald Brown and James White already are on the roster.
Regardless of need, Caserio is confident New England can find serviceable players at any position, and the team currently has 11 picks to play with.
“At every position, you’re going to find good football players, top to bottom,” Caserio said. “It’s just a matter of assigning your value to that player, what you think that player’s role will be for us specifically, and then incorporating that into our program.”
Thumbnail photo via Jerry Lai/USA TODAY Sports Images
