As the draft approaches and official visits are out of the way, we know many players the Patriots have had contact with in the 2013 class, but that doesn’t always matter with New England.
With little action left in free agency, the team’s needs are clearer, and there are likely only four or five positions the team should be picking from in the first two rounds. The Patriots have holes at cornerback, wide receiver, linebacker and defensive end. They could also opt for a guard or defensive tackle in those spots, but the right players would have to drop for that to happen.
In our seven-round Patriots mock draft, New England takes cornerback Jamar Taylor out of Boise State with the No. 29 overall pick. Taylor is one of the best press-man corners in the draft, and could fill in for Alfonzo Dennard or Aqib Talib in an instant. With a one-year deal for Talib, Taylor could play as a reserve for a year before taking over as a starter if Talib can’t be re-signed.
Currently, Ras-I Dowling would likely be the Patriots’ backup outside cornerback, and with the third-year player’s fragility, that may not be a great idea. We also have the Patriots taking a couple big wide receivers, an athletic defensive tackle and — of course — a tight end. Check out who we selected for the Patriots in our latest New England mock draft.
