The Patriots likely harvest no qualms about selecting N’Keal Harry with their first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but what if things played out differently this past spring?
ESPN recently tasked each of its 32 NFL reporters with taking part in a 2019 re-draft, where players now can be selected with the benefit of hindsight. For the Patriots, a player who would have filled a major need fell right into their lap at No. 32: tight end Noah Fant, who the Denver Broncos selected with the 20th overall pick.
“The Patriots knew it would be difficult to replace Rob Gronkowski but might have even underestimated how challenging it would be,” Mike Reiss wrote. “Fant, who caught 40 passes for 562 yards and three touchdowns in Denver, would have immediately shot to the top of their depth chart, opening up possibilities that weren’t there for them otherwise.”
Considering New England elected not to truly address the tight end position in the most recent draft, it wouldn’t be surprising if the franchise made it a priority in late April given what it received from its trio of TEs this past season. In fact, at least one mock draft has the Patriots selecting one of the nation’s top tight end prospects with the 23rd overall pick.
