The Patriots selected a defensive player with their first selection in 11 of their last 14 drafts.
ESPN’s Todd McShay believes New England will continue that trend next spring.
McShay on Wednesday published a very early 2021 NFL Mock Draft, which tabs the Patriots the 26th overall pick based on ESPN’s Football Power Index. While McShay could see New England looking at quarterback in the first round next year, he currently has Bill Belichick and Co. addressing their linebacker corps in the form of Alabama linebacker Dylan Moses.
“If there were a QB who made sense at this stage in the draft, the Patriots would probably look there. At this point, there isn’t one, as my Nos. 4 and 5 quarterbacks — Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond and Iowa State’s Brock Purdy — are well down the board,” McShay wrote for ESPN.com. “But there is a linebacker (two, actually, with LSU’s Jabril Cox also available) here who would go a long way toward providing the middle of the defense a QB of its own. Moses missed last season with a knee injury, but when he’s healthy, he is a complete player and game-changer. He brings athleticism, speed, physicality and leadership qualities. Dont’a Hightower, who already opted out of 2020, will be a free agent after the 2021 season, and the ‘backer corps already lost Jamie Collins Sr. and Elandon Roberts to the open market.”
Of course, it remains to be seen if Moses will be able to play his senior season with the Crimson Tide. Two Power Five conferences — the Big Ten and the Pac 12 — reportedly have canceled their fall football seasons, and the SEC ultimately might have no other choice than to follow suit.
