NFL Draft Expert Has Patriots Taking This Player In Round 1

So, which player — if any — will the New England Patriots select with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft?

A few weeks ago, NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah predicted the Patriots would select Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons with the 15th pick. The prediction made sense, as New England desperately needs more athleticism and, frankly, talent in its linebacking corps.

But in his second mock draft, published Tuesday morning, Jeremiah instead had Parsons going to the Detroit Lions at the No. 7 spot. He now believes the Patriots will draft South Carolina cornerback Jaycee Horn with the 15th pick.

Here’s Jeremiah’s rationale:

“There’s been a lot of scuttlebutt about the Patriots potentially trading Stephon Gilmore, whose contract expires after the 2021 season. In this scenario, New England looks to his alma mater to find the player who’ll replace him.”

And here are some of Horn’s collegiate highlights:

By the way, Jeremiah also predicted the Minnesota Vikings will draft Alabama receiver (and Heisman Trophy winner) DeVonta Smith with the No. 14 pick. Obviously, that would be a major kick in the teeth for Patriots fans clamoring for New England to add pass-catching talent.

Additionally, Jeremiah has Crimson Tide quarterback Mac Jones going to the New Orleans Saints at No. 28. So, he apparently doesn’t believe that New England views Jones as a quarterback worthy of a mid-first-round selection.

Of course, mock drafting is an imperfect science and just might be the biggest crapshoot in all of sports. Nobody really knows what teams outside the top three will do this far ahead of the draft.

Nevertheless, it’s fun to talk about, especially when the Patriots have so many holes on their roster. For what it’s worth, New England reportedly recently met with a tight end prospect, albeit one who many expect to hear his name called on Day 3 of the draft.