Bill Belichick doesn’t always give the New England Patriots fanbase what it desires on draft night.
That’s reflected here in NESN.com’s third 2022 Patriots mock, as we have New England both trading back in the first round — a move that inevitably causes consternation — and using its top pick on a future-focused prospect rather than plugging one of its current roster’s more obvious holes.
You can check out versions 1.0 and 2.0 by clicking here and here. Without further ado:
TRADE: Nos. 21 and 200 overall to Tennessee for Nos. 26 and 90
Round 1, No. 26 overall: OT Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan
A trade-down for an offensive tackle? When the Patriots have more pressing needs elsewhere?
Yep. Sorry.
This certainly would not be a popular outcome among New England supporters, but the Patriots are a team that likes to both accumulate assets and plan for the future at tackle. That’s what they did in 2011, taking Nate Solder 17th overall with Pro Bowl left tackle Matt Light still under contract. (Solder started at right tackle as a rookie before switching sides when Light retired in 2012.)
Like Solder, Raimann is a converted tight end who crushed his combine, testing in the 79th percentile or better in every drill, including 90-plus marks in the short shuttle (91st) and broad jump (98th).
On the field, Raimann excelled despite his relative lack of experience — he only became a tackle two years ago — with Pro Football Focus’s draft guide calling him the “most polished” 2022 prospect at his position and NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein writing that he’s “a much better technician than he should be at this stage.” Zierlein compared the Austrian import to Sebastian Vollmer, who started 80 games for New England from 2009 to 2015.
The Patriots have both of their 2021 starting tackles back after re-signing Trent Brown, but Isaiah Wynn is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and both have been hammered by injuries, missing a combined 55 regular-season games since 2018. Raimann, who still needs to add more mass to his 6-foot-6, 303-pound frame, could be groomed as Wynn’s long-term successor while providing necessary injury insurance.
Now, this isn’t the path we’d recommend for the Patriots — our first two mock drafts had them grabbing first-round cornerbacks Trent McDuffie of Washington and Kaiir Elam of Florida — but it’s one that wouldn’t shock us.
Round 2, No. 54 overall: LB Quay Walker, Georgia
Walker hasn’t received as much attention as Georgia position mate Nakobe Dean, and unlike Dean, he’s not expected to hear his name called on Day 1. But he’s a better fit for what the Patriots traditionally have looked for in their linebackers. At 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, Walker is bigger than the undersized Dean but still would add a much-needed jolt of athleticism to a unit that looked sluggish down the stretch this past season. He should have some positional versatility, too.
The Patriots have begun to piece together their 2022 linebacking corps, re-signing Ja’Whaun Bentley and trading for Mack Wilson, but that remains one of their most glaring areas of need.
Round 3, No. 85 overall: WR Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky
Will the Patriots be turned off by Robinson’s diminutive stature (5-foot-8, 178 pounds)? Perhaps. But he plays bigger than his size, piling up stats in the unrelenting SEC. Robinson caught 104 passes for 1,334 yards and seven touchdowns in his lone season at Kentucky after transferring in from Nebraska.
He’d be a quick, explosive and slippery option for the Patriots in the slot with the potential to be used in more creative ways, as well, as some evaluators believe he can develop into a miniature version of Deebo Samuel.
Round 3, No. 90 overall: OL Cole Strange, Chattanooga
Assuming they plan to move Mike Onwenu back to his natural position of right guard following Shaq Mason’s departure, the Patriots have a gaping hole to the left of starting center David Andrews. Enter Strange, a rare five-year collegiate starter who played the bulk of his snaps at left guard (while also seeing action at left tackle and center).
Strange was a Senior Bowl standout — always a plus for the Patriots — who aced his combine workout, showing superb speed (90th percentile in the 40-yard dash), quickness (90th in short shuttle, 89th in three-cone), explosiveness (99th in broad jump, 83rd in 10-yard split) and strength (86th in bench press) at 6-5, 307.
The Patriots have shown a willingness to start rookies on the O-line (Mason, Onwenu, Joe Thuney, etc.), though Strange will face a larger step up in competition coming from an FCS program.
Round 4, No. 127 overall: CB Zyon McCollum, Sam Houston State
We try to keep things fresh in these mock drafts, but McCollum has been a staple in all three thus far. He just makes that much sense as an early-Day 3 target for the cornerback-needy Patriots.
Another FCS product, McCollum is a 6-foot-2, 199-pound ball hawk with excellent athleticism (most notably his elite 6.48-second three-cone time) who checks plenty of boxes as a college captain and productive special teamer who showcased his skills at the Senior Bowl.
Round 5, No. 170 overall: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis, Alabama
It wouldn’t be a proper Patriots mock draft without an Alabama product. They’ve selected four in the last three drafts and six in the last seven. Armour-Davis was just a one-year starter for Nick Saban’s program, but what he lacks in polish and experience, he makes up for in traits and potential. He has the requisite size for a New England outside corner (6-1, 197), ran a 4.39-second 40 and doesn’t shy from contact as a tackler.
With the Patriots needing to add speed to their cornerback room, Armour-Davis would be a worthwhile project.
Round 6, No. 210 overall: WR Bo Melton, Rutgers
“Bill Belichick loves Rutgers guys” is a well-worn saying, but it’s actually been nearly a decade since the Patriots drafted a Scarlet Knights product (Logan Ryan, Duron Harmon and Steve Beauharnais in 2013). But with longtime Belichick buddy Greg Schiano now back in Piscataway, don’t be surprised if that pipeline starts flowing again.
Melton would be a logical player to restart it. The most productive pass-catcher in three very bad Rutgers offenses, he’s a two-year captain who played in the Senior Bowl, ran well at the combine (4.34-second 40, 6.98-second three-cone) and profiles as an instant contributor on special teams, even if he never develops into a viable offensive weapon.
