Daniel Jeremiah’s been a bit all over the place with his Patriots mock draft predictions.
In his first mock, the NFL.com draft expert predicted New England to use the 14th overall selection on versatile Alabama defensive back Brian Branch. He then targeted cornerback Christian Gonzalez and running back Bijan Robinson in his second and third mocks, respectively.
Well, Jeremiah shifted gears again in his final mock draft, which was published Wednesday. He now believes the Patriots will select versatile Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, whom New England met with during the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
“Some players just feel like New England Patriots,” Jeremiah wrote. “Van Ness is one of them. Smart, physical and tough.”
Van Ness is viewed as one of the top defensive prospects in the draft. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound edge rusher is coming off a stellar season in which he racked up 38 tackles, including 11 for a loss, and 13.5 sacks for the Hawkeyes.
Here’s what The Athletic’s Dan Brugler wrote of Van Ness in his massive draft guide:
“Coming off the bench at Iowa, Van Ness was primarily an edge rusher in defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s four-man front, but he also saw significant snaps inside over the B-gap. The Iowa coaches reward seniority, so John Waggoner and Joe Evans started at defensive end last season, but Van Ness had more defensive snaps than either and led the Hawkeyes in tackles for loss and sacks. Regardless of alignment, Van Ness has high-end tools with his length and play strength, which allow him to wear down blockers as a pass rusher or stack, locate and play off blocks in the run game. A hockey player most of his life, he credits his time on the ice for developing his balance, urgent play style and competitive toughness. Overall, Van Ness needs coached up with his pass-rush construction and overall pacing, but he is an ascending player and competes like a grizzly bear with his fierce power and explosive twitch. He has the upside of an impactful NFL starter with inside/outside versatility, regardless of scheme.”
The 2023 NFL Draft is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday. You can click here our final mock draft.
