2013 NFL Mock Draft: New England Patriots take Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Markus Wheaton

Now that the New England Patriots traded away their first-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for four draft picks later on in the 2013 NFL Draft, it is time to take a look at potential scenarios for the Patriots in the second round. Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston wrote up a quick mock draft for the second round, and he has the Patriots taking Connecticut Huskies cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson with the first second-round choice and Oregon State’s Markus Wheaton with the second pick.

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The Patriots two biggest needs in the draft seem to be at wide receiver and cornerback, so it is certainly good for the Patriots to snag a guy at each position. Wreh-Wilson was the pick for the Pats with Johnthan Banks already off the board in Reiss’s mock draft, and Jamar Taylor was also snapped up early in the second round. Wreh-Wilson has excellent length and more than adequate speed, but he has poor ball skills and looks like a CB who can only have considerable success in zone coverage. He’s not your traditional Pats corner in that sense, but he does have the type of length the Pats like. I don’t know if the Pats take into consideration that he’s a local prospect, but maybe that has helped seeing how the Pats have a better handle on Wreh-Wilson and would know how to use him best.

Reiss’s selection of Wheaton to the Patriots was interesting, because he decided to take Wheaton over Keenan Allen. He has Allen falling all the way down the final pick in the second round, and I highly doubt that ends up happening. If it does, then the Baltimore Ravens need to be extremely thankful.

Allen’s draft stock has fallen far too hard, especially since he is at the very least one of the best three wide receivers in this draft class. I like Wheaton and view him as the best vertical threat in this draft, but there is no doubt in my mind that Allen is the better player. He has way better hands, runs much cleaner routes, and he has the versatility to play in the slot and on the outside. That seems to be a trait that the Patriots are putting more weight on these days.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.