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With the 52nd pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, NFL Mocks has the New England Patriots taking USC Trojans wide receiver Robert Woods. If he falls to the Patriots just outside of the top 50, then I have nothing against picking him up. Woods is one of the most steady wide receivers in this draft, and he would be a great deal for the Patriots at 52. Woods has solid hands, is an excellent route-runner, and he does a good job of generating yards after the catch. The USC star has been referred to by some as the perfect West Coast Offense wide receiver, but Woods’s ability to move the chains and be a possession receiver is a welcome addition to any NFL offense.

The Patriots second pick in the second round is dedicated to the defensive side of the ball, as NFL Mocks has the New England Patriots snapping Kawann Short off the board. If the Purdue Boilermakers star is able to fall to the Patriots at the near-end of the second round, then he would be an absolute steal for the Pats. They did sign Armond Armstead and Tommy Kelly this offseason, but the Patriots could use the solid, pass rushing DT to help fortify the position. More importantly, Short would be the best player on the board (with the exception of Markus Wheaton, who went in the early third, but the Patriots already took a wideout).

I have no issues with either of these two picks, although I would have went with the pairing of Tank Carradine and Markus Wheaton. To me, that’s the more dynamic duo, and I absolutely love Carradine. He ended up going at 58 to the Denver Broncos in this mock; I don’t see him lasting that long.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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Sanchez isn’t the only person who has the Patriots getting Short in his mock draft, as several draft analysts are also tabbing Short as the Pats pick in the first round. Short would give the Patriots another pass rushing presence on the interior of the defensive line, and he has a high motor and would slot in as a DT in the rotation.

This mock draft was created before the New England Patriots signed Tommy Kelly, but there are still people who think the Pats will draft a DT. If they do, I highly doubt it will be in the first round. Short is a solid prospect who could still help the Pats even with Kelly in the fold, but I just think the Pats are done at DT with new additions in Armstead and Kelly. In my opinion, at least one of them will pan out and do their job for the Pats in generating pressure.

At this point in time, the Patriots are better off getting a wide receiver or cornerback. Of the players who fell beyond the Pats to the final three teams in the 2013 NFL Draft, Clemson Tigers wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins makes the most sense for the Pats. In fact, I would love to add Hopkins, as he has the talent to be a No. 1 wide receiver and could be a big help to the Pats. Even if the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t match the offer sheet for Emmanuel Sanders, I still think the Patriots will want to draft a wideout. The Pats also seem poised to go the “best available” route, and Hopkins looks like the best available prospect to me. Sanchez, by the way, had him going to the Baltimore Ravens with the final pick in the first round.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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This week, Josh Hill had the New England Patriots taking Desmond Trufant of the Washington Huskies, and that would be a great pick there. Trufant quelled speed concerns with a great 2013 NFL Combine, and he has been rising on draft boards for the past month. That’s why I highly doubt Trufant will be available at pick #29, but I do think that some people have him going too high.

The Patriots could definitely take a cornerback, and I sure as heck wouldn’t mind picking Trufant there. However, the most likely corner the Pats will take there is Mississippi State’s Johnthan Banks, who has reportedly drawn interest from the Patriots. Banks is another bigger corner, but he has significant speed concerns despite getting burned less in college. I actually think Trufant and Banks are about even, but I know that Trufant will be selected higher.

The three prospects selected behind the Patriots in the first round of this mock draft were Sam Montgomery, Sylvester Williams, and Alec Ogeltree. Of those three, Williams is the best fit since the Pats need an interior pass rusher, but he probably won’t be selected in the first round. We’ll see about that, but I do actually like Williams more than Purdue’s Kawann Short, who was picked by the Denver Broncos one spot before the Pats. If this team does somehow end up with a chance to pick Trufant, I would be fine with the pick.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.