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With the 52nd pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, Don Banks has the New England Patriots selecting SMU Mustangs product Margus Hunt. I always hate how analysts have the Patriots selecting Hunt, and the only thing that I hate more is when the justification states something to the effective “This is SUCH a Patriots move.” Yeah, well why don’t you do that with other teams, huh? Just bother me. I really like Banks’s mock drafts, but I didn’t like how he had the Pats picking Hunt and especially dislike how he reasoned it out.

You know what that means? The Pats will end up taking Hunt, and I’ll end up looking very foolish. I still won’t like the move, but I’ll come to grips with it at some point. Maybe it is a “Patriots move”. Maybe I’m just being too stubborn.

Anyway, he had the Patriots taking Quinton Patton with their second second-round pick, and this is a move I’m in favor of. I think we’ll see the New England Patriots take a wide receiver off the board in the first round, and then they will also take a receiver in the third. Banks writes that the Pats need a vertical threat, and this is true. Patton, however, isn’t a vertical threat in my eyes. He can stretch the field when needed with solid speed, make no mistake, but Patton is so good all-around that he isn’t close to being a true deep threat. Patton doesn’t stand out in one particular aspect of the game, but he is solid at everything. I mean, you will rarely see Patton drop a pass, he does a good job of moving the chains, and he is a very precise route-runner.

If the Patriots want a true deep threat, then the pest vertical threat in this draft is Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Markus Wheaton.

Banks has the New York Jets pulling the trigger on Geno Smith, the Miami Dolphins snapping up Patriots WR target Robert Woods, and the Buffalo Bills wisely picking up Justin Hunter. The Tennessee Volunteers product is a popular mock to the Bills, and he will most likely not fall far enough for the Patriots to take him. Despite my heavy criticism of the Hunt pick, Banks’s mock draft is well-worth reading as we head into the second day of the 2013 NFL Draft.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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The Patriots are in the market for a defensive end, and wide receiver looks to be one of their top needs heading into the 2013 NFL Draft. Let’s talk about Patton a bit to knock out the wide receiver end of things. A few readers of the site have chimed in and stated that they want to see the Pats strengthen the defense in round one, and then take a guy like Patton in the late second-round. And you know what? That sounds like a good plan to me. Patton is a solid, all-around wide receiver who is pretty good at everything and not great at any one thing in particular.

Although Patton does not stretch the field vertically, he can line up inside and outside and is a solid route-runner with good hands. He can also go downfield when needed, so it isn’t like he is some restricted possession receiver either. Patton has off-the-charts intangibles, above-average speed, excellent route-running, and he is a mix between Brandon Lloyd and Reggie Wayne in some scouts’ eyes. The focal point of the offense for Louisiana Tech, Patton is faster than some people give him credit for being. I would definitely be a fan of seeing him in a Patriots uniform after being drafted in the second- hopefully he can last a little longer until there.

Tank Carradine’s visit on Monday is no surprise, as the Pats have been heavily linked to the quality FSU pass rusher. He had an excellent season before tearing his ACL, and Carradine is easily one of the best pass rushers in this draft in terms of talent if you cut out the injury concerns.

UCLA’s Datone Jones is a really intriguing pass rushing prospect, because he has the ability to beat you inside and outside with his mix of quickness and strength. The Bruins received plenty of pressure from Jones, and he has what it takes to threaten for a top 20 pick. I doubt he ends up there, but he will almost certainly be off the board before the second-round (or, at least, very early in the second) due to his pass rushing prowess and large amount of workouts in the pre-draft process. If the Patriots don’t take Jones, then I bet the Atlanta Falcons will snap him up.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.

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Woods, per a scout who spoke to The Times, is “an ideal slot guy” in this league, and I completely agree with him. At USC, Woods developed an innate hook-up on short and intermediate routes with Matt Barkley, who is also proficient in that range. I think Woods will be a very good slot receiver at the pro-level, but the fact that he is mainly a slot guy doesn’t make him an ideal fit for the New England Patriots now that the Pats and Wes Welker are making significant progress in contract talks.

I am expecting them to go after a wide receiver who is more of a true No. 1 guy and can stretch the field- a wide receiver who is more of a playmaker. Tennessee Volunteers WR Cordarrelle Patterson can be that guy, but I doubt he slips to the Patriots with the 29th pick and I think he is an overrated player. Patterson is not the best wideout in this class- Allen is- and he is starting to get grossly overrated. I love his speed and athleticism, but he can’t run routes and has iffy hands. Those are the two most important things for a wide receiver, and I think what receivers do before the catch is much more important than what they do after it. The latter is important, but it gets overrated in pre-draft talk.

Patterson might not be a good fit for the New England Patriots due to questions over his intelligence, and the Pats playbook is one of the most difficult to get down. A scout praised his playmaking ability but also showed concerns about his intelligence, “He’s explosive. He’s dynamic. He runs consistent 4.4s, I’m just not sure how smart he is. You’re going to have to keep it simple for him. But the kid is really dynamic.”

I would still keep him on the Pats radar, though, due to his playmaking ability.

The Times also received information from a scout on Louisiana Tech wide receiver Quinton Patton, who would be a nice pick for the Patriots in the second round, if he falls to them there (I am not sold on him being a first-rounder).

Neither is the scout, who called Patton a JAG, ”I’m not a big fan. The best he’s going to be is a No. 3 for you, if that.”

Patton gets underrated not because he comes from a smaller school, but because he is another wide receiver whose best  ability comes before the catch as opposed to after it. He is one of those wideouts who gets underrated in the draft process, because he is solid at everything but doesn’t stand out in any one aspect. Patton is a safe pick, and he is somebody who could be a solid, No. 2 wide receiver by moving the chains and occasionally going deep and making a play. I would definitely keep him on the Patriots radar.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.