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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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1. Florida State Seminoles defensive end Cornelius “Tank” Carradine would have been one of the top ten draft prospects this year had it not been for an ACL tear he sustained last season, because he has a great blend of speed and strength and had plenty of production before going down with the injury. Carradine visited the Patriots, and he has been mocked a number of times to New England at 29. However, it looks like Carradine has rehabbed himself out of the Patriots range.

Carradine ran a 4.75 forty at his pro day.

2. Tony Pauline reports that there is a 75% chance- citing a source- that the New York Jets trade star cornerback Darrelle Revis to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week, and it’s pretty much a guarantee that Revis is gone. The Bucs and Jets are getting closer to agreeing on the draft picks to be sent to the Jets, and Revis and the Buccaneers already have the financial details down. The highest I would go for Revis is a first-round pick and a conditional draft pick in the later rounds. Now with the Jets netting the 13th pick in the draft, who should they get? Leave your say in the comments.

3. The Kansas City Chiefs gave the Miami Dolphins permission to talk to left tackle Branden Albert, and Mike Jurecki reported yesterday that the Dolphins and Albert were negotiating a contract. In a trade, the Dolphins would send two second-rounders to the Chiefs, and then they would have their new starting left tackle to replace Jake Long. As far as the financial numbers go, expect Albert to get something around what William Beatty received from the New York Giants. Adding Albert would obviously change the Dolphins draft strategy, and I would think that they would try and trade down from the 12th pick instead of trading up for Lane Johnson.

4. Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Markus Wheaton is an ideal pick for the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, because he would give the Patriots a much-needed vertical threat. Wheaton is the best vertical threat in this draft class with his speed and ability to make defenses pay after the catch, and Luke Hughes of NESN provides a good take on Wheaton.

5. Let’s take a look at some 2013 NFL Mock Drafts. NE Patriots Draft is my favorite site for checking out mocks, and this is a link to their most recent mock. In this one, the New England Patriots select Clemson Tigers standout wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and it’s a pick that I am in agreement with. Hopkins can readily produce, and he has No. 1 potential.

6. Now this is great, because it touches on all the draft prospects talked about in this “Rundown” piece. MassLive.com’s excellent beat writer Nick Underhill released his 2013 NFL Mock draft, and he has the Houston Texans taking Hopkins, the Denver Broncos taking Carradine, and then the Patriots snatching Datone Jones off the board. The UCLA Bruins defensive lineman has become a popular pick in mock drafts for the Patriots, and Underhill writes, “New England has a bigger need at wide receiver, but Jones, who can play both on the inside and outside, may be too good to pass.” That’s why Jones is such a popular pick for the Patriots; he can excel as a pass rusher on the edge or on the interior.

7. The Boston Herald’s Jeff Howe has been writing excellent draft breakdowns these days, and he actually broke down Datone Jones yesterday. This piece is well-worth the read, and he talks about how Jones’s interior presence will stamp out a need for the Patriots.

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.