2013 NFL Mock Draft: New England Patriots take Robert Woods, Kawann Short

The New England Patriots look ready to take a wide receiver and a defensive player in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and that’s exactly the pairing our friends over at NFL Mocks have the Patriots going in their 2013 NFL Mock Draft previewing today’s second and third rounds. NFL Mocks has done an excellent job covering the 2013 NFL Draft, so please follow the link and check out their full mock.

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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.