New England Patriots 7 Round Mock Draft 1.0

Oct 19, 2013; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Troy Niklas (85) catches a pass in the second quarter against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sport

Round Two, Pick 62: Troy Niklas (TE, Notre Dame)

Time for the Patriots to address that gaping tight end hole, that has been left open ever since you know who ruined a great thing. Troy Niklas might not be the athlete that Hernandez was, but he’s a fantastic pass catcher, and a huge body that you can pair with Rob Gronkowski. Standing at 6’6 and a very solid 270 pounds, he’s able to create his own space much like Gronk, and while he’s not a great route runner, he makes up for it with an excellent pair of hands. The final thing that he brings is phenomenal blocking, something you know that the Patriots will value highly.

Other Options: TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, DT Dominique Easley, DE Scott Crichton