With the NFL draft days away, the editors of NFL FanSided put together one final mock draft before we get into the real stuff. I made the pick for the Patriots, and with how the board shook out, I went with defensive tackle Jordan Phillips out of Oklahoma.
(Quoting your owns words is bucket list stuff, by the way)
"Is this a reach? Probably. Phillips is ranked as the 50th overall prospect on CBS Sports’ big board, and if New England were put in this position on draft day, I think they would trade out. But Phillip is a very talented interior lineman, and with some development, he could be an every down starter for this team in the future. He is versatile, as he can anchor a run defense, but also get after the quarterback. The combination of him and Dominique Easley in the middle could be extremely dangerous for the Pats going forward. I personally feel like Easley is New England’s true number one pick this year, because he was essentially red-shirted last year, and he has the potential to be Michael Bennett-like with his impact up the middle."
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I hated how this mock draft went, because all the players I wanted to fall to New England kept getting snatched up. Whether it was Cameron Erving, Eddie Goldman, Ark Armstead, or Marcus Peters (more of a dream at this point), they all were gone by the time the Patriots were on the clock. So as I said, the Phillips pick is a bit of a reach, but since there were no trades allowed in this mock, I had to make a choice.
Phillips is a talented prospect, but he is a project, and won’t be the complete package he has the potential to be for a few years. He will help in his first year, but in a limited fashion.