New England Patriots: Bold Predictions for the NFL Draft – 5 of 5 (Wide Receiver)
By Hal Bent
Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of the videobaord after the New England Patriots won Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
The 2015 NFL Draft is just a day away and sometime between 11:30PM and midnight on Thursday the New England Patriots will be on the clock. The mock drafts have been plentiful and whether New England trades down, grabs a big defensive tackle, looks to pick-up Shane Vereen’s replacement, or looks for interior offensive line help one thing for certain about Bill Belichick and the New England front office is that they will keep the NFL Draft analysts guessing.
Feb 1, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski hoists the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Patriots have traditionally used their top picks in the NFL Draft to find key contributors on both sides of the ball in recent seasons and maintain the pipeline of talent. These draft picks such as Devin McCourty and Rob Gronkowski (2010), Nate Solder, Stevan Ridley, and Vereen (2011), Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower (2012) and Jamie Collins (2013) have become the strength of a team that went to two Super Bowls and four AFC Championship games in the past four season.
What can one expect from the 2015 NFL Draft from the Patriots? Based on their recent draft history there are tea leaves to be read.
Initially, the bold predictions began with “Expect the Patriots to Move Down and Accumulate Future Draft Picks”. The second of five bold predictions was “Vince Wilfork’s Replacement is not Coming From this Draft”; third was “New England Will NOT Take a Running Back in the Draft”; and fourth was “The Patriots Will Draft at Least Two if Not Three Offensive Linemen”. Now, here is the fifth and final prediction about what the New England Patriots will (or won’t do) in the 2015 NFL Draft:
Next: The Final Bold Prediction