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5 players Patriots should target in 2016 NFL Draft

By Connor Fulton

Nov 7, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back C.J. Prosise (20) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Notre Dame won 42-30. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 7, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back C.J. Prosise (20) runs the ball against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Notre Dame won 42-30. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Scooby Wright III
Sep 26, 2015; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Scooby Wright III (33) during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Arizona Stadium. UCLA won 56-30. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Scooby Wright III

The uncertain future of Jerod Mayo puts the Patriots in a position of need at the inside linebacker position entering the 2016 NFL Draft. The depth behind stars Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins leaves something to be desired; an upgrade over the likes of Jonathan Freeny, Jon Bostic, Darius Fleming and Dekoda Watson is certainly possible.

Unheralded out of high school, Wright surpassed expectations as a freshman at Arizona before breaking out on the national stage as a sophomore in 2014. That year, he earned the Bednarik, Lombardi and Nagurski awards after producing 163 tackles, 29 tackles for loss (which led the country), six forced fumbles (tied for most in the nation) and 14.5 sacks (which led all linebackers).

10 Most valuable players from Patriots’ 2015 regular season

2015 was a bit of a bummer for Wright, as a torn left meniscus limited him to just three games. He’s riding the wave of that outstanding sophomore season into the 2016 NFL Draft, forgoing a senior season at Arizona.

It’s hard to think of a better fit behind Hightower and Collins in the 2016 linebacker class than Wright. It also doesn’t hurt that he has an awesome name.

Next: 10 Long-term positives from Patriots’ 2015 season

Keep these five names in mind as we get closer to the 2016 NFL Draft.

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