New England Patriots: Five NFL Draft Needs
By Hal Bent
Position: Defensive End
Expected Round to Target Position: Third/Sixth Round
Top Prospects Likely on the Draft Board at that Pick: Jonathan Bullard (Florida), Jihad Ward (Illinois), Emmanuel Ogbah (Oklahoma State), Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State), Carl Nassib (Penn State), Adam Gotsis (Georgia Tech), Bronson Kaufusi (BYU), Charles Tapper (Oklahoma)
Potential Contributors Currently at Position: Chris Long, Jabaal Sheard, Rob Ninkovich, Geneo Grissom, Trey Flowers, Rufus Johnson
Team Needs Overview: The surprise trade of Chandler Jones adds defensive end to the team needs. The Patriots addressed the position last year in the NFL Draft with third and fourth round draft picks Flowers and Grissom. Grissom is basically “Ninkovich Lite” and is being groomed to take his role as a smart, run-stuffing, opportunistic pass rusher on the left side. Flowers and Johnson flashed pass rush skills in training camp and the preseason, but injuries derailed their development.
Sheard and Long will likely share Jones’s right defensive end position in 2016 and attempt to replace his pass rush production. However, both players are expected to be free agents (along with Ninkovich) and Grissom, Flowers and Johnson are all unproven. While the position should be fine in 2016, the future is in question and depth needs to be addressed.
Unfortunately, while there are three or four blue chip prospects at defensive end, the need for pass rushers will have Joey Bosa, DeForest Buckner, and Clemson’s dynamic duo of Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd long gone before New England begins to think about their first draft pick. There is a lot of depth in the middle rounds and it is a position where New England may move up (from sixth round) or down (from third round) to address.
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