New England Patriots: Post-NFL Draft AFC East Power Rankings

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Apr 3, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; (From right to left) New England Patriots eco Robert Kraft, tight end Rob Gronkowski, quarterback Tom Brady, running back James White, and running back Dion Lewis hold Super Bowl trophies prior to the Opening Day game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

1.) New England Patriots

Despite only having four picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Patriots are still top dog in the AFC East as expected. Due to trades, the Patriots weren’t on the clock until the third round of the NFL Draft. However, they were able to fill some needs with the four picks they did make.

With their first pick, the Patriots took defensive end Derek Rivers. With Rob Ninkovich likely playing his final season with the Patriots in 2017, Rivers should be his replacement in 2018, or possibly at some point during the season.

In addition to thinking toward the future with the Rivers selection, the Patriots also did that when they drafted tackle Antonio Garcia with their second pick in the third round. Garcia comes from a small college of Troy, but he was an excellent pass blocker in college. With Nate Solder being a free agent at the end of the season, Garcia could very well be the starting left tackle for the Patriots in 2018.

Next: Post-Draft veterans the Pats could sign

Even though the Patriots didn’t add a lot of players in the NFL Draft, they used their draft picks to fill holes on their team. Unless something crazy happens between now and the start of the season, the Patriots appear to have a strong grip on the AFC East.

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