New England Patriots select Ben Banogu in Todd McShay’s first mock draft
By Nick Ziegler
With the NFL season coming to a close, organizations will be taking a look ahead toward the NFL Draft. Who does Todd McShay have the New England Patriots taking in his first mock draft?
While there is still awhile between now and the NFL Draft for the New England Patriots, the organization is always looking at players that they might be interested in come draft day.
As of now, the Patriots do have their first-round pick. Last season, the Patriots ended up trading that pick to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for wide receiver, Brandin Cooks. So far, the deal has worked out for New England, as Cooks has had a very nice season.
As we head toward the 2018 NFL Draft, the Patriots are likely going to have more picks than they did last season due to a few trades during the year. The Patriots are certainly hoping that they will be back in the Super Bowl this season, but that won’t stop them from looking ahead to next season.
Recently, Todd McShay of ESPN.com released his first mock draft. While the placing and players will change before the real draft, he had the Patriots selecting Ben Banogu from TCU with the 30th overall pick. Here’s what he had to say about Banogu.
"Bill Belichick loves to collect versatile edge defenders, and Banogu fits the bill. A former transfer from Louisiana Monroe, he didn’t get much national attention this season but was always around the ball on the tapes I studied and was highly productive (15.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks)."
Banogu would certainly provide the Patriots with some versatility on defense, like as McShay mentioned, Belichick likes to have. This season, we have seen the Patriots have to plug in players due to injuries in spots that they might not be accustomed to. Also, their front-seven could certainly use some help and depth.
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At TCU, Banogu had a very solid season. After coming from Louisiana-Monroe, Banogu totaled 8.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss this season. While things will almost certainly change between now and the NFL Draft, Banogu will be a name to keep an eye on for the Patriots with their first-round pick.