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New England Patriots select cornerback at 23 in recent FanSided mock draft

By Nick Ziegler

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 05: Central Florida defensive back Mike Hughes (DB15) runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 05: Central Florida defensive back Mike Hughes (DB15) runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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FanSided released their most recent mock draft with the big day coming soon. Who did they have the New England Patriots select at 23?

With the NFL Draft closing in, the New England Patriots are preparing for what will be a busy few days. As of now, the Patriots have two picks in the first round, which means that it could be a busy night for New England.

Due to a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the Patriots acquired the 23rd overall pick from Los Angeles in exchange for Brandin Cooks. Since Cooks was in the final year of his contract, seeing the Patriots trade him wasn’t too shocking. However, getting a first-round pick in return for him was, as this could be a valuable asset for the Patriots.

Recently, FanSided released their most recent mock draft. In the mock draft, they had had the Patriots bolstering their secondary by selecting Mike Hughes from UCF.

This offseason, the Patriots ended up losing cornerback Malcolm Butler as expected. After benching him in the Super Bowl, it became obvious that the Patriots weren’t going to be bringing him back, and they didn’t.

To replace him, the Patriots added cornerback Jason McCourty. As the twin brother of Patriots safety Devin McCourty, Jason will help replace Butler. Even though they did add McCourty, the Patriots do still need some depth in their secondary.

As shown against the Eagles in the Super Bowl, the Patriots really struggled against the pass beside for Stephon Gilmore. The addition of Hughes would help give New England some needed depth in the secondary.

Next: 4 Players to target with 23rd overall pick

While secondary is certainly a need, the Patriots could also go in a few other directions with this pick. Quarterback is certainly going to have to be addressed rather early in the draft for New England, and they also might look to add a tackle in the first round. With the draft getting closer, it will be interesting to see what type of direction that the Patriots go in with the first of their two first-round picks.

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