Kadlick’s Post-Combine Patriots Mock Draft: Bill O’Brien Reunites With a Familiar Face

Now that the NFL Combine has come to a close, we have a much better idea of where different draft prospects slot and how they compare to the players around them.

Although they were just “shirts and shorts” workouts out on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, scouts are still able to get a solid idea of how these guys will be as professionals, and players start to separate themselves from the pack thanks to both on-field drills and off-field interviews.

The Patriots hold the 14th pick in late April’s draft. Here’s how I think it could potentially fall for the six-time Super Bowl champions after we got some more prospect clarity this weekend:

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Round 1, Pick 14: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR – Ohio State

The Ohio State University product said miss me with your 40-yard dash, I’m just going to knock everything else out of the park instead – and that’s exactly what he did. He arguably made the biggest leap of the weekend.

JSN ran a 6.57s 3-cone drill, a 3.93s short shuttle, and proved in the route running portion of the work out that he’s the perfect player to plug into Bill O’Brien’s “win from the slot” scheme. He’d be a home run pick at 14 if he makes it that far.

TRADE: Round 2, Pick 38: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB – Alabama

TRADE COMP: Patriots get pick 38, Raiders get pick 76 and a 2024 2nd-round pick.

The Patriots trade up to pick 38 with the Raiders and grab Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and boy is it worth it.

Gibbs played with Bill O’Brien at Alabama where they used him out of the backfield as a pass catcher.  The Patriots missed that true passing game threat in 2022 after James White retired, and Gibbs would slide directly into that role.

The 4.44 second 40-yard dash running RB has been compared to Alvin Kamara by many – and rightfully so. His shiftiness in the open field is what allows him to be a mismatch against defenders. Adding Gibbs as an option for Mac Jones out of the backfield would help grease this offenses wheels.

TRADE: Round 2, Pick 46 to AZ Cardinals for DeAndre Hopkins

Here it is, the deal we’ve all been waiting for:

New England sends the 46th overall pick to a close friend, Monti Ossenfort, out in Arizona in exchange for the big-bodied, 5x All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Hopkins, who turns 31 in June, missed seven weeks last season and still dominated the competition in front of him. He played in Bill O’Brien’s system in Houston, and should be able to be a seamless fit into this new Patriots offense. He becomes Mac Jones’ favorite target on day one.

Round 4, Pick 107 (LAR – Michel): Blake Freeland, T – BYU

Speaking of Mac Jones, we need to keep him upright – and what better way to do so than with the most athletic tackle in the class?

Blake Freeland from BYU measured in at 6’8”, 303 pounds and ran a 4.97 40-yard dash. He also set a new NFL Combine record for offensive linemen with a 37″ vertical on Sunday.

He’s raw – but if the Patriots can manage to keep Trent Brown and sign a right tackle in free agency, then Freeland could be a backup for a year until they perfect his technique.

Round 4, Pick 116: Kei’trel Clark, CB – Louisville

Though he’s only 5’10” (and the Patriots currently have a length problem at cornerback) Kei’trel Clark from Louisville plays much bigger than his size on film.

He ran the second fastest 20-yard shuttle at the combine coming in at 4.21 behind only Julius Brents, and also clocked in at 4.42 in the 40-yard dash. If New England likes what they see on tape, they may value speed>size and take a shot at the former Cardinal.

Round 4, Pick 133 (JC Jackson): Owen Pappoe, LB – Auburn

Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe ran the fastest 40-yard dash among linebackers with a 4.39. For a team that’s been yearning for speed at linebacker for what has felt like years now, Pappoe’s athleticism could be just what they need.

New England is set for size at LB with Ja’Whaun Bentley leading the charge in the middle. The Patriots should fawn over Pappoe’s tight 6’0” 225-pound frame. He could be a special teams machine as well.

Round 5, Pick 182 (LV – Stidham): Trey Dean III S – Florida

Trey Dean III’s stock plummeted this weekend after he clocked in the slowest 40 time (4.75s) of all of the defensive backs in Indy. New England may now have Dean right where they want him.

The Patriots worked with the 6’2″ safety at the Shrine Bowl in February – where he won the defensive player of the week and was the defensive MVP in the game itself. If New England liked what they saw in Las Vegas – maybe they look past the lack of speed displayed this weekend.

Round 6, Pick 185 (CAR – Gilmore): Atonio Mafi, G – UCLA

The Patriots should be comfortable with their current interior offensive line in Strange-Andrews-Onwenu.

However, I think they’ll still draft for depth at some point, and Atonio Mafi would make a lot sense. They worked with the UCLA guard at the Shrine Bowl, and by all accounts liked what they saw. He could be a day three target.

Round 6, Pick 208 (Ted Karras): Zack Kuntz, TE – Old Dominion

This is probably the deepest tight end class in NFL history. Darnell Washington, Michael Mayer, and Dalton Kincaid are all likely first round picks – and Luke Musgrave and Sam LaPorta will likely go early on day two.

Instead of pouncing on a TE early, the Patriots wait this thing out and get a unicorn of their own in Zack Kuntz. The 6’7″, 255 pound tight end caught 73 passes for 692 yards and 5 TD in his one healthy season at Old Dominion, and ran a 4.55 40-yard dash on Saturday at the Combine. He was also the tallest player ever to jump 40 inches, and led the way for tight ends on several other tests. He’d immediately become a quality compliment to Henry and Smith.

Round 6, Pick 258 (Brandon Bolden): Dante Stills DT – West Virginia

Speed kills – and Dante Stills from West Virginia is a great example of that.

The 286 pound interior lineman ran a 4.92 40-yard dash with a 1.72 10-yard split, and could wreak havoc in the right system.

In New England, he’d have the opportunity to be a rotational piece behind Lawrence Guy and Christian Barmore. It would make a lot of sense for the former Mountaineer – who could use some time with an NFL strength staff before being an every down player.

Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @PatriotsCLNS for the latest up-to-date Patriots news!