One New Mock Draft Has The Patriots Getting An Electric Talent In The First Round
BOSTON (CBS) -- We are knee deep in Mock Draft Season, with the mocks flying left and right at every turn. If you're not careful, you might catch a mock draft right in the kisser. You simply have to keep your head on a swivel during Mock Draft Season.
There's one new mock draft in particular that ought to perk up some ears around New England, and it comes from CBSSports.com's Ryan Wilson. It's a three-round mock, and it has the Patriots taking tight end Pat Freiermuth out of Penn State in the second round. That, though, isn't the overly exciting pick.
That honor belongs to the player that Wilson has the Patriots pouncing on at No. 15 overall: Devonta Smith.
That's a name that even the most casual of college football fans knows well, as Smith took home the Heisman Trophy for his dominant 2020 season for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Smith caught 117 passes for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns, and he was utterly unstoppable in the National Championship Game, catching 12 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns vs. Ohio State, despite suffering a finger injury that kept him off the field for almost all of the second half.
Smith had an exceptional junior season, too, catching 68 passes for 1,256 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Normally, such a player would not be available with the 15th pick of the NFL Draft. And Smith may not be, either. Yet Wilson indicated that there is a chance.
"Smith is one of the best WRs in this draft class. His size and durability concerns could be what sees him last until the middle of the first round, even if he's a deserved top-10 pick," Wilson wrote.
In this particular mock draft, LSU receiver Ja'Marr Chase went third overall to the Dolphins, with Alabama's Jaylen Waddle going 11th overall to the Giants.
Of course, even if the Patriots manage to get the most exciting pass catcher in the draft, there's still a massive question as to who will actually be throwing passes to that receiver. In this mock, Trevor Lawrence goes to the Jaguars at No. 1 overall, Zach Wilson goes to the Jets one pick later, Justin Fields goes to the Eagles, Mac Jones goes to the Panthers, and Trey Lance goes to the 49ers, all before the Patriots get a crack at the draft board.
As with all mock drafts, this one is merely an exercise. But in New England, where there hasn't been a whole lot to get excited about in terms of offensive skill positions, this one provides something to get the juices flowing.