Bill Belichick, Sean Payton Attend Ohio State Pro Day
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- If you needed any more evidence that Bill Belichick is expecting to have at least one pick in the early rounds of April's NFL Draft, here's another hint.
Belichick attended Ohio State's Pro Day on Thursday, along with - dun dun dunnnn! - New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. David Jablonski of the Dayton Daily News snapped a photo of the trio looking on at the event, among many others:
It's no surprise that Belichick is making the rounds at another Pro Day, especially for a top-notch football program like Ohio State. But the eyebrow-raiser, here, is that most of the school's NFL Draft prospects have a good chance to be selected in the first two rounds.
The NFL Draft prospect rankings at CBS Sports lists 10 players, five of which are expected to be selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, which starts April 27 in Philadelphia. Another is projected for rounds 2-3. As of right now, the Patriots' earliest draft pick is in the third round at No. 72.
SEE ALSO: Bill Belichick Spotted Scouting First-Round NFL Draft Prospect
Two of Ohio State's top draft prospects, cornerback Marshon Lattimore and safety Malik Hooker, are widely expected to be selected high in the first round, so it's unlikely that they would be available to the Patriots even if they did get their No. 32 pick back from the Saints. But prospects like corner Gareon Conley, inside linebacker Raekwon McMillan, and wideout Curtis Samuel could be of interest to Belichick if he can get back into the second round.
What is Belichick doing at the Ohio State Pro Day if he's not planning on being in a position to take one of the top prospects? It's highly unlikely he made the trek all the way to Columbus to scout the likes of punter Cameron Johnston or receivers Corey Smith and Dontre Wilson, whom CBS Sports projects to go undrafted.
Perhaps Belichick is just doing his due diligence to know what kind of players could be available to him down the road. But whether it's through a trade of Malcolm Butler or perhaps a surprise move (Gronk?), it appears that Belichick could be planning on having a first and/or second-round pick in the draft.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
