Patriots Predicted To Draft Award-Winning 27-Sack Pass Rusher To Bolster Defense
An NFL writer predicted the New England Patriots would draft an award-winning pass rusher who had 27 career sacks in college.
Patriots Predicted To Draft Award-Winning 27-Sack Pass Rusher To Bolster Defense originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Patriots could make a wise move by selecting a defensive end in the first round of this year's NFL draft, and ESPN's Jordan Reid has a specific player in mind.
On Thursday, ESPN rolled out a three-round mock draft featuring insights from its draft analysts, Mel Kiper Jr. , Matt Miller, Field Yates and Reid. The analysts took turns making picks , and Reid selected Texas A&M’s pass rusher, Cashius Howell, at No.
31. "The Patriots must keep adding quality pass rushers -- they had 35 sacks last season, tied for 22nd in the league -- and Howell is an explosive pressure generator who can close on QBs in a hurry," Reid wrote. Howell played five seasons of college football, spending his first three years at Bowling Green before transferring to Texas A&M.
He was a key contributor to Texas A&M's playoff run last season and earned the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award for his outstanding performance. If the Patriots can add Howell, he could make an immediate impact, given his 56 college games and 27 sacks. New England could go in a handful of different directions with a first-round pick, but if Howell is the choice, many Patriots should be happy with the upside he could bring.