Positional Guide For Patriots' Perfect 3-Round Draft

Positional Guide For Patriots' Perfect 3-Round Draft originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The New England Patriots went further than anyone expected in the first year under head coach Mike Vrabel.

However, heading into year two, the road will be tougher, and expectations will be higher. The team needs to ace the NFL Draft that kicks off next Thursday once again, and here’s how they can do it. Round 1: 31 Overall It’s going to be a spoil of riches at the end of the first round, with the Patriots having their choice of a few big-name wide receivers and a handful of day one starters at edge rusher.

Due to the lack of depth on the edge and abundance of depth at wideout, the Patriots should select a pass rusher here. Now, which pass rusher is up to the judgment of the front office. There is no shortage of excellent options.

Round 2: 63 Overall Now is where this wide receiver class shines. The Patriots won’t pick again for 32 selections, so no player is off the table. If they have a higher grade on Elijah Sarratt or Ted Hurst, who each have a consensus rating below guys like Chris Bell and Bryce Lance, then they should not be afraid to “reach” on their guy.