Patriots Predicted To Reach For SEC Standout On Night One Of NFL Draft
An NFL writer suggested that the New England Patriots should consider selecting a standout player from the SEC in the first round of the draft.
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com's Chad Reuter recently published a seven-round mock draft, indicating that the Patriots are poised to make an exciting selection with their 31st pick. Reuter predicted that New England will choose Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers. "I won't be surprised if a team selects Stowers in Round 1, given his athletic profile, which reminds me of past first-round TEs Noah Fant and Evan Engram," Reuter wrote on Friday.
"The Patriots could use a receiving tight end to replace Austin Hooper. " If the Patriots select Stowers at No. 31, it will raise eyebrows, as many draft analysts do not even have him in their top 50.
The Athletic's Dane Brugler released his draft guide, "The Beast," on April 8, ranking Stowers as the 63rd overall player in the draft. "Stowers will need to prove himself as a serviceable blocker at the NFL level, but he is explosive as a pass catcher, and I love the way he maximizes his catch radius," Brugler wrote. "He has mismatch-creating potential and can eventually develop into an NFL starter.