Potential Patriots: Day 2

Thursday, May 08, 2014

Matt LaPan, GoLocal Worcester Sports Reporter

The Patriots surprised many of their fans when they stayed at the 29th pick of the 1st round of the NFL Draft, selecting Dominique Easley from Florida. Easley provides much needed depth to the interior defensive line, provided he has recovered from a torn ACL.

Now the attention moves to day two of the NFL Draft. The Patriots currently hold the 62nd (Round 2) overall pick and the 93rd (Round 3) selections. Following a very exciting and unpredictable first day of the NFL Draft the Patriots will have their selection at a good crop of talent. Whether they stay at their current picks or trade out, here are some potential draft prospects that could land in Foxboro on Day 2 of the draft:

Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota

Hageman was a favorite of mock drafters to go to the Patriots in the 1st Round. That obviously did not happen. Although there is little chance that the Patriots go with back-to-back interior linemen in the draft, if Hageman falls to the 62nd pick he might be too enticing to pass on.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington

The Patriots have an obvious need to complement Rob Gronkowski at the tight end position. Three big-name tight ends made it through the 1st Round, Seferian-Jenkins being one of them. He is big, athletic and has very good hands. Seferian-Jenkins is expected to go higher in the 2nd Round but could be a target the Patriots could trade up for.

Troy Niklas, TE, Notre Dame

Niklas is another top tight end prospect that would be a great fit for the Patriots. He is not as big as Seferian-Jenkins but plays big and with more of an edge. He is strong over the middle and has sure hands. The thought is that Niklas is a mid-2nd Round prospect meaning the Patriots might have to trade up to get him, but if there is a run on quarterbacks or defensive linemen at the top of the round he could fall to 62.

Jace Amaro, TE, Texas Tech

Amaro rounds out the tight end group. He was once considered a favorite to be the Patriots’ 1st Round selection but has seen a steady decline in his draft stock since the combine. Despite poor workout times, Amaro is very good on film and uses his size well. He is more like an oversized wide receiver than a tight end due to blocking limitations, but would be a great complement to Rob Gronkowski.

Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State

Even with the addition of Dominique Easley the Patriots could still use more pass rush. Crichton is an overlooked prospect who could provide a consistent pass rush and be a very important rotational player with Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich. Crichton provides solid pass rush and a high motor. He also plays the run well and would solidify the front four.

Kyle Van Noy, OLB, BYU

Van Noy is a versatile linebacker who can play in a 4-3 or 3-4 system. He is good in coverage and even better when rushing the passer. He would provide great depth to a linebacker group that is lacking it.

Weston Richburg, C, Colorado State

The Patriots’ interior offensive line struggled, at times, in 2013-14. This falls on Logan Mankins, Ryan Wendell and Dan Connolly. Both Connolly and Mankins have big contracts, making Wendell’s center position the easiest to change. Richburg is not the biggest offensive lineman but has received comparisons to former NFL Pro Bowler Jeff Saturday. If Richburg came anywhere close to that he would solidify the Patriots offensive line for many years.