Patriots seven-round mock draft: Bill Belichick lands WR, TE help for Mac Jones

The New England Patriots need to nail this draft. Bill Belichick has been rebuilding the team for the past three years since Tom Brady’s departure. And while the Patriots have managed to stay mediocre during that span, they have also … been stuck in mediocrity. The team’s issues in the draft have contributed to its ho-hum seasons.

New England will enter the draft with 11 picks. My strategy was to move down in the first round (because that’s what Belichick loves to do) while moving up in the middle rounds to get quality players in rounds two through four. The Patriots need faster, younger players on both sides of the ball. They started that trend in the 2022 draft with mixed success. I’ll continue that trend here in my mock draft for New England.

Round 1, Pick 22: Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland

Yup, I traded back from No. 14 overall. What I really wanted was one of the top tackles. When those players disappeared from the board, I didn’t feel compelled to take the top receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, because the Patriots are good at developing slot receivers. They don’t need to draft one in Round 1. So I took the Baltimore Ravens’ offer. For New England’s Nos. 14 and 184, the Ravens gave up Nos. 22 and 86 along with a 2024 second-rounder.

By trading back, I also nearly missed out on the premium cornerbacks. But luckily, Banks was still on the board. He boasts special athleticism, with combine testing that confirmed his tape from his junior year. He had a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and a 42-inch vertical leap. That goes with his 6-foot, 195-pound frame. He has all the makings of a shutdown corner.

Belichick has taken just one first-round cornerback, Devin McCourty, whom the team eventually moved to safety. With McCourty now retired, it’s time to break that streak. Belichick will make Banks into one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

Round 2, Pick 46: Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee

Back in 2020, Tee Higgins fell into the second round because he seemed more like a possession receiver. The same thing happened with Michael Pittman in that draft class. I think Tillman, an excellent wideout prospect, will experience that same draft-day slide. But that simply gives good value to the Patriots.

Tillman, after all, finished the 2021 season with 64 catches, 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns. He battled through injuries in 2022 and played just six games (37 catches, 417 yards, 3 TDs). He’s a baller. And he’s the type of receiver that New England could develop to complement their core at the position: JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton.

Round 3, Pick 76: Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia

McClendon is not an upside pick. To the contrary, he seems more of you-get-what-you-see prospect. He lacks strength and arm length. He doesn’t have a lot of athleticism. The only things the Patriots can hope to maximize are his technique and fundamentals. But in the third round, New England is getting a three-year starter and natural leader. McClendon will compete with free-agent signing Riley Reiff for the right tackle spot in training camp.

Round 3, Pick 86: Henry To’oTo’o, LB, Alabama

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker had two productive seasons with the Crimson Tide. So while his athleticism didn’t wow, the Patriots can bite on him after seeing on film that SEC speed didn’t pose problems for the young LB. There isn’t one special part of To’oTo’o’s game. He is steady and should be able to eventually contribute on all four downs.

Round 4, Pick 107: Cameron Latu, TE, Alabama

We all know how much Belichick loves his Bama prospects. In Latu, the Patriots get a player who is sort of the opposite of To’oTo’o. While Latu lacks slightly in production, he has ample athleticism. The tight end posted a solid junior season, with 26 catches for 410 yards and eight touchdowns. Under recently hired Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, Latu had 30 catches for 377 yards and four touchdowns in 2022. O’Brien can bring the youngster along behind Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki in 2023, and then Latu should be in line to start in 2024.

Round 4, Pick 111: Ricky Stromberg, OC, Arkansas

I traded up from 117 to make sure I landed Stromberg. It cost me an early sixth-rounder (No. 187). New England has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success with center David Andrews. But he has dealt with injuries in recent years, and at some point, the 30-year-old may not be as reliable as he once was. So the Patriots prepare for that day by adding Stromberg, a heady center with plenty of potential (and, perhaps, a player who needs some seasoning).

Round 4, Pick 135: Carrington Valentine, CB, Kentucky

Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh discussed getting faster before and after the 2022 draft. Well, let’s keep it rolling. After drafting Banks — a cornerback with blazing speed — New England doubles up at the position with another speedster. Valentine has messy film at Kentucky, but with this pick, the Patriots hope they can make an elite athlete into an improved football player.

Round 6, Pick 192: Eric Gray, RB, Oklahoma

Pierre Strong, a 2022 fourth-rounder, barely saw the field last season, even with Damien Harris suffering a series of injuries. That’s a bad sign for Strong. So let’s see what Gray can do in this offense. There’s room for him on the depth chart, even with Rhamondre Stevenson, Strong, James Robinson, Ty Montgomery and a few others. Gray isn’t a powerful runner, but he has outstanding burst and make-you-miss agility. Maybe he won’t score many 50-yard touchdowns, but he should be good for a handful of 10- to 20-yard gains.

Round 6, Pick 200: Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State

New England packages its final two picks (Nos. 210 and 245) to get Baringer at No. 200. The Patriots moved on from Jake Bailey this offseason and replaced him with veteran punter Corliss Waitman, but they like to put pressure on their special teams players in training camp. Baringer is the top punter in this class and could push Waitman for a roster spot.

Prior to joining FOX Sports as the AFC East reporter, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @McKennAnalysis.

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