Patriots 2016 NFL Draft Cheat Sheet
BOSTON (CBS) -- For 31 teams, the NFL Draft gets underway Thursday night in Chicago. For the New England Patriots, they have to wait until Friday -- or at least the very end of Thursday night.
Not that the Patriots aren't used to selecting late on Thursday, but this year is different. The buzz surrounding the NFL Draft in New England is quite muted, with many fans bitter the team lost their first-round pick for the DeflateGate controversy over a year ago. That doesn't mean the Patriots haven't been hard at work filling up their big board, but they can't trade into the first round unless they acquire the 30th, 31st or 32nd pick.
For the last few weeks you've probably been bombarded with mock drafts and potential picks, so here's a Patriots cheat sheet with everything you need to know entering Thursday night's first round.
When To Tune In
First Round: Thursday, April 28 at 8 p.m.
The Patriots don't have a first-round pick and it's very, very unlikely they trade up to nab one of the final picks in the round. Each team has 10 minutes to make their pick, making this a long evening.
Enjoy (or try to enjoy) Celtics-Hawks Game 6 instead.
Rounds 2-3: Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m.
The Patriots are scheduled to have four picks (two in each round) on Day 2 of the draft, so be ready for some new players to learn or some vintage Belichick wheeling and dealing. Each team has seven minutes to make their pick.
Rounds 4-7: Saturday, April 30 at 12 p.m.
At the moment, the Patriots do not have a pick on Day 3 until the sixth round -- a 100-pick gap that Belichick will likely close Friday night or early Saturday. Each team has five minutes to make their selections on Day 3, meaning the picks will come in fast and furious.
Their Picks
– Second round — No. 60 overall
– Second round — No. 61 overall (acquired from Arizona in Chandler Jones trade)
– Third round — No. 91 overall
– Third round — No. 96 overall (compensatory pick)
– Sixth round — No. 196 overall (acquired from Houston in Keshawn Martin trade)
– Sixth round — No. 204 overall (acquired from Chicago in Martellus Bennett trade)
– Sixth round — No. 208 overall (compensatory pick)
– Sixth round — No. 214 overall (compensatory pick)
– Sixth round — No. 221 overall (compensatory pick)
– Seventh round — No. 243 overall (acquired from Houston in Ryan Mallett trade)
– Seventh round — No. 250 overall
Their Needs
Offensive Line: Protecting Tom Brady is always at the top of the Patriots' priority list, so there's a good chance they use their earlier picks to bolster their depth along the offensive line. They're fairly well set at guard and center, so tackle will likely be their position of preference.
Running Back: The Patriots have plenty of running backs under contract for the upcoming season in Dion Lewis, LeGarrette Blount, James White and Donald Brown, but there are question marks with each of them. Lewis and Blount are both coming back from injury, James White has shown flashes but hasn't been very impressive in his two NFL seasons, and Brown may not be around come the regular season.
There are a handful of talented backs expected to go when the Patriots are scheduled to be on the clock, and they could find a good development project for the future who could provide depth at the position for this season.
More On NFL Draft: 2016 NFL Draft Preview Show With Bob Socci
Cornerback: Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan are both back, but Butler will be a restricted free agent after the season and Ryan will hit the open market. Now would be a good time to draft a corner for the future to let him develop in Belichick's system.
Defensive Line: The Patriots have a few holes in their depth chart with Chandler Jones (a big hole) and Dominique Easley (a smaller, depth-related hole) no longer on the roster. This is said to be a deep draft along the defensive line, and the Patriots could use some more depth for the upcoming season and seasons ahead.
Wide Receiver: While not an immediate need, the Pats are always looking for a receiver to develop.
The Adam Jones Show Draft Previews: Offensive Linemen | Running Backs | Defensive Linemen | Cornerbacks
The Mocks
Mock drafts are right roughly two percent of the time, and that's on a good year. Felger & Mazz have figured out the most scientific way to guess who the Patriots will pick, and it involves throwing markers at a draft magazine. They've gotten picks right in each of the last three drafts, yet somehow the so-called experts haven't caught on to this new way of making a mockery of their mocks.
Read: 6 Rutgers Players The Patriots Could Draft, Sign
Not many places do mock drafts past the first round, but here are a few second and third round mocks for the Patriots with players they likely won't end up drafting.
NFL.com Draft Expert Chad Reuter
60. Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State
61. Leonte Carroo, WR, Rutgers
91. Hassan Ridgeway, DT, Texas
96. Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech
60. Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama
61. Le'Raven Clark, OT/G, Texas Tech
91. Sean Davis, CB/S, Maryland
96. Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State
60. Kenneth Dixon, RB, Louisiana Tech
61. Hassan Ridgeway, DT, Texas
60. Joshua Perry, LB, Ohio State
61. Joshua Garnett, OG, Stanford
91. Xavien Howard, CB, Baylor
96. Joe Dahl, OG, Washington State
