Mock Draft Roundup: No Consensus for Pats
From Mac Jones to Micah Parsons with DeVonta Smith and even Kyle Pitts in between.
That gives you an idea of what draft analysts are thinking when it comes to trying to project the New England Patriots' selection with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Actually, maybe it's more a reflection that the media simply just has no idea what the Patriots plan on doing.
We surveyed 10 national mock drafts, ranging from NFL.com (Lance Zierlein and Chad Reuter) to CBSSports.com (Ryan Wilson and Josh Edwards), and they produced eight different scenarios.
The only two repeat projections had the Patriots taking Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons or taking Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.
Another mock draft predicted a trade between the Patriots and Denver Broncos, whereby New England would get Jones at number 9. That projected trade, suggested by Edwards, would have the Patriots giving up a second-round pick (46th overall) to move up six spots and also receive picks in the fourth (113th) and fifth rounds (151st).
Besides Parsons and Jones, the other prospects projected to the Patriots in mocks done since the Miami Dolphins' two big trades involving top 10 picks were Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith, Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins.
Outside of Collins, all the prospects mocked to the Patriots also were top 10 picks in one or more other mock drafts.
The outlook for the Patriots' first-round pick figures to become clearer as we get closer to the draft, but for now let's just say that media folks as a collective really don't have much of a clue as to what Bill Belichick will be doing.
