SI Mock Draft: Insider Has Patriots Selecting TE in 1st Round

The MMQB's NFL insider has New England selecting this year's top TE prospect in the first round of the NFL Draft.

The final iteration of a mock draft that you will see on this website this offseason is an evaluation of one done on SI.com. 

The mock draft was one round and done by The MMQB's Albert Breer, who still has close ties to the New England Patriots after covering them on the beat. 

While we've seen linebackers, safeties, wide receivers and quarterbacks going to New England at No. 23 in the thousands of mocks that have been done this offseason, Breer threw another position into the mix on Day 1 for New England: tight end. 

Breer had the Patriots selecting Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet with the 23rd overall pick. He explained why:

I had Ruiz here, and then I had Kmet, and then Ruiz, and then Kmet. I also believe that McKinney would be a consideration if he slips here, and that Murray or Patrick Queen are fits too. Bottom line? The bottom line is the Patriots need to get younger all over the place, so this could go any which way.

Kmet has been labeled as the best tight end in a weak draft class this year. But his abilities have not been graded at a first round level, which makes the Patriots taking him at No. 23 very unlikely. It would make more sense for New England to trade back in the first round, or even into the early part of the second round, and then take Kmet. At this point it seems more likely that New England would take one of the other player's Breer mentioned (i.e. McKinney, Murray or Queen). Center Cesar Ruiz is also an option, though it's hard to imagine the Patriots would spend premium draft capital this year on a reserve lineman. 

With the draft underway in under 24 hours, we will finally get to see some of the new faces that will try to lead the Patriots' run of success into a third decade since Bill Belichick became head coach. 2020 marks one of the most important drafts of Belichick's career, because the player's he drafts this year will weigh heavily on the team's ability to overcome the losses of players like Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and Rob Gronkowski. 

New England's first round pick - barring they do not trade it - is one of the most important decisions the organization has made and will continue to make as they enter the post-Tom Brady era, which is why it's so crucial that they strike gold. If they don't, then who knows what the future holds for the six-time Super Bowl champions.