7-round mock draft 5.0: Trade-happy Patriots make pair of first-round picks

After a big trade down in the first round, the Patriots grab offensive and defensive weapons in this mock.

We are just about two weeks away from the start of the NFL Draft, and, while it looks like there might be a little more clarity at the top, nothing is certain just yet. With that being said, the following mock draft has Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter off the board by the time the New England Patriots are up at No 4.

Knowing that we start there, this is where I decided to take the team. We filled some needs, we had some fun, and, I think, we brought a bunch of talent and potential to the halls at One Patriot Place.

As always, I am using the rankings from the NFL Mock Draft Database next to each of the players drafted. My previous mock drafts can be found here: Bye Week | 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0

Round 1

TRADE: Patriots trade 1-4 to Indianapolis Colts for 1-14, 2-45, and a 2026 3rd-round pick: When discussing teams that have needs, the Colts are often ignored. This is a big year for them, however: Shane Steichen is going into his third season as head coach, and they have been mediocre both years of his tenure so far. If they are high enough on a player, a trade like this makes a ton of sense for them. You don’t give up any serious future capital, and they get a player that they covet at No. 4 overall. For the Patriots, a trade down might be the best case scenario assuming Hunter or Carter are both gone.

1-14: ED Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M | No. 14): The Patriots spent a ton of money on their defense in free agency, so this might seem like a luxury pick. However, they are almost devoid of top-end talent on the defensive edge, and Stewart is a physical freak that has a real chance to end up being a true difference maker.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, he lit the Scouting Combine on fire when he ran a 4.59 40-yard dash (with a 1.58 10-yard split), had a 40-inch vertical, and an almost 12-foot broad jump. Stewart needs to work on his pass rushing tools, as he only finished his career with 4.5 sacks even though he had 39 pressures last year, but he’s already a pro-ready run defender.

The combination of his skill and athletic upside make this a slam dunk pick for the Patriots in the middle of the first round.

TRADE: Patriots trade 2-38 and 3-77 to Detroit Lions for 1-28: After the trade down, the Patriots now have two second-round picks and two third-round picks. They package two of those selections to go up and get a weapon for Drake Maye and the offense.

1-28: WR Luther Burden III (Missouri | No. 34): The Patriots are in desperate need of another legit receiver for Drake Maye, and Burden should help them out with that. His ability to get open almost instantly, whether at the snap or the top of the route, would provide the Patriots with a solid weapon. He had a drop-off in production this year, but dealt with some nagging injuries and the entire offense around him took a step back as well.

Some people might question Burden in this spot, but he is highly regarded around the league and is draft guru Matt Waldman’s WR1 (Waldman was one of the only guys to have Malik Nabers over Marvin Harrison Jr. last year). Burden might not be the true X-receiver that Patriots fans are clamoring for, but he can be a very good wide receiver right away. New England is desperate for that right now.

Round 2

2-45: TE Mason Taylor (LSU | No. 53): After the top two tight ends in this year’s draft, there is not a lot of consensus about who the best players at the position are. I do think that Taylor should be at the top of that group, though.

He is a receiving threat who excels in the biggest moments, and did so consistently at LSU. His blocking needs some work, but he has the strength to hold up if he can be taught the technique. The Patriots already have two solid tight ends on the roster, but this is a position that takes a while for a player to grow, so getting one with upside now can help this year and pay dividends in the future as well. It would also warm my heart to see Miami Dolphins legend Jason Taylor become a Patriots fan while cheering on his son.

Round 3

3-69: OT Anthony Belton (N.C. State | No. 95): Some might call this pick a reach, but the Patriots need a left tackle, and if they’re not picking one in the first round, Belton might be their best option. He’s a mountain of a man, at 6-foot-6 and 336 pounds, and he had almost 34-inch arms to go along with the large frame.

His pass blocking is pretty solid, but needs some refinement. With the right coaching, he could be ready to start Day 1, or, at the very least, be a really good developmental player. His Combine results may not have shown it, but the film as well as the Senior Bowl tape show a guy who is surprising agile, and, if he can put it all together, could be an above-average starter at left tackle.

The Patriots should jump at the opportunity to have a guy like that on the roster.

Round 4

4-106: RB Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech | No. 124): Robert Kraft and the Patriots have been talking about their need for a speed back in their offense. Enter Bhayshul Tuten, who ran a 4.32-second 40, and added a 40.5-inch vertical and 10-foot-10 broad jump as well. He’s a little undersized at only 5-foot-9, but he fills it out at 209 pounds, plus he did 24 reps on the bench, so he’s got some real strength.

The Patriots are looking for a home run guy, and Tuten has a good chance to deliver that for them. His pass protection needs some work, but the speed and explosiveness are something that should entice the Patriots, especially here in the fourth round.

Round 5

5-144: LB Nick Martin (Oklahoma State | No. 194): The Patriots are clearly getting smaller and more athletic at the off-ball linebacker position, and they go after Martin here because of that. He’s only a one-year starter, but the athleticism is as clear on tape as it was at the Combine, where he ran a 4.53 40-yard dash, had a 38-inch vertical, and a 10-foot-3 broad jump to go along with 26 reps on the bench.

Now, he doesn’t have a ton of experience, and he’s going to need to be coached up to refine his skills. He plays like a heat seeking missile at the second level, though, and with the right coaching has the traits to turn into a contributor in Mike Vrabel’s defense.

5-171: OL Willie Lampkin (North Carolina | No. 201): Lampkin might be my favorite player in the entire draft. He makes absolutely no sense, he is 5-foot-11 and 290 pounds with 32-inch arms, which simply shouldn’t work on the offensive line. But he is a little ball of hate. He is physical, aggressive, and he does a really good job in both the run and pass game.

That showed up at the Senior Bowl, where he dominated in 1-on-1s, despite being the shortest offensive lineman prospect ever invited. He actually is 3 inches shorter than the next shortest O-lineman ever invited to Mobile, but you would never know it watching him play.

If Lampkin was 6-foot-3, I believe that he would be in discussion for the end of the first round, or top of the second round. Instead, because he’s an outlier, he’s going in the fifth round. If I’m the Patriots, I would jump at the opportunity to take a guy with his skill who plays with a constant chip on his shoulder and has experience playing with Drake Maye as well.

Round 7

7-220: OT Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan (Oregon State | No. 346): Let’s stay on the offensive line, but go from a small prospect to a massive one. Christian-Lichtenhan is 6-foot-8 and 315 pounds, and his arms are over 35 inches long, with an 85.5-inch wingspan. You simply do not find guys his size very often.

Unfortunately, because of his size, he does have trouble with guys being able to move him off his spot, and he’s not the most athletic of players. He needs refinement on his pass blocking, but he has a mean streak in his run blocking, and he has the mentality that you’re looking for from your linemen.

In the seventh round, I want guys that I can mold, so I’m going with prospects that can provide something immediate, like on special teams, or, I’m going for a player who has traits that can improve to make a competent starter. Christian-Lichtenhan certainly falls into the latter category. He isn’t a finished product, but you can see the potential, and that is tantalizing, especially for a team without any real depth at the tackle position.

7-238: WR Andrew Armstrong (Arkansas | No. 374): As I mentioned, in the seventh round, I am looking for one of two things: guys who have serious traits and some warts, and guys who were very productive, but there’s questions about their transition to the pro game. While Gerad Christian-Lichenhan fits in the first bucket, Andrew Armstrong fits in the second bucket.

Last season, he had the second best season in Arkansas history with 78 receptions and 1,140 receiving yards. He has some size, at 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, and his speed is decent, with a 4.50 40-yard dash, and a 6.85 3-cone drill. The issue is that his route running isn’t super crisp and there are questions about how well he is going to be able to separate in the NFL.

With NFL-caliber coaching in New England now, the hope is that they can coach him up to be better in those areas, and that he could develop into a reliable receiver for them.