The Patriots will be able to fill most every need in the NFL Draft, where there are plenty of prospects who fit their prototypes at major positions.
A successful draft for the Patriots will mean more than nailing their first pick Thursday night.
They must also hit Friday and Saturday, when they’re scheduled to hold 10 picks. It’s unlikely they use them all, possibly packaging a few in a trade up.
Behold, the best Patriot fits on Day 2 and Day 3 of the upcoming NFL Draft.
The Patriots coached Douglas at the East-West Shrine Bowl, where he shined as an explosive, yet fluid, athlete in space. He would add the type of dynamism missing from the team’s receiving corps. At 5-foot-8, Douglas is small, but his long speed (4.4) and short-area quickness should be too much to pass up come the fifth and sixth rounds.
Musgrave fits the mold of another tight end the Patriots took in the second round: Rob Gronkowski.
Not in the sense he’s destined to become one of the greatest tight ends of all time, but Musgrave stock has dropped due to injury. Musgrave appeared in just two games last year, then returned and tested as arguably the best athlete at his position. When healthy, he’s been highly productive on a per-game basis, making him a worthy play on Day 2. He carries prototypical size (6-foot-5, 253 pounds) and blocks better than most of the other tight ends in this class.
If the Patriots pass on an offensive tackle in Round 1, keep an eye on Steen.
The 6-foot-6, 321-pounder played both tackle spots in college over his time at Vanderbilt and Alabama, experience and versatility the front office tends to treasure.
