1st round, 28th overall (via NO): LB Zaven Collins, Tulsa
Zaven Collins comes off the board here late in Round 1 as the Patriots find their eventual Dont’a Hightower replacement in the middle of their front seven. Collins offers a rare combination of size, speed, and play strength to play that middle linebacker role at the next level. He also has the ability to play off the ball, set the edge and come downhill and play physical in the run game.
A versatile player that has an elite skillset, Collins could hold multiple roles in the Patriots defense and be an impact player the moment he gets in the building.
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NFL Draft 2021: What are Patriots’ biggest needs after free agency frenzy?
Updated Apr 09, 10:22 AM;
Posted Apr 09, 10:22 AM
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches the NFL football scouting combine from the stands, Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)AP
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The Patriots roster had plenty of holes at the conclusion of the 2020 season.
In paying free agents $159.6 million in guaranteed money an NFL record Bill Belichick patched a number of them and certainly didn’t just skimp with some FlexSeal. Still, there are positions that could used a boost in this month’s draft too.
Apr 7, 2021
If it takes three seasons to judge how successful a draft pick is, the Patriots’ 2019 class is not ready to be graded, no matter how much you want to tear your hair out about N’Keal Harry’s struggles.
The Pats, though, in the past decade have fared pretty well for a team always picking in the lower part of the first round because of their perennial success. The highest they picked between 2010 and 2018 was 17
th in 2011.
New England also didn’t have a first-round pick in 2013, 2016 or 2017.
With that in mind, here’s how the eight Pats first-round picks of that nine-year span rank: