New England Patriots Mock Draft Roundup 6.0

Johnson has multiple years of quality film at a marquee program on his resume, and the Patriots need to upgrade the edges of their offensive line for Mac Jones.

The Pats have drafted one receiver in Round 1 since they took Terry Glenn in 1996, and it didn't go well. N'Keal Harry, selected at No. 32 in 2019, fizzled out in New England after just 598 yards over three seasons. But the Patriots have to do something here. Jakobi Meyers -- who was the only WR in New England to crack 550 receiving yards last season -- is about to be a free agent, which means quarterback Mac Jones needs a reliable target in the pass game.

At 6-3 and 208 pounds, Johnston can stretch the field and win with physicality at the catch point. He totaled 1,069 yards last season and looked explosive in Indy last week with a 40.5-inch vertical and 11-foot-2 broad jump. I'm curious if he'll run a 40 at his pro day on March 30 -- a good time there could help his stock. The Pats have to see Sauce Gardner, Tre'Davious White and Xavien Howard in coverage twice each per season, so getting help on the outside is a key this offseason.

This pick might surprise some, but Wright is a big tackle with heavy hands who gets guys blocked. He's smaller than Trent Brown, but offers a similar game.

With multiple tackle-needy teams in front of the Patriots, they jump up a few spots here to get Skoronski.

As an organization, New England has never been tied down by size limitations, so Skoronski's shorter arms shouldn't be a roadblock. He is the top offensive lineman in this class and could be Bill Belichick's new Matt Light. Regardless, his position versatility would give the Patriots options as they try to field their five best blockers.

Bill Belichick tends to love players coached by his good friend, Tide coach Nick Saban. The Pats also value versatility, and the 6-foot, 190-pound All-American lines up in the slot, safety and corner. And this might finally be the year Belichick has to replace 35-year-old free agent S Devin McCourty.

The Patriots will like the position flexibility of Northwestern's Peter Skoronski. Many NFL scouts believe that he is a five-position player.

Five years ago, the New England Patriots invested a first-round pick in left tackle Isaiah Wynn. Despite a promising start to his career, Wynn isn't expected back next season. Instead, the Patriots are looking toward upgrading their offensive front.

"New England is going in a very different direction from its last first-round selection at tackle in the undersized Wynn to the prototypical Paris Johnson Jr.," Thorn noted.

"With ideal size (6'6", 313 lbs), athletic ability and movement skills, Johnson looks and moves like a franchise left tackle, while also bringing advanced skills as a run-blocker and excellent competitive toughness. The Patriots need to replace Wynn with a quality starter, which should be Johnson's floor as a pro."

Johnson has been a highly regarded blocker since he stepped onto Ohio State's campus. The former 5-start recruit began his career at guard before bumping back to his natural position of left tackle last season.

New England is set at guard with the combination of Michael Onwenu and Cole Strange, so the team won't need to undertake that same process. Besides, Johnson has the natural talent to immediately protect Mac Jones' blind side. His length (36⅛-inch arms) and lateral agility are top notch.

Porter is another one of the behemoth cornerbacks (six-foot 2 1/2 and 193 pounds) who takes the field with an outstanding skill set. In this case, it's more about aggressive press coverage that simply erases receivers; Porter is still getting the hang of dealing with receivers who can beat him with shorter, quicker routes. But as he allowed just 15 catches on 30 targets for 143 yards, 51 yards after the catch, nine pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 63.6, and the Patriots tend to prefer cornerbacks who can just snuff you out with aggression from the first step, we think this is a perfect fit.

Offensive tackle would be a fit here, but the Patriots will have their pick of one of the top cornerbacks if they stay in the middle of the round.

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