The Patriots made two picks in Thursday’s first round of the NFL draft and barring no more trades, will make two more on Friday — both in the second round (Nos. 43 and 63 overall) as they traded their third-round pick to the 49ers in a package for offensive tackle Trent Brown.
Selecting two offensive players in the first round suggests maybe the Patriots will be targeting defensive players on Day 2, but they also need to potentially consider drafting a quarterback.
Here are 10 players to keep an eye on for the Patriots in the second round with an emphasis on defense.
Harold Landry, DE, Boston College — Landry was one of the biggest surprises when it came to players not selected in Round 1, as many had him pegged to go in the mid-teens. It would seem injury concerns are the major reason why he's slipped, as he went from 16.5 sacks as a junior to just five as a senior, although he did play in only eight games this past fall. Relating to New England, there are some questions of how he would fit into its scheme, but if he falls to them at No. 43 he could present some good value.
Lorenzo Carter, DE, Georgia — Carter can play all over the defense and some expect him to transition to linebacker in the NFL. The Patriots clearly did their homework on Georgia players, selecting two in the first round, so they likely have a good idea of what he can do. It’s also worth noting Carter spent some time with Bill Belichick at Georgia’s pro day.
Sam Hubbard, DE, Ohio State — It is easy to see how the Ohio State product would be connected to New England, as he had a lacrosse scholarship to play at Notre Dame before Urban Meyer swooped in and convinced him to play football at OSU. Hubbard is getting a lot of hype, but it is hard to tell just how talented he is because he played with a tremendous defensive line.
Maurice Hurst, DT, Michigan — Hurst is one of the better talents in the draft overall, but slipped because of a heart condition that was found at the NFL combine. Relating to the Patriots, they don’t really have a need on the defensive line, but as we saw Thursday, they aren’t drafting for need. Hurst attended Xaverian High School, right up the road from Gillette Stadium, and his father Maurice played for the Patriots.
Christian Sam, LB, Arizona State — The linebacker spot is still a position that needs addressing and it hasn’t been at all this offseason. This past fall, Sam recorded 127 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, and three sacks. His former coach Todd Graham has reportedly joined the Patriots staff, so they would have a good idea of what he can do.
Malik Jefferson, LB, Texas — Jefferson is one of the other top linebackers still available, so given the lack of depth at the position the Patriots could consider him. As a junior, he recorded 110 tackles, 10 for loss, and four sacks. New England has had some success with recent defensive players from Texas, as Malcom Brown has had a good start to his career.
Isaiah Oliver, CB, Colorado — Oliver was mocked to the Patriots in several mock drafts for the first round and he remains on the board. Cornerback doesn’t seem to be a need, but if the Patriots really like the player, then why not? In his three years at Colorado he recorded just three interceptions, but that could be an indication he wasn’t targeted much.
Justin Reid, S, Stanford — Reid has been connected to the Patriots a lot during the pre-draft process and met with the organization at the last minute after an official visit couldn’t be worked out. As a whole, the Patriots safeties are getting older, so perhaps this is a good year to start thinking of the future.
Kyle Lauletta, QB, Richmond — Odds are the Patriots are going to take a quarterback and if they do in the second round it will likely be Lauletta or Mason Rudolph. Of the two, we like Lauletta more and he’s been the one consistently connected to the Patriots ever since the Senior Bowl.
Christian Kirk, WR, Texas A&M — Wide receiver is a sneaky need for 2019 and the Patriots hosted Kirk for a top-30 visit. It seemed like a decent chance he would go in the first round, so maybe the Patriots take another shot at a skill position player.