The New England Patriots have the fourth overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. They have a need at offensive tackle, but may not be able to pass up on an explosive playmaker.
Ashton Jeanty is the best running back in this draft class and could be a real asset for Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye. The Patriots already have Rhamondre Stevenson, but Jeanty is a different type of playmaker. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter predicted the Patriots would select Jeanty with the fourth overall pick and address their need at offensive tackle later.
“In this scenario, the Patriots take the best player on the board and meet their need at offensive tackle with picks in the second and fourth rounds,” wrote Reuter. “New head coach Mike Vrabel knows the value that a premier back can bring, having watched Derrick Henry carry his previous Titans teams to the playoffs. While Jeanty’s not as big as Henry, he has considerable power through contact and the burst to create explosive plays in the run game.”
Jeanty was the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season and ran for over 2,000 yards. He also threatened Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record, despite sitting out late in plenty of games.
Last season, the Patriots lacked weapons around Maye. However, they signed Stefon Diggs to bolster their receiving corps. Adding Jeanty would give Vrabel two stars at his disposal for his second-year quarterback.
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Additionally, there are plenty of talented offensive linemen available in this draft. The Patriots should be able to find a starting left tackle on Day 2 of the draft, but there is no player comparable to Jeanty in the draft class.
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