The New England Patriots hold the 4th overall pick in the NFL Draft, and could get creative with it. Many expect them to land on either Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, but there's a scenario where the Cleveland Browns or New York Giants could jump in and take both players.
If that happens, the Patriots could go a few different ways. The team could look to trade the pick and fall back in the first round while gaining assets along the way, or they could take the best player available.
Whether the best player available at that point would be Mason Graham, Jalon Walker, or others, the Patriots could view Ashton Jeanty as that player.
In the latest mock draft from NFL.com's Chad Reuter, they did exactly that, with Reuter citing that Jeanty is the best player available if Carter and Hunter are off the board.
"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. 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," he wrote.
He brings up some valuable points, as Mike Vrabel understands what a team needs to win at the highest level. A solid run game is something the Patriots would love to have.
However, reaching for the Boise State product with the fourth pick seems a bit unlikely, unless the Patriots truly believe he's the best player available. After a 2,601-yard and 29 touchdown performance last season, that's certainly possible.
