The NFL Draft is still over two months away on the NFL calendar but that is hardly stopping fans and NFL teams from preparing for the event. Pushed back to May this year, the NFL Draft allows teams to attend more pre-draft activities such as regional combines and pro days. In addition, it cuts the weeks that a team has their rookies available to them to learn the playbook, study, and get into the shape the NFL team desires them to be in to play in the NFL.
With the Combine finished this week, the NFL teams are able to corroborate data after finally getting their chance to move beyond game film and poke and prod the prospects to assist in finding the next key cog to their lineup. For the New England Patriots that means working to determine what their targets will be in the draft and in free agency in March. With many questions remaining as to what players are re-signed and what free agents may be signed, the NFL Draft provides cheaper building blocks for New England to add to their roster.
The New England Patriots have a number of needs on both sides of the ball to address in the NFL Draft. Here are a few needs that the Patriots are likely to try and fill through the draft:
TIGHT END:
The Patriots had an interesting season as their two-tight end offense went from the top unit in football to a slew of rookies wide receivers, some slot receivers, and two most dynamic players not on the field. Tight end Aaron Hernandez was cut in the off-season after his shocking arrest and fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski missed more than half of the season due to recovery from off-season back and forearm surgery and a season-ending knee injury in week fourteen against the Cleveland Browns.
With Gronkowski out of the lineup the Patriots offense dipped to the middle of the pack. CLICK HERE FOR MUCH MORE: New England Patriots NFL Draft Needs Clearly in Focus - H4TV SPORTS NEWS
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