The New England Patriots have dire needs at the cornerback, linebacker and wide receiver positions with the draft ahead.
Bill Belichick traded for DeVante Parker and has a decent crew that features Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, but there’s plenty of potential No. 1 receivers in the draft. J.C. Jackson’s departure was a major hit to the secondary and he will be difficult to replace.
At linebacker, the Patriots have been looking to gain more speed and ability to cover. Georgia’s Nakobe Dean has been discussed heavily in relation to the Patriots and he would be a game-changer — but, he can very easily be drafted before the No. 21 pick.
Another option at linebacker would be Alabama’s Christian Harris. NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks explained why Harris would make sense for the Patriots.
“There’s a natural pipeline between Alabama and the New England Patriots,” Brooks said, transcribed by NESN. “We think about Christian Harris coming from a program under Nick Saban in which they’re asking their linebackers to do a lot — we’re going to a similar program in New England with Bill Belichick. The versatility, the ability to play in multiple schemes, do multiple roles on a weekly basis. When I look at Christian Harris, he offers you a lot of that kind of dynamic ability, being able to come after the passer on blitzes and also play a little bit in coverage.”
Harris is projected to go in the second round and he could potentially fall into the third round. He’s coming off a season with 80 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
Belichick drafted Mac Jones and Christian Barmore out of Alabama last year as he’s appeared to keep the pipeline going. Harris could be the next player to make an impact alongside his former teammates.
