5 Early-Round NFL Draft Prospects the Patriots Must Target

March 5, 2016   ·   William Brabrook   ·   Jump to comments

Even though the New England Patriots will enter the 2016 NFL draft without their first-round pick, there's little reason to believe the Patriots won't come away with one of the most talented draft classes yet again.
Every year, the Patriots find several "diamonds in the rough" in the draft to fuel their perennial status among the AFC's elite teams. Just look at the seven Pro Bowlers that New England produced this past season.
We all know about Tom Brady and his infamous sixth-round wait. Stephen Gostkowski was a fourth-round selection, and Matthew Slater was a fifth-rounder. Jamie Collins and Rob Gronkowski were both second-rounders, and Malcolm Butler wasn't even drafted.
Only Chandler Jones was a first-round selection, but teams even overlooked him for the likes of fellow defensive ends Quinton Coples and Shea McClellin.
The bottom line is this: The most successful teams consistently find talent in all rounds of the draft, and the Patriots adhere to this...

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