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Patriots A HANDFUL OF DRAFT EXPERTS HAVE THE PATRIOTS SELECTING A CORNERBACK WITH THE NO. 14 OVERALL PICK WHILE OTHERS HAVE THEM SELECTING A RECEIVER. We’re still in the early stages of the

NFL Draft process, but arguably the biggest moment ahead of the late April event is set to take place this upcoming week. The NFL Scouting Combine begins Thursday and will run through next

Sunday. Here’s who draft experts have the Patriots selecting with the 14th overall pick and some players to keep an eye on during the week. NFL NETWORK’S DANIEL JEREMIAH: OREGON CB CHRISTIAN

GONZALEZ Jeremiah, who is the NFL Network’s top draft analyst, actually listed five prospects who he views as Patriot-type players during a conference call on Friday. However, Gonzalez

wasn’t one of them. Still, he views Gonzalez as one of three players in the top tier for cornerback prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft. Advertisement: “Bill Belichick nabs a height-weight-speed

corner who can play the ball,” Jeremiah wrote in his brief description of the pick in his mock draft. The Oregon product is listed at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, running a reported 4.32

40-yard dash, so Jeremiah’s description of Gonzalez certainly checks out. Gonzalez transferred to Oregon after two seasons at Colorado ahead of the 2022 season. He had a strong season with

the Ducks, recording seven pass breakups, three interceptions, and 45 tackles, helping him earn first-team All-Pac-12 honors. Opposing quarterbacks completed 39 of 64 passes for just 495

yards and three touchdowns when throwing in Gonzalez’s direction, per Pro Football Focus. ESPN’S MEL KIPER JR.: ILLINOIS CB DEVON WITHERSPOON Kiper has the Patriots selecting a different

corner with their first-round pick. Advertisement: “Will the Patriots bring back free agent corner Jonathan Jones? That could determine what Bill Belichick & Co. do here, because this is

a strong cornerback class in the back half of Round 1,” Kiper wrote. “There could be a run on defensive backs in the 20s. Witherspoon is my top-ranked corner, a long and physical player who

shut down an entire side of the field for the Fighting Illini. He also is not afraid to stick his head in and make a tackle.” As Kiper mentioned, many draft analysts view Witherspoon as the

top cornerback prospect in this year’s class. Witherspoon was arguably the top corner in college football this past season. He had three interceptions and allowed just 22 receptions on 63

targets in 2022, per PFF, helping him become a unanimous All-American. Witherspoon has good physical traits, too. He stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs 180 pounds while reportedly running a 4.39

40-yard dash in the past, giving him a good combination of size and speed to matchup with receivers on the outside. If the Patriots re-sign Jones or address their corner situation this

offseason, he thinks they could select a receiver or an offensive tackle to help out Mac Jones with their first-round pick. ESPN’S TODD MCSHAY: PENN STATE CB JOEY PORTER JR. Another

cornerback! Advertisement: Porter Jr., who’s the son of former Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, is the third corner that’s viewed in that top tier of prospects at that position in this draft

class. Like Kiper, McShay thinks the Patriots might feel pressed to select a corner due to Jonathan Jones’s free-agent status. “Porter had only one career interception at Penn State (in

2021), but he broke up 11 passes last season,” McShay wrote of the pick. “He has length and plays a physical brand of football, rerouting receivers off the line of scrimmage and outmuscling

them on 50-50 balls despite weighing just 198 pounds.” Part of the reason why Porter might not have recorded many interceptions is that he wasn’t targeted much in coverage. The receiver he

covered was targeted just 30 times over 10 games, allowing 15 completions for 143 yards and zero touchdowns in 2022, per PFF. That helped him earn a spot on the first-team All-Big Ten. Like

Gonzalez and Witherspoon, Porter has good size too. He stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 198 pounds. However, he has a slower 40-yard time than the other two, running a reported 4.47 40-yard

dash in the past. YAHOO! SPORTS’ CHARLES MCDONALD: USC WR JORDAN ADDISON The top of the wide receiver pool of prospects hasn’t been as touted as the cornerback prospects in the 2023 draft.

But wide receiver is still a need for the Patriots, and that’s why McDonald has them selecting Addison. Advertisement: “New England needs offensive talent to go along with the scheme

overhaul,” McDonald wrote. “Jordan Addison would fit well in the offenses that Bill O’Brien has run in the past, so he gets added to a group that needs polish and big-play ability at wide

receiver.” Addison has arguably been the best receiver in college football over the last two seasons. He had 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns at the University of Pittsburgh

in 2021. He transferred to USC in 2022, catching 59 passes from Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams for 875 yards and eight touchdowns while in three fewer games (11) than he did the year

before (14). McDonald isn’t alone in his thinking that Addison would be a good fit for the Patriots. Jeremiah also mentioned that the USC product would be the best option for the Patriots if

they wanted to select a receiver with their first-round pick. Addison isn’t physically overwhelming or underwhelming, standing at exactly 6 feet tall and weighing 175 pounds. He’s ran a

reported 4.39 40-yard dash in the past. THE DRAFT NETWORK’S KEITH SANCHEZ: TEXAS TECH DE TYREE WILSON Sanchez threw a bit of a curveball in his mock draft by having the Patriots select an

edge rusher. He admitted that it isn’t a conventional pick, but also believes Wilson might be too good for the Patriots to pass up. “The Patriots should choose to surround Mac Jones with

more weapons, but I think they stay true to their roots and address this defensive front,” Sanchez wrote. “Tyree Wilson has a skill set perfect for Bill Belichick’s multiple-front defense.

The Patriots have some talent up front, but the way this team is currently constructed, I think their defense is going to have to be one of the best in the NFL for the Patriots to have the

opportunity to make a deep playoff run.” Advertisement: Wilson was a force this past season at Texas Tech, recording eight sacks and 32 hurries in 10 games before a foot injury sidelined him

for the final few games of the season, per PFF. He also presents tremendous size, standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing 275 pounds. The Patriots had the league’s best pass-rush duo in terms of

sacks last season in Matthew Judon and Josh Uche. However, Judon will turn 31 before the 2023 season begins and Uche will enter the final year of his rookie deal, so they might have a need

there soon. It’s also never a bad thing to add talent at a premium position. NBC SPORTS BOSTON’S PHIL PERRY: TCU WR QUENTIN JOHNSTON In a seven-round Patriots-centered mock draft, Perry has

New England selecting someone who he feels Mac Jones can “grow old with.” “[Johnston’s] a true ‘X’ with all the physical tools you could want,” Perry wrote. “He might last this long [in the

draft] because he doesn’t always make the most of his imposing frame. But with Johnston in the fold, the Patriots would have someone who would allow DeVante Parker to be more of a

situational player, while the rookie would be the one to consistently threaten safeties and draw two sets of eyes on a snap-to-snap basis.” Johnston was an integral part of TCU’s run to

reach the national title game in 2022. He had 60 receptions for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns over 13 games (though he missed part of those games due to injuries). Johnston, along with

Addison and Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba, has been commonly viewed as the best receiver prospects in this draft class. The edge Johnston has over those two is his size. He stands at

6-foot-4 and weighs 215 pounds, making him a more imposing threat on the outside than the other two receivers. Advertisement: Ahead of the combine, Johnston has reportedly run a 4.40 40-yard

dash in the past. If he can prove himself to be one of the quicker receivers in this draft class, he might solidify himself as the top receiver among his peers. ESPN’S MATT MILLER: PENN

STATE CB JOEY PORTER JR. (ROUND 1), SYRACUSE OT MATTHEW BERGERON (ROUND 2) Like one of his ESPN colleagues, Miller also has the Patriots selecting Porter with their first-round pick. “Major

upgrades are needed across the board, and for the first time in a very long time, New England can truly select the best prospect available,” Miller wrote of the Patriots’ first-round

selection in his mock draft. He also noted, as the stats show, that “Big Ten quarterbacks largely ignored [Porter’s] side of the field.” In his two-round mock draft, Miller has the Patriots

filling another need with the No. 46 overall pick. “Bergeron would fill a huge need at a massive value,” Miller wrote. “At 6-5 and 323 pounds, he doesn’t have the quickness for every team,

but his power and length show up routinely. Trent Brown has only one more season under contract, and Isaiah Wynn will be a free agent this spring.” Bergeron was a force for Syracuse at left

tackle over the last two seasons, allowing just six sacks, five quarterback hits, and 12 hurries over that stretch, per PFF. SIGN UP FOR PATRIOTS UPDATES🏈 Get breaking news and analysis

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