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Projecting the Patriots' 2020 Draft Class

Who should the New England Patriots consider taking in the 2020 NFL Draft?

Alex Valles

Projecting the Patriots' 2020 Draft Class
Projecting the Patriots' 2020 Draft Class /

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Some might say it's a bit too early to look ahead at the 2020 NFL Draft. Do you know what we say to those people? Never. 

With 14 picks in next year's draft, the New England Patriots are in an excellent position to add to what is already viewed as one of the best rosters in the NFL.

While it's unlikely they end up using all 14 picks, Bill Belichick and Co. are in a great position to maneuver up and down the draft board as they tend to do. 

Given their substantial amount of picks, it would be easy to envision the Patriots trading up more than once to get some of the prospects that are listed at the top of their board. But just who might those prospects be nine months from now?

Today we take a look at the top five prospects that all Patriots fans should keep an eye on as we slowly inch closer and closer to the 2020 NFL Draft.

1.) Anfernee Jennings, EDGE

Photo by Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Losing Trey Flowers was arguably the biggest loss for New England this past off-season. However, they helped offset his loss by trading for veteran defensive end Michael Bennett and drafting a high-energy edge rusher in Chase Winovich in the third round of the 2019 Draft.

Bennett had nine sacks this past season which would have been good for best on the team. Given his production in years past, you should not expect too much of a drop off in the pass rush when you substitute Bennett for Flowers. The only problem is that Bennett turns 34 in November and with the lack of a true stud at the defensive end position, the Patriots would be wise to target one early in the 2020 Draft. Anfernee Jennings could be that guy.

Jennings is coming off an extremely productive Junior campaign in which he posted 51 tackles, 14 TFL's and 6.5 sacks. He also recorded a team-high 11 pass-breakups which goes to show you how active his hands in rushing the passer. 

The Alabama defensive end also has championship pedigree as he's been on a team that reached the National Championship each of the past three seasons and won the whole thing in 2017. Jennings knows what it takes to play for a legendary coach and the expectations that come with being a championship contender year in and year out, making him a perfect fit for New England.

If Jennings has strong enough senior campaign then he could be selected as early as the 20-25th overall pick, which means they may have to trade up to get him. This is similar to when they traded up to get Chandler Jones with the 21st pick in 2012.

2.) Colby Parkinson, TE

Photo by Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

It probably looks as if the media scrutiny of the Patriots' tight end position is akin to beating a dead horse. While that may be a fair assessment, the position group is in the worst shape it's been in since 2010 (the year they moved on from Ben Watson to Rob Gronkowski.

New England currently carries five tight ends on their 90-man roster that includes: Watson, Matt LaCosse, Stephen Anderson, Ryan Izzo, and Andrew Beck. Hard to be excited about any of these guys? I don't blame you.

Watson is suspended for the first four games of the 2019 regular season due to a PED suspension. LaCosse's best season came last year when he posted 24 receptions for 250 yards and one touchdown. Anderson failed to see any regular-season action this past year while on the Patriots' practice squad. And Izzo and Beck are more blocking tight ends than they are receivers. 

It's clear the team needs a major upgrade at the position.

Colby Parkinson out of Stanford just might be the perfect answer. 

Parkinson stands at 6-foot-7, 240 lbs and currently provides a valuable red-zone target for Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello. The tight end is coming off an excellent sophomore season in which he recorded 29 receptions for 485 yards and seven touchdowns. That means he averaged a ridiculous 16.7 yards per reception.

Parkinson is no slouch as a blocker either as he is constantly seen burying his nose into the chest of defensive lineman in the run game. Given his ability as a pass-catcher and effective run blocker, it would be a no-brainer for New England to select him early in the second round. 

3.) Xavier McKinney, S

Photo by Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

With rumors circulating that Devin McCourty may have retired this past off-season, it's time for the Patriots to consider looking at drafting his replacement. 

McCourty has not only been a force on the field for New England but has also played an even bigger role as a leader in the locker room. The standout safety has played an instrumental role in each of the past three championships runs. So when the former three-time second-team All-Pro decides to hang them up, the Patriots can't afford to miss on his replacement. 

Alabama safety Xavier McKinney has the skills to fill McCourty's shoes. 

McKinney primarily played on special teams in his freshman season at Alabama but broke out in a major way in his sophomore campaign as he was awarded top safety in the SEC by PFF for passer rating allowed this past season. 

While McKinney is excellent in pass coverage, he may be equally as good in his contribution in the run game. Take a look at how quick he explodes downfield to make a tackle on this running back in open space.

He might already be a better tackler than McCourty...

4.) Willie Gay Jr., OLB

Photo by Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

New England fan favorite Kyle Van Noy is entering the final season of his contract in 2019. While the Patriots would love to keep him around, it's very likely that a team offers a contract that is too rich for New England to match. 

Van Noy played an instrumental role not only in coverage this past season but also as a pass rusher. In the AFC Championship Game, he recorded two huge sacks on Patrick Mahomes. He was also able to bring Jared Goff down in the Super Bowl for a big loss that forced the Rams to punt late in the second quarter.

In two and a half seasons with the Patriots, Van Noy has virtually been all over the field proving to be an absolute steal as it only cost them a sixth-round pick to acquire him from the Detroit Lions in 2016. 

After the 2019 season, it's time the 28-year-old linebacker gets the contract he deserves. If Van Noy chooses to part ways with New England then Willie Gay Jr. out of Mississippi State would be a perfect replacement.

Willie Gay Jr. is the son of former Steelers defensive back Willie Gay and looks to be just as fast as his father who played 11 seasons in the NFL. That is pretty scary considering Gay Jr. checks in at 6-foot-2, 240 lbs compared to his dad who stood at 5-foot-10, 185 lbs.

This past season Gay Jr. set career-highs in tackles (48), tackles for loss (5.5) and sacks (5.0). He also excels in pass coverage as he only allowed an incredible 25.8 passer rating when he was targeted in coverage. 

His pash rushing skills and his ability to match up with tight ends and running backs out of the backfield makes him a perfect candidate to replace Van Noy in 2020. If New England is lucky, Gay will fall to them at the end of the first round, or they could trade up to get him early in the second round. 

5.) K.J. Costello, QB 

Photo by Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Didn't the Patriots just draft Tom Brady's replacement when they selected Jarett Stidham? To answer bluntly; no.

I'm not as high on Stidham as other draft analysts and media personalities appear to be. The former Auburn quarterback struggled mightily this past season in some of the team's biggest games. 

Against LSU in the team's third game, Stidham completed 16-of-28 attempts for just 198 yards and two interceptions. He fared even worse against Alabama in the team's second-to-last game of the season, completing only 13-of-30 attempts for 127 yards and an INT.

In the biggest games, you want to see your quarterback play some of his best football and that just wasn't the case with Stidham this past season. Some blamed his offensive line and others blamed his receivers. But at some point, Stidham has to shoulder some of the blame as well. 

Stidham has a full NFL season to show New England's coaching staff in preseason and practice that he has what it takes to be Brady's successor. If not, don't be surprised to see the team selecting another quarterback early in the draft in 2020. Next year is projected to be a QB-heavy class, which would bode well for a team looking to draft a QB outside of the first round. If that's the case, then the Patriots should look no further than Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello.

Guys like Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm will likely be off the board by the time the Patriots are on the clock, but a guy like Costello could fall right into their laps late.

Operating out of primarily a pro-style offense (very similar to New England's system), Costello completed 269-of-413 passes (65.1%) for 3,540 yards and 29 touchdowns. His 3,540 yards this past season were the second-most in a single season in Stanford history. 

Being a two-time captain and having the football intelligence that Costello possesses will bode well for him in the pre-draft process. 

If he is able to show improvement from his junior to senior season, unlike Stidham, then the Patriots should seriously consider drafting him within the first three rounds.

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Alex Valles
ALEX VALLES

Contributor to Sports Xchange's Patriots Maven. Creator of Patriots Talk.

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