Secondary First: Patriots Priority Position in NFL Mock Draft?

The New England Patriots hold the No. 14 pick in the first round of this month's NFL Draft, giving the team options following an 8-9 campaign in 2022.

For what has been a whirlwind of an offseason for the New England Patriots - from hiring new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to rumors surrounding quarterback Mac Jones' future in Foxboro - it is hard to believe the NFL Draft is a mere few weeks away. 

New England heads into this month's draft currently with 11 selections, eight of which coming from through rounds 4-7. However, over the first two rounds it holds only its own picks, starting at No. 14 and followed by No. 46 after an 8-9 campaign in 2022. 

In ESPN's Mel Kiper's latest mock draft, the analyst predicts New England addressing its secondary with the first of those two selections and drafting Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez. 

"If the Patriots don't trade down to acquire more capital, I see corner or wideout as the position to target here" Kiper writes. "On offense, new coordinator Bill O'Brien has to get quarterback Mac Jones turned around after a disastrous 2022. The additions of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki in free agency will help, but there's room for another really good outside wideout."

Gonzalez, one of the most prized defensive players in this year's draft who has been linked to the Patriots in the past, registered 51 total tackles and seven pass deflection en route to earning All Pac-12 honors in 2022.

In Round 2, Kiper sees New England beefing up one of the league's best offensive lines according to Pro Football Network - selecting Syracuse offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron. 

"There will be good value for offensive tackles in Round 2; it's a strong class at the top," Kiper writes. "Bergeron is a riser after the combine and I've heard his name as a wild-card first-round pick. He started 39 games in college, playing both left and right tackle. He could play either spot in New England, which brought in Riley Reiff in free agency and has Trent Brown, who's a free agent in 2024, on the left side. 

By plugging in Bergeron, who became the first freshman offensive lineman to start for the Orange in nearly 20 years, this Patriots line will give much needed protection for Jones and running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and new addition James Robinson.

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