The Athletic

The New England Patriots scouting department has returned from Mobile, Ala., after taking in a week of Senior Bowl practices. They’ll now decompress, update their reports on players and prep for the NFL Scouting Combine and looming pro days. That makes this a fitting time for our first mock draft of the offseason. Plenty will change between now and the draft, and the Patriots’ approach in free agency next month could alter their plans, too. But for now, the top priority in the draft is improving the offense. Let’s dive in.