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How many Patriots draft picks can you guess right? - Boston Herald

Spending so much time at home has some resorting to watching old games. No thanks. Not knowing what’s going to happen makes sports interesting, and if you already know the score, what’s the point?

The NFL draft lies at the opposite end of the mystery spectrum. Even the little information that leaks out could be for misinformation purposes. Let them think you’re hot on this prospect’s trail, hoping they’ll feel pressure to beat you to him so that you can pick the player you really wanted. Trying to read Bill Belichick’s mind is tougher than speed-reading James Joyce and then passing a reading-comprehension test.

A suggestion to pass the time and feed the sports fix as we stay at home to flatten the curve: Start a winner-take-all pool, and by all I mean all the bragging rights, of course, but you already knew that. No wagering, please.

At the moment, the Patriots have 12 draft picks. List 12 names. The participant who gets the most names right wins the pool. You don’t have to put them in the order they’re drafted. The name of one of the Pats’ draft choices is on your list, you get credit for the pick.

The Patriots have a first-round pick, three in the third round, one in the fourth, one in the fifth, four in the sixth and two in the seventh. By number, the choices are 23, 87, 98, 100, 125, 172, 195, 204, 212, 213, 230 and 241.

They undoubtedly will move up, down or both throughout the draft, but for the purposes of this pool you get 12 choices. Use them wisely.

Since the goal is to win the pool, not to get all 12 right (impossible), the smartest strategy is to hit the earliest dense cluster and use most of your picks there. The Pats have three late third-round slots in the span of 14 picks (87 through 100).

Why waste a guess on a first-round choice? Even if you guess right as to which receiver the Patriots like best among a handful who might get drafted in that area, you could still get it wrong if they draft another position.

By hammering the 87 through 100 range with positions you perceive to be of great need to the Patriots, you improve your odds.

They also have a cluster of three slots in a 10-pick span (204-213), but the later the draft extends, the tougher it is to guess right, so play hunches here late in the draft, but don’t go wild.

Enough stalling. It’s time for me to reveal my 12 names, listed in alphabetical order so as not to cause any confusion about this being a mock draft:

Tyler Biadasz, center, Wisconsin: He didn’t miss any games in his three seasons as a starter for the Badgers, but he missed the combine because of shoulder surgery and also had hip surgery before last season. The Patriots need to replace Ted Karras, who departed via free agency, especially since David Andrews missed last season with a blood clot.

Rodrigo Blankenship, kicker, Georgia: The Patriots are as likely as any team to use a pick on a kicker since they have 12 picks and don’t have a kicker. He’s considered the best pick, so Blankenship should be on every list in the pool.

Hunter Bryant, tight end, Washington: On the small side to project as a punishing blocker, he nonetheless is intriguing because he averaged 15.9 yards on his 52 catches.

Bryan Edwards, wide receiver, South Carolina: A broken foot kept him out of the NFL combine, so maybe he can be available later than had he participated.

Scott Frantz, offensive tackle, Kansas State: As a redshirt freshman, Frantz neutralized Myles Garrett as no one else had that season, but he fell short of projections after that. Maybe the Patriots can select him in the seventh round and find a way to unlock the beast within.

Jake Fromm, quarterback, Georgia: Grades high in football IQ, so Pats’ complex offense won’t intimidate him. But will he still be there at 87?

Antonio Gibson, wide receiver/running back, Memphis: After spending two years in junior college, Gibson showed a knack for finding the end zone. Caught 44 passes in two years and turned them into 10 touchdowns. Rushed the ball 33 times and found the end zone four times. He averaged 19 yards per catch and 11.2 yards per rush. If he could make the transition to running back with the Patriots, James White won’t be the only one making catches out of the backfield in big numbers.

Jake Hanson, center, Oregon: If they can’t get Biadasz, maybe Hanson can fit their needs. In his first three seasons, Hanson didn’t allow a sack in 2,738 snaps.

Brycen Hopkins, tight end, Purdue: Not having an offensive force making catches over the middle downfield from the tight end position killed the Pats last year. He fits their needs.

Nate Stanley, quarterback, Iowa: Dual-threat quarterbacks are all the rage, which means this 6-foot-4, 243-pound pocket passer can be had later than his talent indicates he should last.

Alex Taylor, offensive tackle, South Carolina State: A more experienced basketball than football player, Taylor has the potential to develop into a force once he puts more good weight on his 6-foot-8 frame, which carried 308 pounds in college.

Logan Wilson, linebacker, Wyoming: I sat in the stands for the first half of the Cowboys’ 17-7 win over Colorado State and watched him intercept a pass in sub-zero temperatures. Hall of Fame baseball writer Tracy Ringolsby spent a good portion of the weekend extolling his many virtues, and I kept thinking to myself what a perfect Patriot he would make.

How many can you get right? What’s your list?

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How many Patriots draft picks can you guess right? - Boston Herald
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