TE Amaro, DE Tuitt pegged for Pats in latest ESPN mock draft


The NFL draft isn't until May 8, but that just gives us more time to over-analyze prospects and make projections. ESPN's draft experts Mel Kiper Jr and Todd McShay have gotten to an early start, releasing their second (of many) mock drafts yesterday.

Kiper sticks to his guns from their first mock draft, pegging Texas Tech tight end Jace Amaro as the Patriots pick, while also mentioning Notre Dame's Troy Niklas as a potential tight end fallback option if Amaro is already off the board. McShay's pick for the Patriots in their first mock draft, Michigan State corner Darqueze Dennard, is already off the board this time before the Patriots 29th pick, leaving McShay to list Notre Dame DE Stephon Tuitt as the pick.

At 6'5" and 260 pounds, Amaro is widely regarded as the second best tight end prospect in the draft, trailing only North Carolina's Eric Ebron. While he lacks the elite athleticism of Ebron, Amaro might be the most well rounded TE prospect in the draft. An excellent receiver, Amaro set an NCAA record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a season in 2013, with his 1,352 yards breaking James Casey's record of 1,329. The biggest concerns about Amaro center around his ability to adapt to a pro scheme (he played exclusively in Texas Tech's wide open spread offense) and questions about his maturity and attitude.


Niklas would be a bit of a reach in the first round (most projections currently have him as a second or third round pick) but the Notre Dame junior is an intriguing prospect. At 6'7" and 270 pounds, Niklas has prototypical NFL size and strength. The biggest knock on him is that he's relatively unproven; Niklas only started one year at Notre Dame thanks to being stuck behind Mackey award winner Tyler Eifert. However, Niklas excelled as a blocker when playing behind Eifert and flashed receiving ability in 2013. While he lacks the athletic upside of an Amaro or Ebron, Niklas certainly has the talent to be a productive NFL starter.


While I like the way Kiper is thinking (tight end in the first round), I have to admit McShay's pick of Tuitt is tantalizing. A 6'6", 312 pound defensive lineman, Tuitt dominated his sophomore season, racking up 47 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one pass defensed and one blocked kick. Tuitt got off to a slow start in 2013, pushing his draft stock down a bit, but that was largely due to extra weight gained thanks to hernia surgery. If he is available at 29, his combination of size, athleticism and versatility (capable of playing inside and out, with experience in both a 3-4 and 4-3) could make him hard to pass up.



A best case scenario might entail Tuitt falling to the Patriots at 29, with Niklas available to fill the void at tight end in the second round. However, it's far too early to tell where these guys will be available, as there are still three full months of workouts, interviews and analysis to go until draft day.

Pats fans, who do YOU want to see the Patriots draft this year? Let us know in the comments.