Projo Pats Blog

This isn't news to most NFL fans, but the draft is coming up April 25-26. First-round mock drafts have become a cottage industry, as NFL experts try to predict where college players will make their professional home.

It is an inexact science, of course, as is the real draft. There are always players who are chosen higher than what observers believe, and there's always a player or two who waits longer than expected to hear his name called off an index card by league commissioner Roger Goodell.

Who do some experts think the New England Patriots will select with the 23rd pick in the first round? Glad you asked. Here's a roundup of the latest mock drafts from around the web, and you'll see that there's not really a consensus among them:

espn.com's Todd McShay: Clay Matthews, LB, Southern California

espn.com's Mel Kiper:Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut

cbssports.com's panel of NFL experts:
Rob Rang: Larry English, DE/LB, Northern Illinois
Chad Reuter: Brian Cushing, LB, Southern California
Michael Lombardi: Larry English, DE/LB, Northern Illinois
Pete Prisco: Vontae Davis, CB, Illinois
Clark Judge: Clay Matthews, LB, Southern California

nfl.com's quartet of analysts:
Charles Davis: Clay Matthews, LB, Southern California
Steve Wyche: Clay Matthews, LB, Southern California
Jamie Dukes: Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut
Pat Kirwan: Clay Matthews, LB, Southern California

sportingnews.com: Paul Kruger, DE, Utah

Dallas Morning News NFL reporter Rick Gosselin:Clay Matthews, LB, Southern California

scout.com's Chris Steuber: Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest

Yahoo! sports, selected by National Football Post: Darius Butler, CB, Connecticut

nbcsports.com/rotoworld.com's Evan Silva: Connor Barwin, DE/LB, Cincinnati

profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio: Rey Maualuga, LB, Southern California

Some experts were brave enough to try multi-round mocks; New England currently has three picks in the second round -- number 34 from Kansas City, number 47 from San Diego, and their natural pick at number 58.

Kiper sees the Patriots picking these players in the second: 34, Connor Barwin, DE/LB, Cincinnati; 47, Sean Smith, CB, Utah; 58, Pat White, QB/WR, West Virginia.

Sportingnews.com's second round picks for the Pats: 34, Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest; 47, Donald Brown, RB, Connecticut; 58, Kraig Urbik, G, Wisconsin.

The National Football Post predicts this for round two: 34, Brian Cushing, LB, Southern California; 47, Alex Mack, C, California; 58, Andre Brown, RB, North Carolina State.

 Tags  NFL draft

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