New ESPN two-round mock draft has Patriots double up on defense

As much as the Patriots need to improve the offense for Mac Jones’s sake, they also have a clear need to get younger and faster on defense.

Combine that with some injuries to top talents at wide receiver, and it’s possible New England spends at least one high draft pick on revamping defensive positions of need like cornerback or linebacker.

ESPN’s Jordan Reid’s latest mock draft gives you a glimpse of what that might look like.

Reid’s projection for the Patriots’ first two rounds of the draft has them doubling up on defense with the No. 21 and No. 54 picks, starting with selecting Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. in the first round.

“Booth is a ball hawk (five picks over the past two seasons) with the tools and technique to fit in Bill Belichick’s versatile scheme,” Reid said of the Clemson corner. “He improved as the season went along, showing off his ability to create turnovers. Booth has great instincts against the pass and run, and he has the talent to be an early starter in the NFL.”

One thing you’ll notice when you look at Booth on film: his tackling. He flies to the football with purpose and excels at bringing ball carriers down in space. Those fundamentals could endear him to Belichick both in terms of playing on defense and potentially on special teams.

His situational awareness and sticky coverage ability often led teams to keep the ball away from his side of the field when playing Clemson. When they challenged him, Booth rarely looked out of place and was frequently in position to make a tackle or play the football.

Adding him to the secondary could accomplish two things: significantly upgrading the cornerback position opposite J.C. Jackson (assuming he re-signs with the Patriots) and providing insurance in the event Jackson leaves town in the near future.

That might also be part of the goal behind Reid mocking Wyoming linebacker Chad Muma to New England in the second round.

“The Patriots covet size with their linebackers, and Muma brings that and much more. At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, he has plenty of physical ability and is a spark plug against the run,” Reid writes.

Muma’s size and length certainly projects as someone who could help fill the void if Dont’a Hightower or Ja’Whaun Bentley, who are hitting free agency, don’t return to the Patriots next season.

But if you think Muma just sounds like another “thumper” that doesn’t do much else besides play the run, think again.

The two-year starter is a converted safety, and his coverage ability and athleticism were apparent on his three interceptions — two of which went back for touchdowns. He’s rangy with good speed in space and made a lot of tackles by outracing blockers to the point of attack and through pure hustle.

He also has a blocked kick to his name, which is something Belichick and his staff will almost certainly love when they watch his tape.

Depending on what the Patriots add to either their receiver room or defense in free agency, Booth or Muma — maybe even both — might indeed be on the table in the first few rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.