Patriots 7-Round Mock Draft: Keldric Faulk Picked First as New England Loads Up On Defense

The NFL Draft is just days away now, and the excitement is at an all-time high. In three days, we’ll know where each of the draft’s top prospects will end up, and fans around the league will either be very excited for their future or very angry at their team for making what they believe is a bad pick.

As we’ve been counting down the days to the draft, we at EssentiallySports have been creating one seven-round mock draft a day until we cover all 32 NFL teams. Today, we’re going to highlight the New England Patriots, who hold the 31st pick in the draft after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.

Round 1, Pick 31: ED Keldric Faulk

NCAA, College League, USA Football: SEC Media Day, July 15, 2025, Atlanta, GA, USA.An Auburn Tigers defensive lineman, Keldric Faulk, answers questions from the media during SEC Media Days at the Omni Atlanta Hotel. Atlanta Omni Atlanta Hotel GA USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJordanxGodfreex 20250715_jla_th5_049

If you’ve watched any of our live mock drafts over the past couple of weeks, you’ll know I’m not too high on Keldric Faulk. I can see the appeal—he’s 6-foot-6, 276 pounds and is a really good athlete – but as a Saints fan, I can’t get Marcus Davenport out of my head. He was another athletic guy without a ton of college production, and he never panned out in the league.

Someone is going to take a shot on Faulk, and it’s probably going to be earlier than No. 31, but in our mock, he was still on the board and would fit in well in the New England Patriots’ defense. He just needs the proper coaching to reach his maximum potential, and I think New England can get the most out of him.

Round 2, Pick 63: LB Anthony Hill Jr.

I’m a big fan of Anthony Hill Jr. At one point, I had him as a first-round prospect. I don’t think he will be a first-rounder anymore, but that just shows how high I am on him. You don’t find many players that are his age with his production anymore.

In three years at Texas, Hill started all three years and totaled 250 tackles, 17 sacks, and eight forced fumbles. This is a very deep linebacker class, but he might be my top linebacker available on day two. I really like Jacob Rodriguez, but Hill’s ceiling is very high in my opinion.

New England doesn’t really have that star off-ball linebacker, so Hill would fit right in.

Round 3, Pick 95: S Zakee Wheatley

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 26: Penn State defensive back Zakee Wheatley answers questions from the media during the NFL American Football Herren USA Scouting Combine on February 26, 2026, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire NFL: FEB 26 Scouting Combine EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602263378

I love the Kevin Byard pickup for New England, but they still need a long-term solution at safety now that Jaylinn Hawkins has left the building. There are a lot of good safeties in round one, but if they could land Zakee Wheatley in round three, I think the Patriots would be ecstatic.

In 2025, Wheatley played 325 coverage snaps and allowed just 36 receiving yards and one touchdown with an interception. He was targeted just 10 times all year and never gave up more than 10 yards in a single game. He was a bright spot on Penn State’s defense, and if the Nittany Lions didn’t fall off the face of the Earth last season, he’d be getting a lot more hype.

Round 4, Pick 125: OT Isaiah World

I don’t think offensive tackle is as big a need as people say, but it’s hard to pass up on Isaiah World here. If he didn’t tear his ACL in January, he would go much, much higher than round four. But he did, and that’s obviously going to be a turn-off for a lot of teams, but New England needs depth at tackle, so if they do need to move Will Campbell to guard, they have another option in the building already.

I don’t think they’ll need to move Campbell to guard, so they could have World move to the right side and learn behind Morgan Moses for a year or two. Then, once Moses moves on, World could step into a starting spot if they deem him ready.

Round 4, Pick 131: TE Michael Trigg

NCAA, College League, USA Football 2025: Utah Vs. Baylor NOV 15, November 15, 2025 Baylor Bears tight end Michael Trigg (1) catches a pass against Utah Utes safety Jackson Bennee 23 during the 1st half of the NCAA Football game between the Utah Utes and the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. Matthew Lynch/CSM Credit Image: Matthew Lynch/Cal Media Waco, TX, US EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xx ZUMA-20251115_zma_c04_379.jpg MatthewxLynchx, csmphotothree443177

There’s nothing wrong with Hunter Henry; he’s a fine option at tight end, but if New England wants to make their offense even more dynamic (which it will become after the AJ Brown trade), they need to add another athletic, downfield threat at tight end, and that’s exactly what Michael Trigg is.

Trigg is one of the best pass-catching tight ends in this class and has been super productive for Baylor over the past couple of seasons. Drake Maye needs weapons, so if New England can end up with a receiving core that consists of A.J. Brown, Kayshon Boutte, Romeo Doubs, Michael Trigg, and Hunter Henry, Maye will be very, very happy.

Round 5, Pick 171: WR Kendrick Law

Kendrick Law is 5feett 11, 203 pounds, and runs a 4.45-second 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical and a 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump. Needless to say, he’s a pretty dang good athlete. Unfortunately, Law was never able to reach his full potential at Alabama or Kentucky, never going for more than 600+ yards in a single season.

If the Pats actually trade for A.J. Brown, they’ll have a really strong receiver core, but there’s always room for depth, and Law could be a fun gadget player for New England’s offense.

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 26: North Carolina defensive back Thaddeus Dixon answers questions from the media during the NFL American Football Herren USA Scouting Combine on February 26, 2026, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire NFL: FEB 26 Scouting Combine EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2602260459

Thaddeus Dixon hasn’t played a whole lot of football due to some injuries, but when he’s on the field, he’s a pretty good football player. In 2024, he allowed a 46.9 percent completion rate and just 237 yards on 49 targets, but he missed a lot in 2025. The Patriots don’t need a cornerback, but you can never have too many players in the secondary.

Zane Durant has been a very productive DT in college for the past two seasons, but he’s only 6-foot-1, 290 pounds, so there’s some concern over how he’ll hold up in the NFL. Still, he’s a great athlete with a lot of production, and with Khyiris Tonga leaving, the Patriots could use some reinforcements on the inside of their defensive line.

Round 6, Pick 200: S Jalen Huskey

October 4, 2025, College Park, Maryland, USA: Maryland Terrapins defensive back JALEN HUSKEY, 22, focuses before the start of the game. The Washington Huskies defeated the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium in College Park, MD, on October 4, 2025. College Park USA – ZUMAp190 20251004_zsp_p190_004 Copyright: xNickxPiacentex

I know I have the Patriots taking a safety in round three, but Jalen Huskey was too good a talent to turn down at pick 200. The Maryland product was great in coverage last season, allowing just 11 catches for 81 yards with four interceptions on 18 targets. Those are pretty elite numbers. On top of that, he earned an 82.5 run defense grade with 20 run stops. He’s a great all-around safety who could provide quality depth on the backend.

Round 6, Pick 202: WR Zavion Thomas

Zavion Thomas is a bit like Kendrick Law in the fact that he was used as a gadget player in college, but I was there in person at his pro day, and he ran some really good routes. I was really impressed with his workout, so I have the Patriots trading their last two picks to move up to No. 202 and take the receiver with 4.28 speed.

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