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2020 NFL Mock Draft: Sifting through the pre-draft noise

By Jacob Camenker

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 05: Andrew Thomas #71 of the Georgia Bulldogs warms up on the field before the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 05: Andrew Thomas #71 of the Georgia Bulldogs warms up on the field before the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images) /
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SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 27: Austin Jackson #73 of the USC Trojans blocks A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half of the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl at SDCCU Stadium on December 27, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 27: Austin Jackson #73 of the USC Trojans blocks A.J. Epenesa #94 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the second half of the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl at SDCCU Stadium on December 27, 2019 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

. Defensive Lineman. New England Patriots. A.J. Epenesa. 23. player. 47

It seems highly likely that the Patriots will trade down from this pick. They simply have so many holes to fill and lack a second-round pick with which to tackle some of the receiver depth in this class.

However, I’m not projecting trades in this mock. So, I’m mocking a prospect to the Patriots who could make sense either at this pick or via a trade down.

A.J. Epenesa is a prototypical Patriots prospect. I mocked him to the Patriots in my last mock and will be sticking with it through the draft. Here’s what I said about Epenesa in that mock.

"The Patriots don’t have a lot of talent on the edge. Chase Winovich looked good as a pass rusher during his rookie season but the Pats need more than just one player up front, especially with Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy, two good pass-rushing linebackers, gone. Epenesa isn’t a particularly good athlete. But at 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, he has great size and length. And he was productive and well-coached under Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, where he logged 22 sacks combined in his final two collegiate seasons. Epenesa has good positional versatility, strength, and should be a good edge-setter at the next level. He’s not going to win with speed, but he won’t have to. And Belichick will find a way to utilize him in the team’s hybrid defense, and Epenesa could play all over the defensive line as a result."

Productive. Long. Big. Versatile. That sounds like a Patriots lineman to me. If they want a more athletic player, Yetur Gross-Matos should be in play here. So too could be an offensive lineman like Josh Jones or a receiver like Denzel Mims. But again, I expect they’ll move down and target a guy like Epenesa wherever they land.

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