New England Patriots: Early 3-round 2019 mock draft

Round 3: Zach Allen, DE, Boston College

The Patriots are having trouble getting to the passer. Luckily, they play in a division with mediocre to bad quarterback play. Their inability to get to the passer is painfully obvious, still, and could be a problem moving forward. They average just 1.5 sacks per game.

Defensive end, Adrian Clayborn hasn’t done much of anything and he could save them $4 million if he’s cut this offseason. 2017 third-round pick, defensive end Derek Rivers, is still a developing prospect, while his draft mate, Deatrich Wise has shown promise.

Their interior line play is lacking. Danny Shelton can’t crack the starting lineup. While Malcolm Brown hasn’t done anything noteworthy since being selected in first round in 2015. So, the Patriots could look to draft a guy with versatility.

Zach Allen from Boston College could line up at defensive end or defensive tackle. Allen is 6-5, 285 pounds who plays on the edge at Boston College. But his skill-set makes him an intriguing three-technique.

Because of his raw power and ability to control offensive lineman he’d help improve their run game. While he doesn’t have elite quickness, he understands how to shoot the gaps. He gets skinny and presses the line. It’s why he has more than 30 tackles for loss over two seasons. And it’s why he’d make a great way to finish off Day 2 for New England.