New England Patriots: 7-Round 2019 NFL mock draft in early April

Tom Brady does a fantastic job of getting the most out of the talent on the roster. He has proven time and time again that he can compete with an underwhelming group of pass catchers, and he will have to do so again if things stay as they stand now.

Right now, aside from Julian Edelman, the New England Patriots have little to speak of at the wide receiver position. On top of that, they do not even have Rob Gronkowski to lean on anymore. Simply put, Belichick and company need to find Brady at least one viable pass catcher in the 2019 NFL Draft, preferably more than one.

With their first of two second-round selections, the New England Patriots find Brady a pass catcher by taking wide receiver Deebo Samuel out of South Carolina.

Samuel is my favorite wide receiver prospect in this draft class. Using fantastic short area quickness and smooth route running, Samuel consistently gets open on the field. He is a smart and instinctual player who has the physical skill set to beat man-to-man coverage and find open space against zone.

He uses impressive change of direction to create separation and is particularly impressive in doing so out of the slot. Samuel also shows strong hands, consistently making catching the ball away from his body and even showing the ability to do so in traffic. Once he has the ball in his hands, Samuel is a true weapon in the open field, making defenders miss with impressive elusiveness. He has surprising power, consistently picking extra yardage after first contact.

Samuel is a talented receiver who has a lot of natural upside at the next level. He struggled with injuries in college, and that is a concern, but there is so much to like about his overall game that he is undoubtedly worth the risk in the second round.

While Samuel can compete on the outside, he is best when primarily used in the slot. Nobody loves slot receivers more than the New England Patriots, and if they are able to land Samuel, they would undoubtedly be able to put him in a position to succeed right away. This is the kind of move that could help the Patriots compete now and in the future.