2013 DBN Mock Draft: New England Patriots Select Johnathan Hankins at No. 29

With the 29th pick in the 2013 Dawgs By Nature NFL Community Mock Draft, the New England Patriots select...

Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State

This selection and write-up was made by roar888:

I was pleasantly surprised as I watched the top DT prospects drop toward the bottom half of the first round. While I know the talk around the water cooler is that the Patriots' most glaring need is at WR, this draft is extremely deep at receiver. If the Patriots stay at 29 (it's not clear whether they're looking to trade back to the early second round or not), Hankins is a great grab for a defensive line that needs a young upgrade to pair with Vince Wilfork.

Hankins is a versatile addition to both the pass rush and run defense. He possesses a great combination of skills, including the ability to eat up blocks, attract double teams, and push the pocket, as well as disrupt the backfield with good quickness for his size. The Patriots have the right pieces to take advantage of his upside while mitigating his downside (lack of stamina) with their depth at DT. With both Brandon Deaderick and Kyle Love in the final year of their contracts, Hankins is a potential long-term solution for the Patriots on both rushing and passing downs.

I think Johnathan Hankins is an instant impact player for New England despite concerns about his stamina entering the NFL. If the Patriots land him at 29, look for them to platoon him with Deaderick and Love, slowly increasing his playing time as they condition him to become an every down asset.

If the Patriots lost their third-round pick by signing Emmanuel Sanders, they are going to have to make their draft picks count, because they don't have many of them. The Patriots have not drafted very well on defense in my opinion, but they should still keep the focus there, as any Tom Brady-led offense will thrive regardless.

The Atlanta Falcons are up next, led by Matt Wood.

2013 DBN Community Mock Draft Results (so far)