Patriots land pair of Hurricanes in 7-Round Mock 2021 NFL Draft

Round 6, Pick 191 – Khyiris Tonga, DT BYU

The Patriots struggled mightily on defense against both the run and the pass in 2020. As a result, New England stumbled to a disappointing 6-10 finish. One reason for the lack of success upfront was the absence of consistent pressure up the middle. The team lost former nose tackle Danny Shelton to the Detroit Lions, and the run defense struggled in return. One player that could interest Belichick and the defensive staff in this 2021 NFL Draft is BYU run-stuffer Khyiris Tonga.

Similar to Shelton, Tonga is a people-mover and gigantic human being at 6-foot-4, 321 pounds with surprising athleticism for his size. Tonga came to BYU as a former two-way player on the offensive line, defensive line and even spent time at the tight end position. These kinds of versatile athletes are invaluable to Belichick and make Tonga a valued new member of this New England defensive squad.

Round 7, Pick 239 – Josh Sills, OG Oklahoma State

I previously mentioned New England’s lack of depth, and that issue could intensify with the potential losses of Joe Thuney, David Andrews, and James Ferentz to free agency. The team will need to do some damage control here if those players are allowed to walk.

Sills is a player with great size with plenty of starting experience at West Virginia and then with Oklahoma State in 2020 as a graduate transfer. He’s a former All-Big 12 second-teamer that profiles as a solid starter in the 2021 NFL Draft at either guard spot.