INDIANAPOLIS — NFL free agency begins March 9 and the draft takes place April 28-30, but preparation for those two events has already begun across the league. One huge stop along the way is the NFL’s scouting combine, which begins Wednesday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Patriots lost their first-round pick due to the Deflategate flap, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be able to address some of their needs in this draft. As it stands now — and this view could change after free agency in March — here’s our take on their top five positions of need:
1.