The New England Patriots must improve their linebacking corps this offseason, and NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein has them doing just that in his latest mock draft.
In Zierlein’s mock, published Tuesday on NFL.com, the Patriots select Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd with the 21st overall pick.
“Lloyd’s highly physical playing style checks the first box Bill Belichick looks for from his linebackers,” Zierlein wrote. “He won’t offer a ton of help in coverage but he will improve the Patriots’ speed at the position.”
Listed at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, Lloyd is smaller than the Patriots typically like their ‘backers, but he’d add speed and playmaking ability to a unit that lacked both late in the 2021 season.