The 2022 NFL Draft is just over a week away, which means that mock draft season is at an all-time high.

We’re hitting the final stretch of the pre-draft process, with the Senior Bowl, NFL Scouting Combine and pro days all in the rear-view mirror. All that remains is for teams to finalize their draft boards and figure out who the heck they’re going to pick.

For the New England Patriots, this year’s draft could represent a big swing. Could New England take a future star receiver at No. 21? Or will they work the rebuild the secondary or offensive line with that pick?

Draft pundits across the league have a wide range of opinions on who the Patriots are going to take with the first-round pick. Here’s a rundown of the most prominent NFL Draft experts’ most current mock drafts and who they have the Patriots taking:

• Todd McShay, ESPN: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia

“If you’ve read my other mock drafts this spring, you know I love this fit. Dean has some unbelievable tape, and coach Bill Belichick would get him involved on defense in a number of ways.”

• Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated: Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah

“This is a difficult one. I don’t like having Lloyd on the board for this long. I don’t necessarily like the Patriots taking him, but there isn’t a coach who could better serve the Utah star than Bill Belichick. Lloyd would help the Patriots create all kinds of legal defensive confusion. He can shoot upfield and take down backs, which is essential in a division with two teams regularly running outside zone. He can also take away intermediate targets, which seriously hampers the progression for two younger quarterbacks in the division.”

• Peter Schrager, NFL Network: Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington

“The Patriots didn’t re-sign J.C. Jackson and are looking at Jalen Mills and Malcolm Butler as the likely starting corners. Neither is the long-term answer at CB1. McDuffie has a lot of fans around the league.”

• Diante Lee, The Athletic: Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson

“The bottom third of the first round is stocked with good teams looking to retool or take on a new identity on the field. New England has lost Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson on the perimeter and brought in Raekwon McMillan and Mack Wilson to play lighter and faster in the box. Booth is versatile enough to play in any kind of scheme, plugs the holes left by some key departures and fits right into New England’s metamorphosis of playing more zone and using more speed in the defense.”

• Rob Rang, FOX Sports: Quay Walker, LB, Georgia

“Throughout much of the Bill Belichick era, the Patriots have boasted one of the NFL’s best linebacker corps. His group is facing a potentially significant transition in 2022, however, with longtime standouts Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins still on the free-agent market. Walker isn’t as polished as some of this year’s other stellar linebackers, but his frame and athleticism fit the Patriot Way, and Belichick, notably, was on hand at Georgia’s Pro Day to watch him and the rest of the talented Bulldogs work out.”

• Charles Davis, NFL Network: Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson

“The more you watch him on tape, the more you like what you see. The Pats have lost Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson over the last two years, so this Clemson Tiger will be drafted to play right now.”

• Mark Maske, The Washington Post: Kenyon Green, OL, Texas A&M

“The Patriots could plug in Green as an immediate starter on their offensive line and keep trying to use their rugged running game to aid the development of Mac Jones as a second-year quarterback.”

• Adam Rank, NFL.com: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

“Look, I know you haven’t been great at drafting wide receivers. But you can’t let that stop you from taking one here. You have to approach it with the same enthusiasm as my 3-year-old, who continues to think he’s ready to ride his sister’s Razor scooter despite things always ending horribly. This time could be different. Burks is legit.

• Nate Davis, USA TODAY: Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia (after trading down to No. 29)

“New England covets good football players, and Bill Belichick seems less likely to be deterred by Dean’s 5-11, 229-pound stature given how intelligent, instinctive and rangy the Butkus Award winner and leader of Georgia’s championship defense is. (Tedy Bruschi was undersized and underpowered once upon a time, too.) There also appears to be a need here given longtime Pats LB Dont’a Hightower remains a free agent.”

• Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports: Drake London, WR, USC

“London would give Mac Jones a large catch radius, YAC specialist.”

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

“The Patriots, should Wilson and Olave be gone, shouldn’t hesitate to pair Williams with another Alabama product in Mac Jones, who didn’t get to play with him in college. Williams is a big playmaker with the technical route-running skills and hands the Patriots like.”

• Dane Brugler, The Athletic: Dax Hill, DB, Michigan

“This is where we might see the first interior offensive lineman off the board, but Hill offers the position versatility and athleticism that will really appeal to Bill Belichick. Hill can step in at corner or nickel from day one and possibly be a long-term answer at safety. That versatility is a luxury in Belichick’s secondary.”

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