With David Andrews a pending free agent, and no obvious replacement behind him, center looks to be one of the Patriots biggest needs heading into free agency and the draft. Even if Andrews re-signs, finding a quality backup helps prepare the team for the future, and would prevent a scramble situation in case of injury, like we saw last season.

On Tuesday, Patriots scouts were spotted at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Pro Day according to a tweet from Owen Riese. The workout at the Division-III powerhouse featured a single draft prospect – center Quinn Meinerz.

Meinerz was a three year starter at UWW before the 2020 D-III season was canceled due to COVID-19. Still, he got an invite to this year’s Senior Bowl where he garnered national attention for his compete level. Scouts were impressed with how he held up against D-I talent, after having not played competitively in over a  year.

While his skillset is still extremely raw, he’s not afraid to get physical and play downhill. At 6-foot-3, 320 pounds, he has the size to play center or guard at the next level, which will help with his development.

The Patriots have a tendency to draft physically-gifted, less technically sound linemen they feel they can coach up and mold (see: Michael Onwenu), which puts Meinerz right in their wheelhouse. He’s currently projected as a late Day 2 or early Day 3 pick.

Meinerz wasn’t the only offensive lineman the Patriots staff got an in-person look at on Tuesday. The team also had offensive line coaches at Northwestern to watch projected first-round pick Rashawn Slater.

MORE: Barth’s Patriots Mock Draft 1.0

• Round 1 Pick 15: Trade

  Share

  This trade makes sense for the Patriots because quality will be as important as quantity in this year’s draft. Yes, they move down 10 spots in the first round, but go up 49 spots from the third to second round, and 40 spots from the sixth to the fourth round. On top of that, there is absolutely no chance Bill Belichick keeps the Tom Brady comp pick, which is the third-rounder used here. He won’t allow Brady’s departure to be tied to one single player. If you thought the Jimmy Garoppolo trade tree was wild, just wait.

• Round 1 Pick 25: QB Mac Jones, Alabama

  Share

  Will the Patriots give Mac Jones the thumbs up on draft night? The Alabama signal caller is a high floor option who can facilitate an offense - assuming they use their bounty of cap space to vastly improve the talent around him.

• Round 2 Pick 46: LB Chazz Surratt, North Carolina

  Share

  The Patriots seem to have an affinity for players who changed positions during their college career (Jakobi Meyers, J.C. Jackson). Chazz Surratt is a quarterback-turned-linebacker who could fill Dont'a Hightower's role one day if they coach him up right.
• Round 2 Pick 47: Trade

  Share

  Once again, the Patriots move down to move up. By dropping five spots in the second round, they turn the second-to-last pick in this year’s fourth round into what should be an early-to-middle fourth round pick in 2022. That also recoups the future pick they gave up in the Jacksonville trade.

• Round 2 Pick 52: DL Marvin Wilson, Florida State

  Share

  The Patriots have a solid history with big yet athletic defensive linemen from ACC Florida schools, and Marvin Wilson fits that description. He moves surprisingly well given his 6-foot-3, 319 pound frame, which allows him to be effective in both 3-4 and 4-3 fronts. If he can learn to use his feet as effectively as he uses his hands, he can be a three-down problem for opposing offenses.

• Round 3 Pick 74: Trade

  Share

  Bill Belichick rarely lets major gaps pass without making a pick. 52 to 106 is too much of a break, so the Patriots use a future asset to jump back into the third round, and pick up a bonus top-100 pick.
• Round 3 Pick 74: WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas

  Share

  Jaelon Darden does most of his damage with yards after the catch, once telling a TV crew, “Making someone miss is like waking up in the morning and brushing my teeth…I gotta do it every day,” and “slow feet don’t eat.” He matches his twitch and elite footwork with explosiveness out of his cuts, which results in plays where he weaves his way between defenders as he gets downfield. The Patriots need a receiver who can do damage with the ball in his hands, wherever he has it on the field.

• Round 4 Pick 106: T James Hudson, Cincinnati

  Share

  James Hudson was originally recruited to Michigan as a defensive lineman, but switched to offense after transferring to Cincinnati. He's still raw when it comes to technique, but has a ton of physical upside. The Patriots have a history of turning those kinds of project linemen into starting-caliber players.

• Round 4 Pick 139: S Richard LeCounte III, Georgia

  Share

  A consensus first-round pick this time last year, a dirt bike accident in October has teams thinking twice about Richard LeCounte. While the details of the incident aren't public, teams will do their digging. Any who are willing to look past it will get a highly intelligent safety and strong leader on and off the field.
• Round 5 Pick 160: EDGE Elerson Smith, Northern Iowa

  Share

  The Patriots hit on a non-FBS pick last year when they took Kyle Dugger. Could they do it again with Elerson Smith? The Northern Iowa pass rusher is starting to build his frame for the NFL, and showed at the Senior Bowl that he can keep up with top-level talent.

• Round 6 Pick 201: TE Tre’ McKitty, Georgia/Florida State

  Share

  Tre' McKitty doesn't do any one thing great, but he's good at everything, especially after refining his blocking ability last year at Georgia. He'd probably be a higher pick in a weaker tight end class (see: 2020), so this could be a chance for the Patriots to take advantage and grab a solid player with some value.

• For the full Patriots Mock Draft 1.0, click below.

  Share

  For a full breakdown of any of the players listed above, click here.

Click here for 98.5 The Sports Hub’s complete coverage of the Patriots.

Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

Sign me up for the 98.5 The Sports Hub email newsletter!

Get the latest Boston sports news and analysis, plus exclusive on-demand content and special giveaways from Boston's Home for Sports, 98.5 The Sports Hub.

First Name *

Last Name

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.