The Patriots see an opportunity to climb back up the draft board late in the first round to get their franchise left tackle, Ohio State’s Josh Simmons. It is unlikely Simmons will slide too far down the draft board, even after a season-ending knee injury.

In this week’s seven-round mock draft, the New England Patriots start their class by tapping back into the University of Michigan pipeline. After back-to-back 4-13 seasons, the Patriots have found themselves picking within the top five of the NFL Draft once again.