FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- After feeling left out in 2016, it's good to be back on the mock-draft circuit with the New England Patriots.
Last year, the Patriots didn't make their first selection until late in the second round, 60th overall, as a result of the NFL taking away their first-round draft choice as part of Deflategate penalties. Thus, the Patriots were hardly mentioned in many mocks, only those rare ones that went beyond the first round.
They're back in the first round this year, owners of the final pick, No. 32.
Over the years, mock drafts have been viewed as an easy-to-read vehicle to learn more about the prospects and how they might match up with a team's system.