FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When the second day of the 2021 NFL draft began a few weeks ago, ESPN's Draft Predictor assessed that there was a less than 1% chance that Oklahoma outside linebacker Ronnie Perkins would be available at pick 96 late in the third round.
The Draft Predictor factors in player grades, mock drafts and team needs to estimate the chance a player is chosen at a specific spot, and while that is often hard to pin down, the "Patriots Predictor" seemed to reflect something similar. The team pounced on Perkins, and afterward, coach Bill Belichick referred to him as a "disruptive, physical, versatile player.