One of the biggest needs on the New England Patriots roster is the interior of the defensive line: While the team has productive early-down players in Malcom Brown and Lawrence Guy, its current roster offers little in terms of pass rushing talent. In order to change that, the Patriots might opt to invest one of its early draft picks in a defensive tackle like Washington State's Hercules Mata'afa or Florida's Taven Bryan.
However, the Patriots could also opt to take a different approach and target more experienced players either via free agency – with former New York Jets defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson a possible target – or the trade market.