New England Patriots

New England Patriots Snag Leonard Fournette in Recent Mock Draft

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:56 p.m. ET

Fansided, Dan Schmelzer/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

The New England Patriots steal star running back Leonard Fournette in a recent 2017 NFL Mock Draft from Inside the Pylon

Not every mock draft will be alike. In fact, most of them are completely different, and very few will actually be anything close to what we will see on draft day. That being said, they are still fun to look at and they give us an idea of what options can be available for certain teams.

Take this for what it’s worth, but if this recent 2017 NFL Mock Draft by Jon Ledyard of Inside the Pylon comes true, the rest of the NFL might as well give up. The New England Patriots just took home their fifth Lombardi Trophy of the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era. This team is still in a great position to chase more rings for the next few years.

In Ledyard’s 2017 NFL Mock Draft, the Patriots were able to steal star running back Leonard Fournette with the 32nd overall pick. Like I said, take this for what it is worth. But if that actually happens, the NFL might as well just send next year’s Lombardi Trophy to Foxborough right away.

Here is what Ledyard had to say about the selection:

The Patriots might have needs elsewhere, but with LeGarrette Blount bumbling his way into the dog house down the stretch this season while also set to become a free agent, running back should be at the top of the priority list. Many will have Fournette much higher than this, but the running back position doesn’t typically carry a ton of value — and I just don’t think the LSU product is going to re-write the combine record books like many believe. Fournette should excel in New England however, as the big-bodied runner with breakaway speed that they want between the tackles.

Blount will be a free agent this offseason. I wonder how aggressively the Patriots will look to bring him back. He ran for 1,161 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns in 2016, but his 3.9 yards per carry average is pretty ugly. At 30 years old, Blount is hitting the age where his production will likely slip. The Patriots would be wise to part ways with him this off season.

I could see Belichick trying to get younger at his power back position, and Fournette would be the perfect fit. Super Bowl hero James White and the speedy Dion Lewis have the receiving game taken care of in the backfield, but a replacement for Blount in between the tackles is necessary.

Fournette is an extremely talented back. His power for the position is incredibly impressive. He hits the hole hard, shows impressive vision and balance, and has legitimate breakaway speed in the open field.

Him actually slipping to the Patriots at 32 is probably unlikely. But teams have not valued the running back position highly. You never know what can happen in the NFL Draft.

You think Tom Brady and the Patriots offense is hard to stop now? Imagine them with a bulldozer like Fournette carrying the ball in the backfield. He would only make them more dangerous and explosive.