More than players scouting reports or teams roster needs, the NFL Draft is about determining fit. Finding and ranking the prospects best suited to thrive within an NFL environment and/or for a given team – the most underrated variable in a player’s ultimate success or failure in the league.

Since Bill Belichick took over in 2000, the Patriots’ draft history has revealed the type of prospects his front office believes best fit in Foxborough.

For example, quarterbacks are typically experienced, having started two years in college, where they threw with above-average accuracy and made sound decisions. Wideouts and cornerback prospects must clock above average 3-cone drill times to get drafted. Corners need to tackle well. Offensive line prospects are all tough, smart and “athletic enough,” or they’re off the board.

The Patriots also love the Senior Bowl. They prize intelligence and versatility in prospects more than most teams. A track record of leadership is preferred. Toughness is non-negotiable.

Weighing these patterns – among others – within the context of the Patriots current needs, here are 10 prospects more likely to land in New England.

RB Demetric Felton, UCLA

A running back-slot receiver hybrid, Felton seems the most likely prospect to succeed James White as the next pass-catching back. He’s a projected mid-round pick whose stock rose after an impressive week at the Senior Bowl. Felton has soft hands and outstanding elusiveness, which helped him slip a tackle on roughly 1 of every 4 carries last season. UCLA Coach Chip Kelly is sure to put in a strong word for Felton, a year after his recommendation helped deliver former Bruins tight end Devin Asiasi to New England in the third round. Felton can also return kicks.

WR Shi Smith, South Carolina

A former team captain who elevated his stock at the Senior Bowl, Smith checks every athletic box for Patriots wideout prospects. This offseason, he paired a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash with an ideal 6.79 time in the 3-cone. Smith boasts above-average ball skills and toughness over the middle. His special teams experience as a return man and gunner could seal his selection in the fourth round.

WR Rondale Moore, Purdue

One of the most dynamic athletes in the draft, Moore blows away all athletic standards the Patriots set for slot receiver prospects as a sub-4.3 speedster with incredible strength and 6.68 quickness in the 3-cone. Moore could walk into Gillette Stadium as the team’s most dangerous weapon on Day 1. He racked up 1,258 receiving yards and a dozen touchdowns as a freshman All-American in 2018. Two hamstring strains have limited him since, but there’s evidence Purdue held him out longer than necessary to protect its best player. Moore is well-regarded for his football character and toughness. The 5-foot-7 spark plug could be a home run value on Day 2.

OL Sadarius Hutcherson, South Carolina

Hutcherson started at both guard spots and left tackle over the past three seasons. His lead-by-example approach earned him a captainship last year. Hutcherson ranks among the strongest players in this class regardless of position, repping 225 pounds on the bench press 36 times at his pro day. So, a coachable, tough, versatile lineman? Sure sounds like a late-round Patriots pick.

DT Khyiris Tonga, BYU

Tonga profiles like a defensive version of Hutcherson, packing rare strength at 6-foot-2 and 325 pounds, which should make him an early-down run-stuffer in the NFL. Tonga proved he could resist regular double teams at BYU, as he added 2.5 sacks and 36 tackles last year. He also showed a penchant for batting passes, with a dozen career pass breakups. Tonga is yet another team captain on this list.

EDGE Daelin Hayes, Notre Dame

Hayes fits the Patriots’ outside linebacker prototype to a tee, aside from his middling quickness at the position. At Notre Dame, he dropped into coverage, rushed off the edge and inside, playing with excellent physicality and awareness down after down. Hayes projects as a developmental pass-rusher, who must play stronger at the next level. Look for him to get drafted early on Day 3. And yes, he was a captain.

LB K.J. Britt, Auburn

The heart and soul of Auburn’s team last season, Britt is a fierce downhill ‘backer ready to lay the wood on anything that moves. At the Senior Bowl, competing players voted him the best linebacker on the American team. That step was important, as Britt missed his last nine games with a thumb injury. He’ll never be a strong coverage player, but Britt fulfills what the Patriots demand of their inside linebackers: heady hard-hitters with leadership traits.

CB Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota

At 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds, St-Juste runs with good speed and exceptional quickness, which revealed itself through his absurd 6.63-second time in the 3-cone. He’s a future press-man corner who would have time to develop in New England, where his sound tackling and competitiveness will be prized. St-Juste also earned the highest Pro Football Focus grade among corners during 1-on-1 reps and team practice periods at the Senior Bowl. Don’t be shocked if he hears his name called late on Day 2.

CB Zech McPhearson, Texas Tech

An intelligent, versatile corner, McPhearson projects as a strong fit in New England after two seasons at Texas Tech, where he was a senior captain. McPhearson can play inside and out and impacts special teams at a high level, swatting two extra points and taking a blocked field goal back for a touchdown last year. He also picked off four passes and recovered another fumble, stats that elevated him to the All-Big 12 first team. All of this followed a slow career start at Penn State, where he waited his turn as a backup for three years before transferring with an undergraduate degree. Fun fact: His father, Gerrick Sr., played defensive back at Boston College and was drafted by the Patriots in 1989.

S Richie Grant, UCF

Grant, regarded as one of the smartest players in this year’s class, is a high-energy ballhawk who stays a step ahead of most plays through his advanced read of the game. His college teammates described him as a coach on the field, and his opponents at the Senior Bowl voted him the best safety on the American team. Grant left Central Florida a three-year starter, with 10 career interceptions and 29 pass deflections. His lack of blazing speed (4.54) and advanced age (24) should keep him out of the first round, but those were two of the same knocks that pushed Kyle Dugger to the second round last year. And the Patriots had no trouble pulling the trigger on a 24-year-old Senior Bowl star back then.

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