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Former New England Patriots great and three-time Super Bowl Champion Asante Samuel has a son set to take the next step on his NFL journey, and some are projecting one of his dad’s former teams to select him in the 2021 NFL Draft.
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DraftSite Likes the Patriots to Select Asante Samuel Jr. in the Second Round
According to DraftSite, the Patriots are projected to select Asante Samuel Jr. with the 44th pick in the 2021 Draft. His father was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Samuel Sr. played the first five of his 11 seasons in the NFL with the Patriots.
Samuel was a part of the Patriots 2003 and 2004 Super Bowl championship teams. In 2006, Samuel led the NFL with 10 interceptions. He left after the 2007 season when he had six picks. Over the course of his career, he had 51 interceptions and he scored six touchdowns, which is why he has adopted the moniker, Mr. Pick Six.
If the Patriots did select his son in the upcoming draft, it would be an outstanding story.
Samuel Jr. has three interceptions this year and four during his three years at Florida State. He’s beginning to show himself to be an NFL-caliber corner, even if he doesn’t develop into a star on his dad’s level.
This Selection Doesn’t Really Make Much Sense
As good as Samuel Jr. might be, this selection wouldn’t make much sense for the Patriots in the second round. The team has so many needs, and despite some shaky performances in recent weeks, the secondary isn’t one of the team’s biggest problem areas.
To take a corner this high would be a misuse of the team’s valuable draft assets. The Patriots could lose Stephon Gilmore in the offseason if he is traded, but JC Jackson is seemingly waiting in the wings, and Jonathon Jones may be capable of stepping up as well.
Other Players Who Project to Be There
If one was to rank the Patriots’ biggest areas of need, the wide receiver, linebacker, and edge defender positions would rank at the top of the list. The Patriots have struggled mightily to tackle this season, and that’s especially the case in the middle of the field where they sorely miss dont’a Hightower, and the departed Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, and Elandon Roberts.
Van Noy, Collins, and Roberts left in free agency and Hightower opted out due to concerns over COVID-19. There is a chance he won’t return next season as he’s already accomplished so much in his NFL career. If that’s the case, there is an even bigger need for the team to find a suitable replacement. Based on his level of play in 2020, it is clear Ja’Whaun Wheatley isn’t the long-term answer.
The Patriots’ wide receivers have come on in the last two weeks, but the team could still use a true No. 1 at the position. Last but not least, a true pass rusher who can cause some havoc in an opponent’s backfield would do wonders for the defense on a whole.
A pick that addressed those three areas would mean a lot more than choosing a corner–even if he is a second-generation player with whom the organization is familiar from his father’s glory days.
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