The New England Patriots have five draft picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft, and some are already projecting who will be one of their picks.
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah shared some buzz surrounding Alabama wide receiver Slade Bolden as Bolden was getting set to run his 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday. Jeremiah said that all the buzz is that the Patriots will draft Bolden.
Jeremiah shared that Bolden and Mac Jones were close friends at Alabama and played well together on the field.
“They tortured the defense on scout team for several years,” Jeremiah shared.
Jeremiah says everyone is expecting the Pats to take Jones’ good buddy.
“If he is not selected by the Patriots in the 7th round, everyone in Tuscaloosa will be shocked,” Jeremiah noted.
Bolden had 42 catches for 408 yards and three touchdowns last season. He had 24 catches for 270 yards and a touchdown in eight games as a sophomore in 2020, when Jones was the Tide’s quarterback.
Bolden says he modeled his game after longtime Patriot Julian Edelman too.
Alabama’s Slade Bolden said he models his game after Julian Edelman. Added he’s close with Mac Jones, who was his roommate in college. On top of that, said Bill O’Brien would talk to him about how he used Wes Welker.
Bolden has met with the Patriots at the Combine pic.twitter.com/Xxcib5Wefx
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) March 2, 2022
The only issue for New England is the word is out that they might want Bolden. Perhaps they could use their sixth-round pick on the receiver (they don’t have a 7th).
