Morning Sports Update

Patriots projected to take Jameson Williams in latest NFL mock draft

"We know Belichick has a history of taking Alabama stars."

By Hayden Bird

March 22, 2022

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The Celtics defeated the Thunder on Monday night, 132-123. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 36 points.

The Bruins also emerged victorious on Monday, with Brad Marchand scoring the overtime winner in a 3-2 win over the Canadiens. The NHL trade deadline passed with Jake DeBrusk — despite his long-standing trade request — not only remaining with the Bruins, but agreeing to a two-year contract extension.

Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft: The NFL Draft gets underway on April 28. The Patriots currently hold the 21st overall pick.

Predicting exactly what Bill Belichick has in mind for New England in the first round is a notoriously difficult exercise, but ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. recently made his best guess in his latest mock draft.

Assessing the Patriots’ current setup, Kiper noted that despite a list of needs, New England could still end up in a favorable spot in the 2022 season.

“I see holes at right tackle, off-ball linebacker, defensive end, cornerback and wide receiver,” Kiper wrote. “They’ve also lost several coaches this offseason, including offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. And yet, Bill Belichick’s Patriots team won 10 games last season and still has a lot of really good players.”

In Kiper’s view, the Patriots could end up taking wide receiver Jameson Williams out of Alabama. It’s a position that the draft expert has held since his first mock draft was published in January.

Kiper explained that despite Williams’s ACL tear in Alabama’s National Championship loss to Georgia on Jan. 10, he would still be a “nice fit” in New England.

“Williams, who tore his ACL in the national title game, had a tremendous season for the Crimson Tide, with 1,572 yards and 15 scores,” said Kiper. “He said at the combine that he’s ahead of his schedule in his recovery, but it’s possible he misses a chunk of the season while rehabbing. New England could afford to wait for a receiver with true No. 1 upside who could be a star for years to come. And we know Belichick has a history of taking Alabama stars.”

Trivia: Which Patriots player (a former first round pick) leads the team in all-time receiving yards?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: He was drafted out of Tennessee.

More from Boston.com:

• Betting on Payton Pritchard was a smart gamble: 6 takeaways from Celtics vs. Thunder
• On second thought, the Trevor Story signing looks like a great move by the Red Sox
• 3 takeaways from the Bruins’ OT win over the Canadiens
• NFL free agent tracker: Trent Brown back with Patriots on two-year deal
• Deadline takeaways: Jake DeBrusk stays as Bruins stand pat up front
• Oliver Ames girls basketball got a surprise video from Shaquille O’Neal before winning state title
• Why Jayson Tatum was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week
• Blockbuster: Colts get QB Matt Ryan in trade with Falcons
• Bruins trade Zach Senyshyn for Senators defenseman Josh Brown
• Julian Edelman wins the Boston.com bracket to decide Tom Brady’s most valuable Patriots teammate

Leonard Fournette is back with the Buccaneers:

A look at the women’s tournament bracket after two rounds:

On this day: In 2013, the United States men’s national team defeated Costa Rica 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Colorado that — because of the elements — became known as the “snow clasico.”

Former Revolution draft pick Clint Dempsey scored the lone goal in a famous win.

Daily highlight: Brad Marchand’s game winner from Monday night.

Trivia answer: Stanley Morgan