The NFL draft is another three months away, but the mock draft season is just beginning.
Part of what makes the draft fun to follow is considering all the possibilities, and every now and then the plan here will be to pass along some different opinions on what the Patriots might do with the 22nd pick.
ESPN analyst Mel Kiper has the Patriots picking Clemson outside linebacker/defensive end Ricky Sapp, Chad Reuter of NFLdraftscout likes Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes and Rob Rang of NFLdraftscout went with Penn State defensive lineman Jared Odrick.
Here is another possibility: Texas outside linebacker Sergio Kindle.
That's who Evan Silva, in his mock draft on NBCSports.com, slots to the Patriots at 22.
"The Patriots' biggest 2009 weakness was in the pass-rush department, although they were also worse than usual against the run," Silva writes. "Kindle does everything well."