WhitePatriots News Opinion and Analysis Contribute! FanPostsFanShotsAbout the Site List of Patriots Twitter AccountsWrite For Pats Pulpit!New User Welcome and Commenting GuideCommunity GuidelinesMastheadTopics Patriots Off-Season CoveragePatriots Opinion/AnalysisPatriots NewsPatriots Draft CoverageSportfolio ManagementPatriots First ReadPatriots Off-Season CoveragePatriots head coach Bill Belichick is in mid-season form at the NFL’s coaches breakfastNew Eric Rowe Jerseys 2019 ,15commentsBelichick delivered little of substance at the event.EDTShareTweetShareSharePatriots head coach Bill Belichick is in mid-season form at the NFL’s coaches breakfastBrett Davis-USA TODAY SportsThe NFL season will not start until early September, but the New England Patriots’ head coach is already in top form not quite two months removed from his team’s sixth Super Bowl title. Speaking to the media for the first time since the final presser in Atlanta after the Patriots’ win over the L.A. Rams, Belichick did what he does best: say little about the state of the club with free agency basically in the rear-view mirror and the draft one month away.The big topic at the NFL coaches breakfast, however, was neither of the two but instead the retirement of tight end Rob Gronkowski. So what does Belichick have to say about it? “I already made my comments on Rob. I don’t have anything to add.” Okay, but maybe a little bit more? Losing a talent like Gronkowski has quite the impact on the Patriots after all. “I think my comments on Rob speak for themselves. He’s pretty special in every category,” said New England’s coach.Belichick also showed little interest in talking about his own future in the NFL. “I’m just going to skip the questions about me, my future and everything else White LaAdrian Waddle Jerseys ,” the 66-year old said when addressing the topic. His answers also did not fundamentally change the further along his media availability went (interestingly enough, he decided not to sit down at his table at the breakfast as opposed to the other coaches).“We’ll see how it goes,” Belichick said about Patriots trade acquisition Michael Bennett — an an answer he also used in variations when talking about free agency signings Matt LaCosse, Terrence Brooks, Brandon Bolden and Bruce Ellington, re-signed John Simon, and 2018 rookies Isaiah Wynn, Ryan Izzo and Braxton Berrios (all of which sitting out last year due to injury). The substance levels of the answers were close to zero.So what can be taken away from the interview session? Little LaAdrian Waddle Jerseys 2019 , other than Belichick emphasizing that we are in March aka. more than five months away from the 2019 season. And also that he channeled his inner Gertrude Stein at one point: “The offseason is the offseason.” Well then. With Rob Gronkowski gone, mock drafters think the Patriots will go tight end in the first round."Back in early March, SB Nation introduced its mock draft database: a collection of more than 50 attempts at predicting the first round of the upcoming NFL draft. Back then and with free agency not yet started, the consensus for the New England Patriots was pretty much... nothing. The highest percentage for a single player — Iowa’s Noah Fant — was just 14%, showing that mock drafters were uncertain about which way to go at #32.Almost one month and plenty of free agency action later, let’s revisit the database to analyze if the feelings towards what the Patriots will do have changed. Spoiler alert: they have a bit, in large part due to the retirement of All-World tight end Rob Gronkowski. Tight end is still the most popular pick, but mock drafters seem to be more confident in the position than they were one month ago and with Gronk not yet retired:As can be seen White David Andrews Jerseys , Noah Fant is still among the three most popular picks for the Patriots even though his percentage decreased from a Patriot-high 14% to only 10%. Taking his place atop the most popular mock draft options for the reigning world champions now is Alabama’s Irv Smith Jr. Why is that? In large part because of the fact that Fant is projected to come off the board much earlier than at the end of round one.While Smith Jr. does not possess the same upside as Fant or his Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson, he is a solid and most importantly well-rounded prospect at the tight end position. The question is how his stock will develop over the next few weeks, and whether or not the Patriots would feel comfortable investing in a rather safe but comparatively low-ceiling player such as Smith Jr. at the end of the first round.Notre Dame’s Jerry Tillery, meanwhile, is an interesting target with the 32nd overall selection. One of the best interior defenders to enter this year’s draft, he would add plenty of upside to a group primarily consisting of Lawrence Guy, Adam Butler and free agency addition Mike Pennel at the moment — a solid group that would benefit from another versatile and technically sound body like the 6’5, 310 lbs Tillery.Ultimately David Andrews Jerseys 2019 , however, the story is a rather familiar one when looking at the Patriots’ entry in the database: mock drafters are rather uncertain about how the board will fall and which direction New England will go. Tight end and defensive tackle are certainly realistic options with the final pick of the first round, but so are wide receiver or defensive edge — or even a trade either up or down the board.