Bill Belichick's Navy connections are well-established so it comes as no surprise that the Patriots have shown a great deal of interest in one of the greatest football players to ever play for the Midshipmen in the weeks leading up to the NFL draft.
According to ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss, the latest contact between the Patriots and former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds included a trip to Annapolis, Maryland for both Belichick and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. As Belichick stood by, Reiss wrote, Reynolds was put through a private workout by McDaniels.
For the Patriots, it was just the latest up-close look at a player whose athleticism could lead him to a variety of roles at the next level. Tight ends coach Brian Daboll and assistant special teams coach Ray Ventrone have also had a chance to see what Reynolds can do during the pre-draft process.
Though Reynolds was a record-setting signal-caller for Navy, he's expected to play either running back or receiver at the next level. At a recent pro day, he also worked out as a punt returner.
As Reiss notes in his piece, the Patriots liked long-snapper Joe Cardona well enough to select him in the fifth round of last year's draft, which was surprisingly early for some. Perhaps the Patriots would be willing to grab Reynolds, expected to be a late-round pick, well before anyone else.
Popular projections have never stopped the Patriots from drafting players they like in earlier rounds, of course. For example, neither Jordan Richards (2015) nor Tavon Wilson (2012) were expected to be taken early, but the Patriots deemed them worthy of second-round selections.
The Patriots have plenty of late-round picks this year -- seven in the final two rounds -- but they could use one of their four selections in the top 100 to take Reynolds. In my seven-round Patriots-specific mock draft, I have the Patriots taking him with pick No. 91 in the third round.