Niner Noise
FanSided

2019 NFL Draft: Full two-round mock for all 32 teams, Super Bowl edition

By Peter Panacy

ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Seattle Seahawks during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - APRIL 26: A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Seattle Seahawks during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /
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LINCOLN, NE – NOVEMBER 24: Tight end Noah Fant #87 of the Iowa Hawkeyes signals against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
LINCOLN, NE – NOVEMBER 24: Tight end Noah Fant #87 of the Iowa Hawkeyes signals against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on November 24, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images) /

Tight End. Iowa. Noah Fant. 32. player. 47.

Let’s go out on a bit of a limb here and suggest that, if the Patriots wind up winning Super Bowl LIII, veteran tight end Rob Gronkowski finally retires.

He’s made overtures about it already, and the thought of him calling it quits isn’t anything new.

New England has a few needs heading into the offseason, primarily on the defensive side of the ball. There are some key free agents, such as defenders Trey Flowers and Jason McCourty, who either need to be re-signed or replaced.

That said, the Pats would be wise to extend quarterback Tom Brady’s career by providing him yet another bona fide impact weapon. With Gronk leaving the picture, that would open up the door for New England to grab the best tight end in this year’s NFL Draft, Iowa’s Noah Fant.

Fant looks to be the next coming of the 49ers’ own, George Kittle, who broke Gronkowski’s single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end this year. Yet Fant has the collegiate production, while Kittle’s time at Iowa wasn’t quite as spectacular.

Either way, an up-and-coming impact playmaker like Fant would make Gronk’s retirement bearable for New England.