New England Patriots: Top free agency, NFL draft needs for 2017

As they wade through free agency and prepare to evaluate draft prospects at the Indianapolis Scouting Combine (March 1-6), the New England Patriots must decide which players to keep as they seek to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

The Sports Xchange and NFLDraftScout.com evaluated the Patriots' roster and created a shopping list to use in free agency and reference during the Combine.

Coach Bill Belichick turned the page quickly to continue his mantra of putting the past in the rearview mirror and working to get better.

The likely top goal will be to re-sign linebacker Dont'a Hightower. The Patriots often elect not to spend big in free agency, but they have a lot of cap space and in the last year traded defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Jamie Collins prior to their contracts expiring.

THE BREAKDOWN

2016 finish: 1st in AFC East (14-2)

2016 STATISTICS

TOTAL OFFENSE: 386.3 (4th)

RUSHING: 117.0 (7th)

PASSING: 269.3 (4th)

TOTAL DEFENSE: 326.4 (8th)

RUSHING: 88.6 (T3rd)

PASSING: 237.9 (12th)

NEEDS, SHOPPING LIST

&=Released

TOP THREE NEEDS

DEFENSIVE END

Though Trey Flowers broke out over the second half of the season, New England still has a lack of depth and consistent pass rush.

UFA TARGETS (Age, previous contract's average annual salary)

Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants (28, $10M)

Calais Campbell, Arizona (DT; 31 in September, $11M)

Jabaal Sheard, New England (28 in May, $5.5M)

&Mario Williams, Miami (32, $8.5M)

Charles Johnson, Carolina (31 in July, $3M)

DRAFT TARGETS (Rating pos/overall, Player, School, Ht., Wt., Proj. Rd.)

1/1 Myles Garrett, Texas A&M, 6-4, 268, 1 (underclassman)

2/3 Solomon Thomas, Stanford, 6-2, 275, 1 (underclassman)

3/17 Derek Barnett, Tennessee, 6-3, 265, 1 (underclassman)

4/28 Taco Charlton, Michigan, 6-5, 272, 1

5/32 Charles Harris, Missouri, 6-3, 255, 4.74, 1-2 (underclassman)

TIGHT END

Rob Gronkowski is coming off his third back surgery, and Martellus Bennett is set to be a free agent and could look to cash in.

UFA TARGETS (Age, previous contract's average annual salary)

Jared Cook, Green Bay (30 in April, $2.75M)

Jordan Cameron, Miami (29 in August, $7.5M)

Vernon Davis, Washington (33, $2.4M)

DRAFT TARGETS (Rating pos/overall, Player, School, Ht., Wt., 40 time, Proj. Rd.)

1/11 O.J. Howard, Alabama, 6-6, 249, 4.57, 1

2/30 David Njoku, Miami (FL), 6-4, 240, 4.53, 1-2 (underclassman)

3/45 Evan Engram, Mississippi, 6-3, 236, 4.64, 2

4/72 Bucky Hodges, Virginia Tech, 6-6, 245, 4.78, 2-3 (underclassman)

RUNNING BACK

There is no lead-back type behind free agent LeGarrette Blount. The Patriots may seek a young, impact runner to add to the backfield committee.

UFA TARGETS (Age, previous contract's average annual salary)

Le'Veon Bell, Pittsburgh (25, $1.03M)

*Adrian Peterson, Minnesota (32 in March, $14M)

Latavius Murray, Oakland (27, $567K)

Eddie Lacy, Green Bay (27 June, $848K)

Darren McFadden, Dallas (30 in August, $1.5M)

DRAFT TARGETS (Rating pos/overall, Player, School, Ht., Wt., 40 time, Proj. Rd.)

1/5 Dalvin Cook, Florida State, 5-11, 206, 4.43, 1 (underclassman)

2/9 Leonard Fournette, LSU, 6-1, 230, 4.45, 1 (underclassman)

3/24 Christian McCaffrey, Stanford, 6-0, 202, 4.48, 1 (underclassman)

4/60 Alvin Kamara, Tennessee, 5-10, 215, 4.62, 2 (underclassman)

5/86 Joe Mixon, Oklahoma, 6-1, 226, 4.50, 3 (underclassman)

UFA KEEPERS

LB Dont'a Hightower (27 in March, $1.93M)

TE Martellus Bennett (30 in March, $5.1M)

RB LeGarrette Blount (31 in December, $1M)

ROSTER REVIEW

DEPTH CHART

Starters and backups are listed according to their status at the end of the season, but players who were starters before being injured are included.

* Indicates player who ended 2016 season on reserve.

& Indicates player released since the Super Bowl.

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Tom Brady. Backups -- Jimmy Garoppolo, Jacoby Brissett.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- Dion Lewis. Backups -- LeGarrette Blount (UFA), FB James Develin (UFA), James White, Brandon Bolden, D.J. Foster.

TIGHT ENDS: Starters -- *Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett (UFA). Backups -- Matt Lengel, Greg Scruggs (UFA).

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan. Backups -- Malcolm Mitchell, Danny Amendola, Michael Floyd (UFA), Matthew Slater.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LT Nate Solder, LG Joe Thuney, C David Andrews, RG Shaq Mason, RT Marcus Cannon. Backups -- *G Tre' Jackson, T *Sebastian Vollmer, G Ted Karras, T Cameron Fleming, T LaAdrian Waddle.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- DT Alan Branch (UFA), DT Malcom Brown, DE Rob Ninkovich, DE Trey Flowers. Backups -- DE Jabaal Sheard (UFA), DE Chris Long (UFA), DT Vincent Valentine, DE Geneo Grissom.

LINEBACKERS: Starters -- Dont'a Hightower (UFA), Shea McClellin. Backups -- Kyle Van Noy, Elandon Roberts, Barkevious Mingo (UFA), *Jonathan Freeny.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- SS Patrick Chung, FS Devin McCourty, CB Malcolm Butler, CB Eric Rowe, CB Logan Ryan (UFA). Backups -- FS Duron Harmon (UFA), CB Cyrus Jones, CB Justin Coleman, S Nate Ebner, S Brandon King, S Jordan Richards, CB Justin Coleman.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K Stephen Gostkowski, P Ryan Allen, PR Julian Edelman, KOR Dion Lewis, LS Joe Cardona.