With Patriots now a draft power player, analyzing the first round and possible targets taken at BSJ Headquarters (Patriots)

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Patriots

With Patriots now a draft power player, analyzing the first round and possible targets

By Christopher Price

Apr 6, 2018 • 8:30 am

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This spring, the Patriots have some of the most extensive draft capital in recent franchise history. If Bill Belichick stands pat, this would mark the first time he'd have a pair of first-round picks and a pair of second-round picks. In all, New England has five picks in the top 100, the most they’ve had since 2011. Here's the breakdown of what the Patriots have:

First round (No. 23 overall)
First round (No. 31)
Second round (No. 43)
Second round (No. 63)
Third round (No. 95)
Sixth round (No. 198)
Sixth round (No. 210)
Seventh round (No. 219)

So what will they do?

First, we need to reset where the draft stands. Obviously, no one knows how things will unfold and trades will certainly change the landscape before and during the draft. But let's take at how some of the mock drafts have things playing out, come up with a consensus pick for each slot and lay out what kind of draft capital is needed to move up. While teams have their own version of the trade value chart (especially once the new CBA lowered rookie contracts), we'll go with the traditional version as an admittedly blunt tool for this exercise.

Then we'll get into the players. 

[table id=47 /]

When it comes to the first two days of the draft, here are some names to consider, prospects who could fill some needs and theoretically add some depth at key positions in 2018. And considering these three mocks (the only ones we found who took the Brandin Cooks' trade into account) and the trade value chart, here’s what it would take to land them.

GROUP 1: SWINGING FOR THE FENCES

These are deals where they would package some combination of their four picks in the first two rounds and move way up the board. They've eschewed this sort of maneuvering in the past, but with so much draft capital this year, they could break with tradition this time around.

DE Bradley Chubb: Chubb is a top 10 prospect, which means it'll take multiple picks to try and land him. If he doesn't last past No. 6, that means it would take 1600 trade points. Maybe No. 23 (760 points) and a combination of later-round picks, or multiple selections next year? That's a lot to yield, but if New England wants the best pass rusher, it'll take a lot of draft currency. Belichick certainly got a good look at him at N.C. State Pro Day.






LB Roquan Smith:






LB Tremaine Edmunds:


QB Baker Mayfield:


GROUP 2: MOVING STRATEGICALLY


These are moves that would require some draft board tweaking in the first and second rounds. No seismic moves, but the sort of more realistic moves we've seen this team make before, and moves that would have an impact across the league.


LB Rashaan Evans:


Ryan Shazier


OT Kolton Miller:
Nate Solder


Rob Gronkowski
Mike Gesicki
Dallas Goedert


Eric Reid


GROUP 3: STANDING PAT(RIOTS)


These are moves that would require little lifting on the part of New England -- at the most, a flipped pick here and there, a phone call to a familiar front-office trading partner. There's some redundancy with Group Two, but for the most part, these guys project as second-day possibilities with overall pick Nos. 43, 63 or 95.


CB Mike Hughes:






RB Nyheim Hines:
Shane Vereen
Stevan Ridley

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