Bill Belichick’s day of misdirection has arrived.
After months of projection and speculation about what the New England Patriots coach will do during the 2019 NFL Draft, Belichick will likely do something that no one has expected or anticipated.
Here are four bold predictions about what could transpire in the Patriots’ war room as they finalize decisions and selections in this year’s draft.
1. New England’s first selection is an offensive lineman
The Patriots have just two trustworthy tackles on their roster — Marcus Cannon and Isaiah Wynn — and even those two players have some uncertainty about their status for 2019. Wynn, the 23rd overall pick in 2018, missed his entire rookie season with an Achilles injury. It’s hard to say how he’ll perform after the injury and without any NFL experience. And Cannon hasn’t played in all 16 games since 2014.
Guard Joe Thuney is set to enter free agency after 2019, and after a strong performance in 2018, he could ask for a significant contract, which might be cost-prohibitive for the Patriots.
Put all that together, and the Patriots could definitely take a developmental offensive lineman at guard or tackle with their top pick. The Patriots seem like they have needs at receiver, tight end and defensive line — but they’re obviously not going to draft at those positions, because that would be too predictable for Belichick.
2. The Patriots trade for a starting-caliber player
Offensive line may be a position where the Patriots have time to draft and develop. But at wide receiver, tight end and defensive end, the Patriots could stand to upgrade with plug-and-play veterans. That’s why they may go looking for creative solutions to those needs in the trade market during the draft. Last year, they landed Trent Brown, who ended up starting at left tackle for the entire 2018 season.
This year, they could chase players like tight end Cameron Brate or receiver Nelson Agholor. They could also go after a quarterback like Josh Rosen, even if New England hadn’t been involved in Rosen’s trade market heading into the draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
3. Belichick passes on receivers until the seventh round
It would make a lot of sense for the Patriots to target a wideout in the second or third rounds, where the class is supposedly deep with developmental talent. Oklahoma’s Marquise Brown is the only receiver who is a lock to go in the first round. That could mean any one of these wide receivers could slip to the second round.
- D.K. Metcalf, Mississippi
- A.J. Brown, Mississippi
- N’Keal Harry, Arizona State
- Hakeem Butler, Iowa State
- Deebo Samuel, South Carolina
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Parris Cambell, Ohio State.
- J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Stanford
That would be the perfect time for the Patriots to strike, especially because they have two second-rounders … right?
Well, they don’t tend to follow conventional wisdom about the draft. So even if the media view depth at that particular spot, it’s possible — and probably even likely — that the Patriots don’t see it the same way. And perhaps they’ll pass on receivers until late in the draft, just like they did last year.
4. New England focuses on drafting for their defensive backfield
If there’s one spot where the Patriots look solid, it’s their defensive backfield — which is why Belichick is probably going to surprise people by taking a top cornerback and safety.
With safety, it makes some sense. They have an aging group of veterans, and New England would be wise to restock the talent level to ensure some continuity in the event Devin McCourty, 31, and Patrick Chung, 31, are nearing the ends of their careers.
However, the cornerback position would be a head-scratcher. New England drafted cornerback Duke Dawson in the second round last year. Undrafted cornerback J.C. Jackson was a standout and a starter in 2018. The Patriots also found Keion Crossen in the seventh round, and he has proved to be a strong contributor on special teams. The Patriots retained Jonathan Jones in restricted free agency and re-signed Jason McCourty in unrestricted free agency. They will return to a group which includes top cornerback Stephon Gilmore. That’s one of the best cornerback groups in the NFL, if Jackson’s trajectory continues upward. Why add to that group?
Well, because it’s Belichick.
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