The New England Patriots were bold during 2021 free agency, and many expect that to continue into the NFL draft. Belichick has 10 picks and roughly that many roster spots to fill. He also likes to add undrafted free agents in droves, so it’s easy to imagine he’ll consolidate his pick total this year, perhaps by trading up or by acquiring picks next year.
Counter-intuitively, I have the Patriots trading down in the first round — which won’t be a crowd-pleaser. (I recognize that.) But New England is only trading back in the first round to get more ammo to move their second-round pick into the first round, giving them a pair of first-round picks.
Here’s how we see that playing out.
