New England Patriots trade No. 43 pick to Detroit Lions

The New England Patriots traded the No. 43 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to the Detroit Lions.

The New England Patriots had two picks in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. They filled two holes, selecting Georgia teammates Isaiah Wynn and Sony Michel. Wynn was selected with the No. 23 pick, while Michel was selected No. 31.

The Patriots had multiple picks in the second round as well, but they will be picking later on than expected. New England was on the clock with the No. 43 pick, but ended up not making the pick.

Instead, the Patriots completed their first trade of the 2018 NFL Draft. New England traded the No. 43 pick to the Detroit Lions in exchange for No. 51 and No. 117.

The Patriots shared the news on their Twitter account.

It should not be a surprise that the Patriots and Lions were able to complete a trade on draft night. The Lions hired former Patriots defensive coordinator, Matt Patricia, to be their head coach this offseason. They also have former Patriots head scout Bob Quinn as general manager.

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While their new head coach may be a defensive mind, the Lions have gone offensive with both of their selections thus far. After selecting offensive lineman Frank Ragnow out of Arkansas in Round One, the Lions picked Auburn running back Kerryon Johnson with the 43rd overall pick.

This trade helps the Patriots replenish some of the draft capital they were missing in the later rounds. New England completed a trade earlier in the day with the San Francisco 49ers, landing offensive tackle, Trent Brown.

The Patriots had to send their third-round pick, No. 95 overall, to San Francisco to land Brown. In addition to Brown, New England also acquired pick No. 143. So, with two trades today, the Patriots have added picks later in the draft, where they have found a lot of success in recent years.

Next: 2018 NFL Draft First Round Grades

New England now owns seven more selections in the 2018 NFL Draft, including two selections later on in the second round. Quarterback, linebacker, pass rusher and tight end are the biggest needs remaining for New England.