New England Patriots trade No. 51 pick to Chicago Bears

The New England Patriots have been very active during drafts in previous years under Bill Belichick. In his 18 years at the helm, the Patriots have lapped the field in draft day trades. After not making one on the first night of the 2018 NFL Draft, New England is making up for lost time.

The Patriots have traded their pick in the second round for a second time tonight. After trading No. 43 to the Detroit Lions in exchange for No. 51 and No. 117 overall, New England has swung another trade.

This time, it was with the Chicago Bears. The Patriots traded the No. 51 pick acquired from the Bears in exchange for No. 105 in this year’s draft and a 2019 second round pick.

The Patriots announced the deal on their Twitter account.

For those counting at home, the Patriots have turned the No. 43 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft into the No. 105 and No. 117 and a 2019 second round pick. That is a strong haul, especially because the Bears pick in 2019 could easily be in the top-45 as they are a team in rebuilding mode.

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Belichick’s mantra is to accumulate as many draft picks as possible, and that is what New England is doing in the second round. They had turned one pick into three, which is exactly what they want to do.

All of this wheeling and dealing comes courtesy of the Jimmy Garoppolo trade. The Patriots traded Garoppolo, much to the dismay of Belichick, to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for their second-round pick. That second round pick was No. 43, which the Patriots have turned into three other picks.

While Garoppolo has looked great thus far with the 49ers, it makes sense for the Patriots to continue accumulating future picks. It gives them more ammunition to maneuver around the board and get to spots where they can find value.

With the No. 51 pick acquired from New England, the Bears selected Memphis wide receiver, Anthony Miller.

Next: 2018 NFL Draft First Round Grades

The Patriots are now off the clock until the No. 31 pick in the second round, which is No. 63 overall. With that pick, the Patriots could be looking at a number of different spots. Quarterback, defensive end and cornerback are the three most pressing needs for the Patriots right now.