New England Patriots: What is the team’s 2019 NFL Draft strategy?
By Hal Bent
As the New England Patriots set their sights on capturing a seventh Super Bowl championship, what strategies should the team bring to the 2019 NFL Draft?
At long last, the 2019 NFL Draft is finally upon us. In just one week’s time, representatives from all 32 NFL franchises will descend upon Nashville, Tennessee, to select the college prospects they feel like will best improve their team.
Round 1 begins Thursday, April 25; Rounds 2 and 3 continue on Friday, April 26; and Rounds 4-7 finish up on Saturday, April 27.
New England Patriots fans will likely be staying up late on Thursday if they want to catch some of the most exciting early-pick action and still witness who their own team ends up selecting. By virtue of winning their sixth Lombardi Trophy last February in Super Bowl 53, the Patriots will pick last with the 32nd pick of Round 1.
It is a position the Patriots are certainly comfortable being in, having picked from that exact spot so many times now. Whether trading out of that position to move up as they did in 2002, trading the pick away as they did in 2017, or staying put and making the pick as they did in 2004, 2005, and 2015, they will undoubtedly have a sound plan in place when the time comes to make a choice on Day 1.
First, let’s look at what they’ve done in the past at this position…