Patriots: Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest buzz will get fans amped for first round of NFL Draft

Typically, draft season for New England Patriots fans is mundane.

You can really only get so excited for picks No. 21-32, which is where the team has largely been for the better part of two decades.

But ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick has his highest selection since 2008 and it just so happens to coincide with the team’s desperate need for a franchise quarterback following the departure of Tom Brady.

The No. 15 overall pick might not guarantee New England one of the top QB prospects, but it certainly puts them in better position to get lucky if someone were to fall.

Perhaps more importantly, it also gives them a much easier opportunity to trade up without having to surrender a ton of assets.

Fans continue to hear buzz suggesting the Pats will be aggressive, and now, just a few days out, Mel Kiper Jr. is echoing that sentiment in what could be the most telling indication yet.

Mel Kiper Jr. thinks the Patriots will be trading up in the first round of the NFL Draft.

At this point, based on what we can gather, it’s expected the Patriots will draft a quarterback in the first round. It’s easily their biggest need and there probably won’t be a better opportunity for them to do so given the current circumstances (their high pick and there being five highly-touted signal callers available).

Though Kiper has had his fair share of gaffes as the most relied upon NFL Draft expert, he’s usually conservative when it comes to his predictions.

The fact he’s going outside the box to continually suggest there’s a big move coming for the Patriots tells us a lot.

Though it really all depends on what the San Francisco 49ers do, there’s still a prime opportunity for Belichick to move into the top 10 after reports suggested the Carolina Panthers were looking to trade back from No. 8 since they acquired Sam Darnold from the New York Jets.

And if you watch the above clip, NFL insider Tom Pelissero said it may only cost the Pats a second-rounder to move up those seven spots. If that’s the asking price, consider it done, especially after all the high-priced predictions we’ve been seeing throughout the offseason.

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