New England Patriots: 3 problems Pats can’t fix during draft

All eyes will be on the New England Patriots and what they do with their first-round pick and beyond in the 2021 Draft.

All the latest pre-draft buzz suggests they’re exhausting all potential options, which includes basically any leap at any moment.

Getting beyond the first 32 picks, the Patriots’ most glaring needs clearly lie at quarterback, linebacker, wide receiver, edge rusher and safety.

On second thought, it would likely be easier to just highlight positions that don’t need an upgrade (tight end and offensive line), but we digress.

Thanks to free agency departures from last offseason, the Patriots were granted a league-leading four compensatory picks from the NFL and they now have a whopping 10 selections, including three in the fourth and two in the sixth, at their disposal.

Despite that, however, don’t be surprised if the Patriots find it difficult to fix all of their problems in the draft. De facto general manager Bill Belichick has a suspect drafting track record in recent years and he can’t be expected to strike gold on every single pick.

With that in mind, let’s highlight some of New England’s biggest problems that could go unresolved over the next 72 hours.

Here are three problems the Patriots can’t fix during the 2021 NFL Draft.

3. Secondary

The secondary has actually been a strength for New England over the last several seasons, so some of you are probably shocked we view it as a “problem” they might not be able to amend in the draft. But hear us out for a moment.

For starters, there’s a ton of uncertainty at the cornerback position, as Stephon Gilmore’s contract remains a colossal area of concern. The perennial Pro Bowler is slated to make less than $8 million next season, which is obviously well below his pay grade.

The Patriots have one of two options with Gilmore: either trade him or give him a new-and-improved extension. We shouldn’t be surprised if it turns out they shopped Gilmore prior to the first round on Thursday night.

Nevertheless, his future is extremely precarious and the same can be said for fellow cornerbacks JC Jackson and Jonathan Jones, both of whom are slated for unrestricted free agency next offseason. It’s even been speculated by insiders that Jackson, despite signing his second-round tender, could still be traded this offseason, so fans should keep an eye on that narrative.

Cornerback might not be a pressing need right now, so the Patriots will likely end up using their first handful of picks on other positions. The same goes for safety after they used their first pick last year (No. 37 overall) on Division II standout Kyle Dugger. Because of that, the secondary will potentially be something that goes unfixed during the draft.