3 draft day trades New England Patriots should consider
By Mike Luciano
The New England Patriots are currently in possession of the No. 21 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. However, knowing how Bill Belichick likes to move around the draft board, very few are expecting that New England will stay where they are and avoid the temptation to trade the pick.
The Patriots know that the roster as it stands right now is not good enough to contend for a championship. Belichick might need to give up the 21st pick to make sure that Mac Jones has proper support and his own defensive unit doesn’t have too steep of a drop-off in 2022.
However, Belichick could easily break kayfabe and move up if he finds the right defensive back to replace JC Jackson in the secondary. Depth is good, but Belichick knows the value of having one defensive maypole to build around. It remains to be seen which philosophy New England adheres to.
The Patriots will need to move up or down the draft order if they want to maximize the potential return they can get out of their capital this year. One of these 3 trade scenarios coming true might appeal to this front office.
3. Trading down with Kansas City
After the Tyreek Hill trade, Kansas City picked up an extra first-round pick and a second-round selection. The Chiefs still have most of their offensive infrastructure already in place due to the presence of Patrick Mahomes, which could prompt a trade if they find one playmaker they fall in love with.
If the Patriots can’t grab their corner of choice, they could potentially get two top-50 picks from Kansas City in order to fill other needs. Doing so would fit in perfectly with Belichick’s draft doctrine while improving this roster after losing such big names in free agency.
The New England Patriots might trade down in 2022 with the Chiefs.
The Patriots could use a long-term solution at inside linebacker, though adding a standout speed threat at wide receiver might be the best way to make sure Mac Jones remains successful. They could even move out of Round 1 altogether if they really want to stockpile picks.
The New England philosophy of developing talent and then resetting the clock by earning compensatory picks when they leave could be at work again if Belichick wants to own Days 2 and 3 of the draft. Kansas City can move up for a Hill replacement while the Patriots get deeper.