The fun thing about all the different Patriots draft possibilities this weekend is that every single one of them will help. There are no bad ideas in a brainstorm, or for a really bad NFL team. The Pats are, in fact, bad enough that there's no real wrong way to approach this draft, which is only as bleak as it sounds if you let it be.
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Picking fourth has its advantages, though – especially this year. With the first three picks more-or-less decided on already, it hasn't been uncommon to hear NFL analysts and draft gurus talk about how this year's draft starts with the Patriots. And according to a big new list of BOLD DRAFT PREDICTIONS from Sports Illustrated, picking fourth is – quite literally – the best spot for Mike Vrabel and the rest of New England's front office. The key here is just to take them at face value, not think too critically, and let the excitement overwhelm you.
Sports Illustrated's bold Patriots prediction is the best news you'll hear all day
"New England has already done plenty this offseason, utilizing the league’s largest amount of cap space to add veterans such as corner Carlton Davis III, receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive tackle Milton Williams. Now, things might be breaking the Patriots’ way again. There’s a strong possibility that quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders will be taken before New England goes on the clock at the No. 4 selection. It’s also likely that Colorado’s Travis Hunter gets chosen as a receiver/corner hybrid. That leaves coach Mike Vrabel to snag Abdul Carter, the clear top-ranked defensive player in the draft. Carter should be a menace for a decade at the next level, and could wind up with one heck of a mentor."
I'm not entirely sold on the idea that Sanders is going to get drafted before the Patriots' first pick, but if that's the only thing standing between the Pats and Abdul Carter, I can suspend my disbelief for the next 36 hours. Landing the best defensive player in the draft – and, arguably, the best overall prospect – would be a huge win for Vrabel's first draft, even if he really had no say in the matter. Sometimes the easiest choices are sitting right under your nose the whole time. Shoutout to he Giants for whatever weird, wholly-misguided move they're about to make that'll open this reality up.