The New England Patriots went from worst to first in the AFC East last season, finishing with a 14-3 regular season record.
The team brought in new head coach and former Patriot linebacker Mike Vrabel and saw a big jump from quarterback Drake Maye in his second year as a pro. New England went into Denver and defeated the Broncos in the AFC Championship to end up in the Super Bowl.
Though the season didn’t end how the Pats wanted it to with a Super Bowl win, they saw one of the biggest jumps in just one year, and proved that if you draft well and have the right coaching staff, you can flip things around drastically in a short period of time.
As the Patriots look to make it two Super Bowl trips in a row, let’s take a look at their upcoming draft plans.
Patriots Draft Outlook
As of Tuesday, April 7, the New England Patriots currently hold 11 draft picks, with two fourth-round picks and four sixth-round picks. Being the Super Bowl runner-up, the Patriots will select 31st overall in the first-round.
Holding 11 picks, the Patriots have the ammo to move up or move down in the draft. According to Patriots reporter Mike Reiss, Vrabel is open to trading the team’s first-round pick- whether it is up in the draft or out of the first-round for more value.
Having a good of a roster as they have in place, the Patriots have that flexibility to trade up or down, and will likely see how the first-round plays out.
Some of the Patriots’ biggest needs heading into the draft are wide receiver, edge rusher, tight end, and linebacker. Like many teams, the Patriots were active at the combine, and have had numerous one-on-one meetings with prospects from all over the country.
Though it does not pertain to the draft, the Patriots have been highly linked to acquiring Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown. A trade is expected post June 1. But maybe the Patriots use a first or second-round pick on a young wide receiver and fall back from acquiring Brown.
Either way, the Patriots will certainly add a few weapons for Drake Maye in the draft or via trade the rest of the offseason.
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