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The New England Patriots are entering this weekend’s draft with an unusually low number of draft picks. They are currently scheduled to pick 29th tonight, and also have one pick in the 2nd (59th) and 3rd (91st) rounds, as well as two in the seventh round.
For a draft that is weak at the top and deep in the middle rounds, that’s likely not a position that Bill Belichick and Nick Caserio would like to be in. I’d fully expect them to try to fill out their slate of picks in rounds 2-6, and they’ll have to do that through trades.
One option that Alec Shane already discussed was the potential trade of Ryan Mallett. Perhaps such a trade could land the Patriots a 2nd round selection or multiple mid-round selections.
But another intriguing option for the Patriots could be moving down from the 29th spot, potentially with a quarterback needy team scheduled to pick early in the second round. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King already has raised this possibility:
There are multiple teams high in second round testing waters from 25-32 about moving up--for QBs, I believe.
— Peter King (@SI_PeterKing) April 25, 2013
Who could be the Patriots trade partner? Perhaps the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are reportedly targeting Ryan Nassib or Matt Barkley with the 33rd overall pick.
Overall, there are a lot of intriguing trade scenarios to watch out for, and I’d be willing to bet a whole lot on the Patriots making at least one trade this draft. In fact, I’d almost be surprised if the Patriots did make a pick tonight.