The New England Patriots currently have 11 picks in the 2016 NFL Draft, with a gap in selections from the 96th overall and the 196th overall pick. The common theory is that the Patriots will trade down to fill that hole.
Not so fast, writes Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman.
In a great article about DeflateGate and how teams are now kind of supporting the Patriots, Freeman drops a nugget on how the Patriots could possible approach the draft:
"The Patriots, said one opposing general manager, can still 'have a hell of draft. They have a lot of picks.' Many across the league fully expect Belichick to package picks and try to move up higher in the draft, maybe back into the first round."
Woah now. That could be a game changer. The Patriots could possibly trade up to the first round? That would require both 2nd round picks, which would be a hefty price, although the Patriots could still move their 91st overall pick to acquire selections in the 4th and 5th rounds.
Trading up would be a major surprise and head coach Bill Belichick has never had a problem with either surprises or trades. This could be an exciting draft for Patriots fans.