Instant analysis from the Patriots trade down with the Lions to gain a fourth round pick

The New England Patriots traded down from the 43rd overall pick to add more draft capital in the middle rounds. There are plenty of top prospects still on the board so the team was in no rush to make a selection and wanted to recoup a mid-rounder after sending the 95th overall pick to the San Francisco 49ers for OT Trent Brown.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Patriots received the 51st and 117th overall picks in return from the Detroit Lions. The Patriots gained a fourth round pick in exchange for moving down nine slots, which is a pretty great deal since there are dozens of players that could be considered on a similar tier still on the board.

The top of the second round included a run of offensive guards and running backs, both positions the Patriots addressed in the first round. This forced the top wide receivers, tight ends, linebackers, and defensive backs to fall down the board and the Patriots should have their pick of the best players at 51st overall.