Did the Patriots’ behind-the-scenes video give a clue about their draft plans?

Did the New England Patriots accidentally spoil their second-round draft pick? A behind-the-scenes video from inside their war room published after the conclusion of the first round appears to suggest so.

At one point in the clip, head coach Bill Belichick is seen speaking with team owner Robert Kraft. Behind him is a laptop, showing the field at the University of North Carolina — the school attended by one of the team’s potential Day 2 targets, wide receiver Josh Downs.

Mike Kadlick of CLNS Media was the first to point this out.

Downs is projected to come off the board in the second round, and appears to fit what the Patriots are doing. He’s an elite separator and one of the best contested catch receivers in this class despite his 5-foot-9 frame.

The question is whether there is actual fire to the smoke? The team showing interest in Downs would make sense, so there is that. However, there are two factors to be considered here as well:

1.) The Patriots are showing interest in a lot of players who may or may not be on the board either when they pick or as trade-up targets.

2.) The Patriots’ video team does not just blindly go out to film and publish state secrets; the clips are reviewed before being published, and that process likely did not raise any concerns.

At the end of the day, it is at the very least a fun observation. And maybe we will keep a bit of a closer eye on Downs, who already was listed on our Patriots Big Board as a Day 2 fit, as a result.