NFL Draft 2023: Proposed trade has Patriots move into top-10

The New England Patriots currently own the 14th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, but they have never shied away from moving if a chance presents itself. What they will do is obviously anybody’s guess at this point in time.

Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger, however, would like New England to be aggressive and move up the board. In a story titled Six first-round trades we’d like to see, he proposes the Patriots sending their first-round pick plus a second-rounder to the Philadelphia Eagles to move into the top-10:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS TRADE UP TO NO. 10 WITH THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES FOR OT BRODERICK JONES

Trade terms: Nos. 14, 76 for No. 10

Our thinking here doesn’t align with the first two trades above, so view this move as a standalone idea — as if neither of those moves happens. With the Tennessee Titans sitting at No. 11 and the AFC East division rival New York Jets sitting at No. 13, New England is directly behind two teams that could very well draft a top tackle. If the Chicago Bears elect to draft a tackle at No. 9, this could also be the Patriots jumping up to ensure they get a top prospect before there’s a major run at the position.

New England added veteran tackles Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff in free agency to go along with Trent Brown and Conor McDermott, but none of them are under contract beyond 2024. Nevertheless, this could still be overkill at the position given all the investments. Cornerback and defensive line make a lot of sense for the Patriots in the first round, as well.

The Patriots have a definitive need at offensive tackle, and Jones is one of the best players available — one the team has shown some interest in during the pre-draft process. He does come with some questions, though, mostly because he started only 19 games in his college career.

Still, his upside is as big as any tackle’s in this year’s draft. Accordingly, it would not be a surprise to see New England bring him in in hopes of turning him into a true franchise option at the left tackle spot.