ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: The New England Patriots logo is seen on a video board during the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
As of Saturday, the New England Patriots hold a whopping 12 (!) picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. Here’s a quick rundown of the team’s draft board – for now.
The Pats currently have four of their own draft picks, another four acquired via trade, and likely four compensatory picks. Thanks to a trade with the Bears, the Super Bowl LIII champions have an additional second-round pick. They will also select higher in the third round than their own pick thanks to a swap with the Lions last year. In the seventh round, they have the Browns’ pick from the Josh Gordon trade and the Texans’ via a deal with the Eagles.
Their exact spots in the first three rounds are already known. Here’s a look at their guaranteed selections as of this writing, by round:
— 1 (32nd)
— 2 (56th) via Chicago
— 2 (64th)
— 3 (73rd) via Detroit
— 4 (own pick – last pick before compensatory selections)
— 7 (own pick)
— 7 (via Houston)
— 7 (via Cleveland)
Compensatory Picks
Official compensatory selections, which begin after the end of the third round, will be announced later this month. The Patriots are due the maximum four after losing as many key players to free agency.
OverTheCap.com uses its own formula to project every team, loosely based on prior compensatory picks. Here’s their projection of the Patriots’ compensatory selections, by round, along with the free agents attached to them:
— 3 (OT Nate Solder)
— 3 (CB Malcolm Butler)
— 5 (WR Danny Amendola)
— 7 (OT Cameron Fleming)
If Bill Belichick’s recent draft history is any indication, there’s a good chance the Patriots won’t make all of these exact selections. He’s been as active as any coach in the NFL when it comes to trading up or down the draft board, or making trades to push picks back to a later year.
It’s important not to get married to any particular picks – Belichick has traded out of the first round before. But after not picking in the first round in 2016 or in the first two rounds in 2017, the Pats picked three times in the first two rounds last year.
Either way, 12 picks will be a great starting arsenal for the head coach and director of player personnel Nick Caserio. This list is certainly subject to change (perhaps grow), so stay tuned.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.