By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
Bill Belichick may have punted on the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. But the Patriots head coach still has 13 picks, the most in the league heading into Days 2 and 3.
The Patriots’ draft pick cache now includes a second-round pick and four selections in the third round, after the team slid down from 23 to 37 and acquired pick 71 from the Los Angeles Chargers. Here’s the full updated list of Patriots draft picks, as of this writing.
Patriots 2020 Draft Picks
— Second round, No. 37: acquired from Chargers
— Third round, No. 71: acquired from Chargers
— Third round, No. 87: own pick
— Third round, No. 98: compensatory pick
— Third round, No. 100: compensatory pick
— Fourth round, No. 125: acquired from Bears
— Fourth round, No. 139: acquired from Buccaneers
— Fifth round, No. 172: acquired from Lions
— Sixth round, No. 195: acquired from Broncos
— Sixth round, No. 204: acquired from Texans
— Sixth round, No. 212: compensatory pick
— Sixth round, No. 213: compensatory pick
— Seventh round, No. 230: acquired from Falcons
Look for Friday to be severely more active for Belichick and the Patriots. They have to be. So you can reasonably expect that they’ll make at least a couple of selections, but also spin a whirlwind of trades both up and down the board in the process.
There are some generally highly-rated prospects still available for the Patriots, who are in line to pick fifth in the second round. Here’s an offering of who they could choose from that could fit the Patriots well, provided they stay in the top-10 of the second round and Belichick doesn’t make one of his random off-the-grid picks.
LB Zack Baun, Wisconsin
DT Raekwon Davis, Alabama
DE A.J. Epenesa, Iowa
DE Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State
OT Josh Jones, Houston
TE Cole Kmet, Notre Dame
S Xavier McKinney, Alabama
WR Denzel Mims, Baylor
WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC
WR Laviska Shenault, Colorado
We’ll have real-time coverage of the NFL Draft on Friday night right here at 985TheSportsHub. In the meantime, you can get all of our coverage to-date at the Patriots Draft Hub.
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.