After the Patriots traded down in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft Thursday night, they held 11 picks over the final six rounds of the draft. Many of those picks were bunched together, with four in the fourth round and four in the second round.

Given that layout, and the fact that the Patriots entered the draft with only 15 open roster spots, it stood to reason the team would likely be aggressive in moving up on Day 2. Director of player personnel even seemed to suggest as much in his press conference following Thursday night’s round, saying “to have those fourth-round picks does give us a little bit of currency” to move around the board.

• Yet that move never came to be. The Patriots ended up picking at both their scheduled slots, taking Georgia Tech defensive end Keion White 46th overall in the second round, and then Sacramento State linebacker/safety Marte Mapu 76th overall in the third round.

  Now, the Patriots are set to begin Day 3 with nine more selections to make, including three of the first 18 in the fourth round. While again, trades are possible and likely probable, as the day begins it looks like it could be a busy one.

  To start, the Patriots are set to have the fifth pick of the day, which is a fourth-round selection and 107th overall, which they acquired from the Los Angeles Rams two years ago in the Sony Michel trade. That pick is followed by selections 117 and 120, which are their own pick, and then the pick acquired in the trade back Thursday night. Pick 135, the comp pick for losing J.C. Jackson in free agency last year, rounds out the fourth round.

• Remaining Patriots picks...
  
  4/107 (from LAR, Sony Michel trade)
  4/117
  4/120 (from PIT, 1st round trade)
  4/135 (J.C. Jackson comp)
  6/184 (from LV, Jarrett Stidham trade)
  6/187 (from CAR, Stephon Gilmore trade)
  6/192
  6/210 (Ted Karras comp)
  7/245 (from ATL, Jonnu Smith trade)

  — Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) April 29, 2023

• With no fifth-round picks (something the Patriots are certainly in position to change either by moving down from the fourth or up from the sixth), the Patriots’ next selection comes 49 picks later, at 184th overall. That’s the pick they got from the Las Vegas Raiders in the Jarrett Stidham trade.

  That pick begins a run of three selections in eight picks and four selections in 26 picks, as the Patriots are scheduled to pick again at 187  (the pick they got in the Stephon Gilmore trade) 192 (their own sixth), and 210 (the Ted Karras comp pick). Their draft then wraps up with a lone seventh rounder, 245th overall, which they got from the Atlanta Falcons in the Jonnu Smith trade earlier this offseason.

  It seems highly unlikely the Patriots will use all of those picks. Some sort of trade to spread out the range and fill in the gap between 135 and 184 would make sense, as would turning one or more of these picks into future draft assets, specifically in 2024.

  Day 3 of the 2023 NFL Draft begins Saturday at noon. For complete coverage, be sure to bookmark 985TheSportsHub.com/draft.

• Alex Barth is a writer and 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. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.

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