Trading to No. 10 overall
Patriots get: 10th overall
Browns get: 23rd overall and a 2021 first-round pick
If the Patriots could, they’d trade to 11th overall to get ahead of the Raiders. But alas, that’s where the New York Jets are picking. If they got wind that Belichick was trading up to draft Tagovailoa, they’ll probably do everything they could to avoid that deal. This trade would do the trick, getting the Patriots ahead of Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden. It’s possible they’re not interested in Tua, considering they signed Marcus Mariota to compete with Derek Carr this offseason. But if Tua slides to 12, maybe they think they’ll have their quarterback of the future when they want to move on from both veterans.
A future first-round pick is a big bid for New England. But how else would it entice the Browns to move so far down the board? Another offer: 99th overall, 100th overall and a 2021 second-rounder. But for that deal to take place, Cleveland would have to think they’re getting, to some degree, nearly as strong a prospect at 23rd as they’d get at No. 10. Some drafts are that deep. Is this one? Probably not. So the Patriots are forced to put that 2021 first-rounder on the table.