5 dream scenarios for the Patriots in the 2020 NFL Draft

The sky is falling for the New England Patriots, and coach Bill Belichick might be open to moving mountains to fix it.

A new era is afoot for a New England Patriots team with more questions than answers heading into the 2020 NFL Draft.

Legendary quarterback Tom Brady jumped ship to Tampa Bay, “The Boogeymen” linebacking trio is down to one and the depleted receiving corps presents the sorts of problems that would even stump Doogie Howser.

Bill Belichick doesn’t have an MD, but he does have six Super Bowl rings as a head coach.

It makes sense to play down the draft every year for the Patriots. Belichick is more likely to trade back or select some guy out of Rutgers no one has ever heard about. ‘Tis the season for Patriots fans to be underwhelmed.

But there are those times when Belichick is willing to roll the dice and make some waves. It’s easy to forget he forked over a fourth-round pick to pull off a trade for Hall of Fame wideout Randy Moss at the 2007 NFL Draft. So it would be a colossal mistake to assume the Patriots are done making moves.

Even after key departures of guys like Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins, the defense should still remain one of the top-10 units in the league. That alone could be enough to convince Belichick to make a big enough splash to get the offense rolling again.

It’s time to talk dream scenarios.

I’m talking about the sort of draft day moves that would have Patriots fans running around their living rooms with the sort of excitement as Julian Edelman sprinting out of a home tunnel.

Leave the “needs” list at the door. Let’s delve into how the Patriots can shock the world on draft day.

Henry Ruggs III falls to the Patriots

The eye rolls will be strong with this one.

Belichick hasn’t had the best history of drafting receivers, and he is coming off a year where he already spent a first-round pick at the position on N’Keal Harry. Would he really pass on a certified playmaker like Alabama’s Henry Ruggs III if he slipped down the draft board?

Probably.

The responsible thing to do would be coming away with a quarterback or an edge rusher like Iowa’s A.J. Epenesa. Yet, if the team plans on handing the reins to Jarrett Stidham, he’s going to need a significant upgrade over the same receiving group that made a Brady-led offense look average in 2019.

Ruggs offers the sort of game-breaking speed that will have NFL defenses choking on his smoke. It’s the one element the Patriots lacked last season.

Is that you, Tyreek Hill?

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