With hindsight, it’s easy to say we should have seen this coming — but it’s true: we should have. The New England Patriots have traded out of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, moving back from 23rd overall and getting the Los Angeles Chargers’ 37th and 71st overall picks.
Why was this an obvious move?
Surely, a large factor was the gap between the Patriots’ first pick (23rd) and their second pick (87th). Bill Belichick was likely interested in closing that gap. With this trade, the coach gets two picks in that space of the draft. And the Patriots now have 13 selections. Here’s a look at where they stand.
- Second round: No. 37
- Third round: No. 71, No. 87, No. 98, No. 100
- Fourth round: No. 125, No. 139
- Sixth round: No. 195, No. 204, No. 212, No. 213
- Seventh round: No. 230, No. 235
It’s a glut of selections. New England should have no issues moving around the draft board, if they way to target a player.
The second reason this trade made sense: There seemed to be a large number of good players remaining on the board. The Chargers ultimately took Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray. The other excellent prospects on the board included Utah State QB Jordan Love (picked by Packers), Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks (picked by Seahawks), LSU LB Patrick Queen, Clemson WR Tee Higgins, ASU WR Brandon Aiyuk (picked by 49ers), Boise State OT Ezra Cleveland, Alabama S Xavier McKinney, Minnesota S Antoine Winfield and Michigan C Cesar Ruiz (picked by Saints).
The second round should feature no shortage of talented players, even if the Patriots sit pat at 37th overall.
There is one major downside to moving back. The second-round prospects have just four years on their deal — they do not have a fifth-year option, like first-rounders. Perhaps that’s why the Chargers had to make such a significant bid for the selection, giving up high second- and third-round picks for the selection. It was a solid haul for New England.
Maybe there was a sense of anticlimax, with the Patriots bailing on their first-round pick on a night where fans were hoping for some action. But New England is clearly intent upon targeting the depth in this year’s draft.
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