The New England Patriots are a team known for wheeling and dealing on draft night, and that tendency is front and center in Todd McShay’s latest 2023 NFL mock draft.
Despite having their highest draft pick in nearly 15 years, the Patriots pull off a first-round trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in McShay’s draft. Kentucky’s Will Levis is still on the board at No. 14, and the Buccaneers are still looking for their quarterback of the future after Tom Brady decided to ride off into the sunset in retirement.
So it’s fitting that they agree to a deal with the Patriots, of all teams.
McShay has New England sending their No. 14 overall pick to Tampa Bay for the No. 19 pick, a third-rounder (No. 82) and a fifth-rounder (No. 153). That scenario might not sit well with Patriots fans hoping to see the team be aggressive in attacking positions of needs, particularly at receiver.
Instead of adding to the receiving corps, the Patriots beef up their offensive line by drafting offensive tackle Darnell Wright out of Tennessee at No. 19 and Michigan cornerback DJ Turner at No. 46 in McShay’s two-round mock draft.
Wright could be a longstanding franchise addition along the offensive front. He could also make an immediate impact on the roster considering he has matched wits with the best defensive pass-rushers in college football, including Alabama’s Will Anderson.
Meanwhile, Turner was the fastest prospect at the NFL Scouting Combine after posting a 4.26-second 40-yard dash time.
Offensive tackle and cornerback are obvious positions of need for the Patriots, but an argument could be made that receiver trumps both at this point for an offense that still lacks explosiveness on the outside.
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