SI Mock Draft FTP: Patriots Trade Down Twice, Acquire 4 Draft Picks
SI.com released their second annual NFL mock draft for the people, which is the only mock draft the site does in order to project far too many trades while trying to predict the first selection for all 32 football teams. The mock draft is two rounds.
When there's a heavy dose of trades going down then you know the New England Patriots will be involved in the fun. That's why SI's Gary Gramling has the six-time Super Bowl champions trading back twice and eventually out of the first round in order to acquire multiple Day 2 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Here are the scenarios that played out for the Patriots in this edition of SI's mock draft:
23. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* Baltimore: Patrick Queen, LB, LSU
*Trade Up from 28: Baltimore sends New England the 28th pick, the first of their two third-rounders (92)
28. *PROJECTED TRADE UP* L.A. Chargers: Austin Jackson, OT, USC
*Trade Up from 37: L.A. Chargers send New England the 37th pick, a third-rounder (71), Chargers also receive first of New England’s three sixth-rounders (195)
37. *PROJECTED TRADE DOWN* New England: Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame
*Trade Down Twice from 23: New England receives L.A. Chargers’ third-rounder (71), the first of Baltimore’s two third-rounders (92), sends first of their three sixth-rounders (195) back to the Chargers
New England traded back from No. 23 to acquire the No. 28 and 92 picks. They then traded the No. 28 pick and No. 195 pick to acquire the No. 37 and 71st overall pick. So trading out of the first round helped the Patriots acquire a second-rounder and two third-rounders while also having to sacrifice one of their three sixth-rounders.
With their first pick in the draft - which ended up being the Chargers' second round pick at No. 37 - New England went with tight end Cole Kmet, who is the top TE in this year's class and makes complete sense for the Patriots. Drafting Kmet fills a need at a position they weren't going to draft in the first round. So, trading out of the first round got New England multiple draft picks, including a second round pick - which they previously did not have - and helped them fill a big hole on the roster.
While this mock draft was for the people - which is supposed to show more of what can happen on draft night as opposed to what will happen - trading back twice and out of the first round is something that is totally viable for the Patriots, who like to stockpile draft picks in order to move up and down the draft board after Day 1. There are rumors that "many" teams in the mid-to-late part of the first round are trying to trade back ahead of the draft in order to acquire a Day 2 pick(s), which means New England may not make their first selection until the very end of Day 1, or even Day 2.
If that's the case, then we may see much of the same from Bill Belichick and the Patriots on draft day despite this year being the first ever NFL Draft conducted on a virtual landscape, which will bring along its own set of challenges.
