It seems obvious, but the Patriots have three options in this year’s draft: stay put, trade up or trade down.
If the perfect player is there at No. 29, whether it be D.J. Hayden, Tank Carradine or Bjoern Werner, New England will likely stay put and use the No. 29 pick on an impact player. If a top-tier player like Star Lotulelei, Sheldon Richardson or Xavier Rhodes starts to fall, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Patriots trade up. They did it last year, and with the new lower rookie contracts, it might be good business.
Of course, the possibility always exists that the Patriots could trade down, as well. This draft is very deep at wide receiver and cornerback — the team’s two biggest needs — and the difference between a player at that position at No. 29 and in the 40s may not be that great.
We’ll have to wait until late Thursday night to see what the team will do at No. 29, but NESN.com’s Luke Hughes and Doug Kyed run through all the possibilities in this week’s Gunslingers Podcast. The two also discuss how the top five may shake out and how far some of the top quarterbacks could fall.
Listen in below or download the podcast on iTunes for all the latest on the Patriots and the NFL.
Tank Carradine Photo via Facebook/Florida State Football from B/R
D.J. Hayden Photo via Facebook/D.J. Hayden
