Here’s Where Patriots Would Pick In First Round If NFL Draft Were Today

New England is in line for a higher first-round pick than it's used to

Is it too early to talk about the 2021 NFL Draft if you're a Patriots fan?

Of course not!

New England and its fans have grown accustomed to picking near the end of the first round because, well, the Patriots normally are in the Super Bowl. But, with a 5-6 record, Bill Belichick and Co. currently are in line to make a selection much further up the board.

If the season ended today, the Patriots would own the 15th overall selection in the 2021 draft.

Here's the current draft order through 12 weeks:

(Note: You can ignore the playoff-eligible teams.)

Here’s a look at the 2021 #NFL Draft order as we get set for Week 13 of the season via @tankathon.

Three #NFCEast teams currently own a Top-10 pick. That tells you all you need to know. pic.twitter.com/I8NFkuzvKU
— Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) December 1, 2020

The Patriots have made 29 top-15 picks in franchise history. The most recent top-15 selection was in 2008 when New England took linebacker Jerod Mayo with the 10th overall pick.

Obviously, there is a decent chance Belichick trades out of the first round, no matter how high the pick winds up being.