Of the top quarterback prospects in this year's draft class, the Patriots have been most frequently linked to Mac Jones.
Jones might be the most-realistic QB option for New England next month, as Bill Belichick and Co. aren't slated to make their first pick until No. 15. But is there a chance the Patriots make a power play to move up the boards and grab a different signal-caller?
New England reportedly is "really high" on Justin Fields, who potentially could be a great fit for the new-look Patriots. Of course, Fields all but surely will not be available at No. 15, so New England would need to trade up in the first round in order to select him.
How likely are the Patriots to make this move? Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer offered his read on the situation in his latest mailbag.
"I think the Lions would very much consider Fields at No. 7 if he were to fall to them there, and likely would get calls at that point from teams looking to leapfrog Carolina to get him," Breer wrote. "As for the Patriots, I certainly think it’s possible they’d be one of those teams looking to go up for him, and plugging the holes they have in free agency gives them a little more flexibility to move picks to do it. I’m not sure if they like Fields enough to consider that, but obviously, it’ll be something we’re looking into as we get closer to the draft."
It would be very uncharacteristic of the Patriots to trade up into the top 10 of the draft. But New England already has strayed from the norm this offseason by shelling out cash to sign a handful of marquee free agents.
So, who knows? Maybe the ugly 2020 season will motivate Belichick to continue to swing for the fences.
