NFL Insider Raises Valid Point About Potential Patriots Draft Strategy

The biggest need for the Patriots heading into NFL free agency and the draft is undoubtedly quarterback, but it isn’t New England’s only need.

The Patriots have holes all over their roster, especially on the offensive side of the ball at tackle, wide receiver and tight end.

While the Patriots could select their quarterback of the future at No. 3 overall — most likely either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye — New England’s brain trust could opt to trade down in an effort to gain as much draft capital as possible. That would allow the Patriots to fill in the gaps at certain positions and they could still select a quarterback — just not one viewed as top tier in the draft class.

But ESPN’s Field Yates believes that wouldn’t be a wise strategy for the Patriots to deploy.

“Given the desperate need at quarterback there, my mentality would be the opportunity cost,” Yates said during a conference call Thursday, as transcribed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “If you don’t take one now, and you get a nominal upgrade in free agency that might push you to the eighth or 10th pick in the draft next year, do the same exercise right now. If the Patriots trade down from pick three to pick eight or 11, it’s going to cost the acquiring team a boatload.

“If you’re the Patriots, and you don’t take one of these quarterbacks now — and now you’re picking 10th or 11th next year — are you willing to pay the full freight a year from now? Because it’s just really hard to find quarterbacks in the draft that end up going 10th, 11th, 12th that are worth a first-round pick. Usually those guys are pushed up the board artificially.”

It’s a very valid point by Yates. The Patriots, who reportedly are interested in adding a veteran signal-caller through free agency, shouldn’t try to get fancy and wait around to get the young quarterback they desperately need.

Fields sees trading down and taking a quarterback later in the draft as too risky of a gamble, especially given the talent both Daniels and Maye possess.

“There’s no consolation prize for the Patriots at pick three,” Yates said. “These guys are all so different that no matter which quarterback is available there for the Patriots, I believe any of those three are the kind of building-block players that you can spend a decade with and they can become the centerpiece of what the Patriots hope is a new arc of winning again.”