What will the New England Patriots do with their first-round pick in the NFL Draft?
It seems year after year we're left asking the same questions given the tight-lipped Bill Belichick continues to be a man of mystery. New England gears up for the 2022 NFL Draft, which starts with the first round Thursday, in possession of the No. 21 overall pick.
They have massive holes at cornerback and linebacker, a lack of depth on the offensive line and could use an impactful young pass-catcher for second-year quarterback Mac Jones. With that, and while it's worth acknowledging the Patriots obviously are at the mercy of what happens in front of them, a number of NFL draft experts believe Belichick builds the defense with his first selection.
The projected betting prices on Bookies.com indicate much of the same with each of the top two favorites playing defense.
Trent McDuffie +250
Devin Lloyd +300
Drake London +500
Chris Olave +750
Andrew Booth +750
The Field +275
Note: These odds are projected by Bookies.com's in-house oddsmaker and aren't reflected in the actual betting market.
McDuffie, a highly-ranked cornerback product from Washington, has been mocked to the Patriots by a number of analysts. NESN's Zack Cox projected the Patriots to select McDuffie in his initial mock draft, as well.
As for Lloyd, the Georgia linebacker is another who has been connected to the Patriots as one of the best players at the position. London, a USC product, and Olave, a wideout from Ohio State, would each fill the pass-catcher role should the Patriots look to help out Jones. Booth, a Clemson cornerback, reportedly visited the Patriots earlier this month and is expected to be available in the back half of the first round.
Cox most recently projected the Patriots to select Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean, but previously connected New England to McDuffie, Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam, Central Michigan offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann, Michigan defensive back Dax Hill and Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning.
