Watch: Behind-The-Scenes At Patriots Trading Out Of First Round

The New England Patriots took part in one of the most anticipated drafts in team history but didn’t take part in the first round. The Patriots dealt their first-round pick, No. 23 overall, to the Los Angles Chargers in exchange for a second-round pick (37th overall) and a third-round pick (71st overall) in the draft over the weekend. The Chargers used this pick really well and selected linebacker Kenneth Murray out of Oklahoma.

Patriots Director of Player Personnel Nick Caserio had the perfect explanation for this move. According to him, the team is always ready to pick. They thought that this trade makes perfect sense. This move puts New England in a position picking the top of the second round today with four thirds. The Patriots still have some picks, including the two fourths, the four sixths and the one seventh. The team is getting ready for today’s round.

New England now has 13 picks for the rest of the draft. This includes four in the third round. This trade for Los Angeles’ second-round pick gave New England the draft pick they gave up on in the Mohamed Sanu trade with the Falcons in 2019.

Caserio likes the flexibility this move provides. It gives the team a possibility to move around in the middle. He notes that late-round pick are nothing but late-round picks. For him, there are 12 picks in five rounds, and they will figure out what’s best for the organization.  

Since Bill Belichick started coaching the Patriots in 2000, the team has gone without a pick in the first round on five occasions prior to 2020.

New England selected N’Keal Harry with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Dont’a Hightower and Chandler Jones were drafted in 2012. They are the last two first-round picks of the Patriots to make a Pro Bowl.

This is a rather challenging draft for the Patriots and they won’t go home without snatching a few great names. There are several predictions about the team’s next move, so let’s just wait and see what happens today. It’s a big day for the Patriots organization.