the Pats Make a Surprising Trade for a Top Defensive Prospect

The final exam has nearly arrived for the Patriots as the 2023 NFL Draft’s three-day extravaganza begins Thursday night in Kansas City.

Starting at the top of the draft, this is not a top-heavy year, with many teams having less than 15 players with first-round grades, a small number compared to other drafts. Furthermore, this class has little consensus beyond the first overall pick (Alabama QB Bryce Young), and many view prospects in the 25-125 range as close to equal talents.

For the Patriots, I also wouldn’t expect them to use all 11 draft selections they currently have with 75 players already on the roster. That would leave only four open spots for undrafted free-agent signings. They could cut players to make more room for rookies, but downsizing their draft haul to under ten players seems more realistic from this point of view.

Lastly, to set up the mock, we need to read between the lines a little bit with Director of Player Personnel Matt Groh’s pre-draft press conference. Although it’s lying season, and Groh could’ve been throwing out smokescreens about New England’s intentions, his remarks make sense.

If we take him at face value, the Patriots like their veteran depth at offensive tackle and see day two as the sweet spot for this wide receiver class. Most around the league are of the opinion that Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the only true first-rounder, making this a down year for wide receivers in the first round.

With that in mind, this draft is setting up for the Patriots to target a defensive player in the first round, tapping into a cornerback class that Groh gushed about or a stacked edge rusher group. Although you don’t want to be too reactionary, New England’s 2023 schedule and the AFC East are now loaded offensively with Aaron Rodgers quarterbacking the Jets, and Belichick’s answer to that could be selecting a building block on defense.

Here is our fourth and final attempt at a seven-round Patriots mock draft:

TRADE: Patriots trade No. 14 and No….