To trade in, or not to trade: that’s the question the New England Patriots face in the first round of the 2021 draft in the 2121 draft.
The Patriots possess the 15th overall pick, which should allow Bill Belichick to add another impact player as he reshuffles the New England team after a 7-9 season. All five top defenders available – Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Mac Jones – are likely to be on the board by then, but it will create a mystery if the Patriots direct their QB of the future. .
Of course, New England can wait to pick a quarter later in the draft, with Kellen Mond, Kyle Trask and Davis Mills among the next level of signal callers. But Dan Orlovsky, a former NFL QB who now works as an analyst for ESPN, believes the Patriots need to think more aggressively.
“The more I think about it, the more I do not understand how they do not go up in the first eight or nine (choices) in the draft,” Orlovsky said Thursday on ESPN’s “NFL Live.” “And I’m looking at the NFC teams because I don’t think any AFC team would be stupid enough to go: ‘Here, guys, come on, here’s this quarterback. You can take him and control the AFC again. ‘So, Detroit at 7, Carolina at 8, Dallas at 10 and the Giants at 11 – as NFC teams that need to direct New England to pick him up.
‘Because I’m not just sitting here thinking about going in this season, you just mentioned the section, with Josh Allen, Tua (Tagovailoa) and probably Zach Wilson. I do not understand how New England could sit there and feel comfortable because all the guys are young. All those guys are sitting there saying, ‘We’re the face of our department for the next ten years.’ Forget the conference with Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. So New England is going must (swapped), and if I’m one of the NFC teams, I’m on the phone with them every day to lure them. ‘
The first three picks are expected to be quarterbacks, with Lawrence going to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Wilson going to the New York Jets and Fields, Lance of Jones going to the San Francisco 49ers, going from number 12 in a blockbuster trade pulled up. with the Miami Dolphins. After that, the Atlanta Falcons are a game card at No. 4 because they can draft Matt Ryan’s successor or even trade the pick.
The price of acquiring the No. 4 pick could be too rich for Belichick’s blood, especially if San Francisco trades the No. 12 pick, two future firsts (2022 and 2023) and a future third player (2022) to Miami . moves nine places up to number 3. But perhaps New England will win the prize for the other choices Orlovsky mentioned – no. 7, 8, 10 or 11 – find slightly more palatable. The key may ultimately be to get the Denver Broncos, who currently have the No. 9 pick, to jump, as they too face a QB dilemma with Drew Lock underperforming so far.
Nevertheless, Orlovsky would not advise Belichick to sit on his hands and hope for the best. The success of the Patriots in 2021 and beyond may depend on whether they land the right quarter in this year’s draft, as the current QB depth map of New England – Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham and Jake Dolegala – arouses little confidence.
“I think at the end of the day it’s really hard for a football team to go into a game and know that you’re seriously behind at quarterback position and think you have a chance,” he said. Orlovsky said about the Patriots, taking advantage of hiring Tom Brady for two decades. ‘New England have had a chance to win every game for the last 20 years because they had the best quarter in football. It’s a different world now, and I think that’s why they should go up and fetch a quarter. ”
It is clear where Orlovsky stands. Now, where does Belichick stand?
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