Don't know if this should be for a separate thread, but I want to talk, in the buildup to the draft, at what I *want* the Patriots to do. Not what they WILL do, but what I WANT them to do.
Here's their draft capital:
1st round pick (23rd overall) (via Los Angeles, acquired in the Cooks trade)
1st round pick (31st overall) (NE)
2nd round pick (43rd overall) (via San Francisco, acquired in the Garoppolo trade)
2nd round pick (63rd overall) (NE)
3rd round pick (95th overall) (NE)
6th round pick (198th overall) (via Los Angeles, acquired in the Cooks trade)
6th round pick (210th overall) (via Oakland, acquired in the Cordarrelle Patterson trade)
7th round pick (219th overall) (via Cleveland, acquired in the Danny Shelton trade)
So they have 4 of the first 63 picks (one out of every 16), and 5 out of the first 95 (one out of every 19). They end with three picks in rounds 6-7. Those first five picks will be significant. Here's the PFF top 100 prospect list:
https://www.profootballfocus.com/news/pff-draft-board-top-100-players-for-the-2018-nfl-draft
Not that BB will go by that or anything, but it's helpful to see what talent might be available for them.
Here are some positional needs as I see them:
LB - Hightower is great but injury prone; Van Noy is adequate at best; the rest is problematic
CB - like Gilmore and McCourty, and Rowe is ok; hope JJones improves, but wouldn't be bad to add another quality CB
S - good quality with McCourty, Chung, and Harmon, but need to get younger
OT - losing Solder hurt, and so could use someone else; maybe Garcia (2017 draft) is the next starting LT but I'm not sure
QB - Brady's replacement?
I think they're fine at interior OL, RB, WR, TE, and maybe even DL, though they could use another pass rusher. If there's a stud pass rusher available, I could see BB picking him.
Obviously we don't know how the draft will unfold or who will be available for BB at 23 or 31 or wherever. And it's possible, of course, for him to trade up, using multiple draft picks to do it. But based on what we know (which isn't much beyond who's available right now and what their needs are and what their draft slots are), here's what I'd like to see happen.
I'd like to draft LB with #23. I'm thinking Vander Esch, who is an off the chart athlete. They need to get much faster and more athletic at LB.
With the #31, I'd like to possibly trade down into the second round and add another third round pick.
With the #43, I'd like to take QB Kyle Lauletta. Can throw the ball, and is athletic enough. He is highly accurate, but doesn't have a big arm. I think that can be developed, as he's only a sophomore. Give him a couple of years in an NFL weight program and I think his arm strength can improve at least into the adequate category. The other pluses in his game are things that often don't develop as well, as they're mental tools, not physical tools. A couple of years with McDaniels and in an NFL weight program and I think he'd be pretty solid.
With the #63 and the other second rounder they pick up on the trade for #31, I'd like for them to address CB and LB.
With the two third-rounders I'd expect them to trade one of them to add a fourth and maybe fifth round picks (maybe they have to throw in their own 7th to make this happen). With the other, I'd like to see them add either a left tackle that Dante can develop, or a young safety with upside.
With the fourth or fifth rounder they pick up in the trade I just mentioned, I like DT Folorunso Fatukasi out of UConn. Really powerful, and a pretty solid athlete. Has a bit of a nasty streak in him that would play well. 6'4", 315.
Round out the draft by taking best player available, though I know BB typically does that anyway. But BPA with an eye towards offensive tackle maybe?
I don't want the Patriots to trade a bunch of draft capital to get Rosen or Mayfield or Jackson. Though if one of those guys is there for them at #23, yeah maybe just pull the trigger. But I really don't know that any of those guys is going to end up being better than Lauletta when all is said and done, so with that in mind, I'd rather use those picks on other needs before grabbing the next QB.