Despite some significant ups and downs on his draft day resume, “Trader Bill” Belichick has never been hesitant to move, well, up or down in the NFL’s selection process.
In fact history shows that over his 23 years buying the groceries for Robert Kraft’s team, Belichick has found serious first-round success in every option a team has at its disposal.
His first first-round pick in New England saw Belichick stand Pat and select a future Hall of Fame talent in Georgia defensive lineman Richard Seymour at No. 6 overall.
In 2008 Belichick took a different approach, trading down a couple times from No. 7 overall – New England’s highest pick since Seymour – to maximize the Value! taking future All-Pro linebacker Jerod Mayo with the 10th pick out of Tennessee.
A couple years later Belichick twice traded up in the back half of the first round, first jumping from 27th to 21st to snag future All-Pro pass rusher Chandler Jones out of Syracuse. Not too long after, New England moved up again from 31st to 25th to land future Super Bowl hero and defensive dynasty 2.0 mainstay Dont’a Hightower from Alabama.
Oh and let’s not forget trades that didn’t involve making an actual selection. In 2017 Belichick sent pal Sean Payton the No.32 pick for Brandin Cooks, a veteran receiver who’d catch 65 passes for 1,082 yards (16.6 avg.) with seven touchdowns from Tom Brady later that fall.
And when the talent on the board wasn’t to his liking, Belichick has traded out of the first round altogether. A sampling of his top picks in those years include second-round smaller school stars like linebacker Jamie Collins in 2013 and safety Kyle Dugger in 2020.
This isn’t to say that everything that Belichick has done to actively and at times aggressively move around the draft board has turned to gridiron gold. He’s missed picks and players. Missed opportunities by trading.
But, Belichick has certainly shown the interest and ability to move around the first round successfully. That brings us to this draft season, New England solidly in the first half of the first round with the No. 14 overall selection. For now anyway.
It certainly goes without saying that Belichick – and the supposed new-age New England draft collaborative that includes Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh among others -- could and would consider very option at their disposal.
But at a time when the Bills are the well-built frontrunners in the AFC East, the Dolphins have traded for Tyreek Hill, Bradley Chubb and Jalen Ramsey in barely a calendar year and the Jets are adding (they still.
are, right?) Hall of Fame QB Aaron Rodgers coming off one of the best draft classes any team has had in years, it’s time for Belichick to once again be bold in New England.
So while ESPN may be projecting and advising the Patriots to stay put at No. 14 overall coming April 27, the real move for New England to try to close the gap on the rest of not only the division but an ultra-competitive Patrick Mahomes-paced conference would be to trade up on draft night.
Don’t sit and wait for whatever second-tier prospect remains at No. 14.
Don’t hold tight and hope that one of the blue-chippers simply gets pushed down the board by QB over drafting. Hope is no plan at all.
Don’t cross your fingers and what to see what happens.
The Patriots have plenty of draft picks – 11 – and already have plenty of good-not-great players on the roster.
New England needs stars and more often than not stars go higher in the draft.
Go get the best cornerback in the draft class whoever you deem that to be, a No. 1 option at the position to pair with Jack Jones and the rest moving forward.
Go snag the best receiver in the draft, a guy that can reset the depth chart and recharge Mac Jones’ offense and maybe even his career.
Target the best offensive tackle and do whatever it takes to take him.
Can the Patriots stand Pat and get a good player at No.
14? Probably.
Could Belichick trade down to acquire more assets to add more talent to his roster? Sure.
But New England doesn’t need another good player. It doesn’t need more assets to add run-of-the-mill depth to the depth chart.
Nope. The Patriots need high-end playmakers and tent-pole talents to build around. New England needs more blue chip options to turn to with games on the line to avoid another losing season and another winter without playoff action.
Come on, Bill! Trade up and go get an elite player on draft night.
You know you want to.
Or at least you probably should.
