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DRAFT DAY: Puh-leeeeze, Patriots, don’t trade back

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Apr 28, 2022

Draft Day has arrived.

And we’re not really all that excited.

At least the New England Patriots aren’t picking 29th, or 31st in tonight’s first round of the annual cattle call known as the National Football League Draft.

It’ll be in Las Vegas, the land of glitz and glitter, but that is kind of the opposite on how many look at this draft. There’s not a lot of glitz, not a lot of glitter. Lot of talent, yes, but it’s spread throughout and at positions that aren’t going to knock anyone’s socks off. There’s not top quarterbacks when last year and in other years there were three or four that we all drool over.

Jacksonville once again has the top pick but we’re not quite sure who they’ll take, although many feel it might be Michigan defensive stud Adam Hutchinson.

But all we really care about is who the Patriots will pick and where.

So the first request is pleeeeeeeeze don’t trade back Bill Belichick, and especially don’t do it in the name if “good value”. At least Belichick had a sense of humor, saracstically calling his deal earlier this week with Houston unloading an extra fifth rounder for sixth and a seventh “a blockbuster” during a Boston radio interview with Scott Zolak.

The Patriots need all the youth, speed, and talent they can get. They have a chance to grab one of the top 25 players in this draft, and trading back for extra picks down the road may be good math but it won’t produce good football, in our humble opinion.

Stay at No. 21 – unless you want to move up, which many don’t want to do because if one player isn’t available you like there’ll be another. It seems to be a draft of clones.

Take the best linebacker, best corner, or best offensive lineman available. Pleeeeeeeeze don’t try your hand at drafting a receiver.

If the Patriots go linebacker, we’d like Georgia’s Dean Nakobe, but he could be gone. Perhaps his teammate Quay Walker.Or, as many said the first half of Thursday, Utah’s Devin Lloyd. But it’s clear they will need to restock the position after saying farewell to three veterans: Dont’a Hightower (still unsigned), Jamie Collins, and Kyle Van Noy (released).

Cornerbacks? A few mock drafts have them taking Clemson defensive back Andrew Booth. There will be some screams if the Patriots pick an offensive lineman, but they do need depth at the position. Perhaps Trevor Penning of Northern Iowa or Central Michigan’s Luke Goedeke.

We’ll hold our breath when it comes to No. 21, and hope the words are uttered from our favorite Commish Goodell, “With the 21st pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select…” rather than “We have a trade…”

Fingers crossed. Happy Draft Day.

Tom King may be reached at @Telegraph_TomK on twitter, or tking@nashuatelegraph.com

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