What the Patriots are working with on Day 2 of 2023 NFL Draft
FOXBORO -- The Patriots received universal praise for drafting cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who fell to them at 17th overall on Thursday night in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. But their work is far from done, with a lot more picks to make over the next two days.
Moving down from 14th to 17th in the first round got Bill Belichick and company another fourth-round selection, giving the Patriots 11 picks between Friday and Saturday. Just two of those selections will come on Friday, with New England owning one second-round (No. 46 overall) and one third-round (No. 76 overall) selection.
For now, at least.
Armed with four fourth-round selections and four sixth-round selections (plus a seventh-round pick), the Patriots are prime candidates to move up during Friday night. Adding 12 players to the team isn't realistic, so expect the Pats to package a few of them to land a higher pick.
They reportedly looked into jumping back into the first round Thursday night and have been making calls to move up in the second round, so perhaps they could strike early Friday evening.
Among teams that looked into potentially trading into the late first round last night, per sources: #Titans #Rams #Patriots #Falcons
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 28, 2023
Could have implications at the top of the second round.
Per league sources, the #Patriots have made calls about moving up in round 2. With the amount of draft capital they have, especially in round 4, they have the potential to make a decent leap in both rounds 2 and 3.
— Mike Giardi (@MikeGiardi) April 28, 2023
The draft gets underway at 7 p.m. on Friday, so be prepared for the possibility for some early fireworks from New England.
The Patriots checked off an important position on their to-do list Thursday night by snagging a potential No. 1 corner for years to come in Gonzalez. But they still have plenty of needs to fill.
On offense, the Pats could use another young tackle to develop and they need another pass-catcher for the Mac Jones' arsenal. That weapon for Mac could be either a receiver or a tight end.
It looks like Bill Belichick was checking out tape on North Carolina receiver Josh Downs when Thursday night's action was going down, so keep an eye on him on Friday.
Tennessee's Jalin Hyatt and Oklahoma's Marvin Mimms Jr. are other intriguing options at receiver, and Notre Dame's Michael Mayer, Georgia's Darnell Washington, and Oregon State's Luke Musgrave are options at tight end.