What position do you *want* drafted first this year?

I’d be okay with OT, Edge, or LB in the first round. But I chose edge. They need a stud pass rusher quite badly in my mind. A lot depends on who is available at 31, though.

I want the draft board to line up for an EDGE. I believe it's a critical need on the team now and for the future.

An OT to replace Moses likely doesn't have the same immediate boost on the team because I imagine it'd be a red shirt situation, but that's a critical long-term need considering positional importance so I'd be very happy to address it even if a year early.

Beyond that there are a bunch of secondary needs where I'd be happy. Most of these are less about this year's team

A true every down in-line TE with receiving skills would excite me. As would a Nose Tackle type that can contribute as a pass rusher too is something I'd love. A young safety to go with Woodson. A stud every down LB. A more dominant outside WR or even a reliable high vlume slot. A Guard to allow them to let Onwenu walk after the year with a replacement in place. An outside CB that allows them to trade Carlton Davis for cap savings next year to make up for Gonzo's eventually raise via 5th year option or extension.

I care way more about BPA than positions at this point. So honestly other than the pure stupidity of taking another QB, nothing would really make me unhappy. I see the value in a high end talent anywhere else. But yeah, agree with the consensus that an EDGE or OT of the future are the most pressing issues that it'd be great to address.

UGAPatsfan said:

Yeah worst thing that can (and likely will) happen is a run on OT and everyone includong Ihanachor is gone before 31. No one else left worthy of a #1

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That is very possible.

OT is such a priority throughout the NFL with not much to choose from FA letely. So, the draft is the only avenue left to find a solution.

yukon cornelius said:

at 31 I want best player available with an eye to positions of need (edge, T, S, TE, LB) not necessarily in that order

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For me, I don't want to trade out of the first. If we pick well, the 5th year is extremely valuable. Consider Gonzo. His 2027 salary will be $18M. If he were picked at the beginning of the second round, his 2027 salary would be closer to $40M.

I'll do what I usually do, make a proxy list of the players I want that are reasonably available, although that's tougher to do this year because of the wild variations among the players. I had Caleb Banks at the top of that list, but foot issues always freak me out. So right now the player I want the most is Jordyn Tyson, who could become an instant starter and 80+ reception receiver who is great after the catch. I don't expect him to be there, but if he's in range 24 or later I think they should make a move for him. Next I have Kenyon Sadiq, who, like Tyson, is highly unlikely to be there, but who I would also go after if he's still around in the 20's. After that I'm looking at Kayden MacDonald, Caleb Banks, Akeem Mesidor, C.J. Allen, K. C. Concepcion, Max Ineachor, Caleb Lomu, Blake Miller, T.J. Parker, Peter Woods, Christen Miller, and a few others, but don't have them completely ranked yet. There are some really good defensive tackle prospects in the 20's, and that's unusual. I could see them drafting one to go with Williams and Farmer and eventually moving Barmore. Bottom line, you can never have enough good defensive tackles. Like the offensive line everything falls apart on defense if you don't have a good interior defensive line.

If there's any possibility of getting Kadyn Proctor I really hope the team makes the necessary sacrifice to move up and get him. He's this years no brainer NFL player that is falling on draft boards because his hype cycle started three years ago instead of this season.

I'm not saying he's definitively going to be Orlando Pace or Jonathan Ogden, but if you watch college tape of all three the common thread is that you'll see a starting college left tackle doing superhuman things that no one else can do against top competition... His ceiling is so much higher than any other lineman in the last three drafts. To me that's worth a first round pick at a premium position.

I'd love to get a plug and play RT. And then just keep picking OL I really want to see how our young group of receivers look when Maye has time to throw before I decide anything on our WR group.

When I look at my favorite players at each position in this draft, other than QB - not necessarily the best, but the guys I would pound the table for:

- OT: Monroe Freeling (day 2), Max Iheanachor (day 1-2)
- IOL: Micah Morris, Keagen Trost (day 3)
- RB: Mike Washington (day 2), Adam Randall (day 3)
- WR: Chris Bell, Ted Hurst (day 2)
- Slot WR: Eli Heidenreich (day 3), Cyrus Allen (day 3)
- TE: Sam Roush (day 2-3)

- DT: Caleb Banks (day 2), Jordan Van den Berg (day 3), Rene Konga (day 3)
- EDGE: Dani Dennis-Sutton (day 2), Keyron Crawford (day 2-3)
- LB: Jake Golday (day 2), Kyle Louis (day 2-3), Kaleb Elarms-Orr (day 3)
- Safety: Treydan Stukes (day 2), Keionte Scott (day 2), VJ Payne (day 3)
- CB: Devin Moore (day 2-3), CJ Demmings (day 3), Ephesians Prysock (day 3)

Not many guys likely to go day 1.

mayoclinic said:

When I look at my favorite players at each position in this draft, other than QB - not necessarily the best, but the guys I would pound the table for:

- OT: Monroe Freeling (day 2), Max Iheanachor (day 1-2)
- IOL: Micah Morris, Keagen Trost (day 3)
- RB: Mike Washington (day 2), Adam Randall (day 3)
- WR: Chris Bell, Ted Hurst (day 2)
- Slot WR: Eli Heidenreich (day 3), Cyrus Allen (day 3)
- TE: Sam Roush (day 2-3)

- DT: Caleb Banks (day 2), Jordan Van den Berg (day 3), Rene Konga (day 3)
- EDGE: Dani Dennis-Sutton (day 2), Keyron Crawford (day 2-3)
- LB: Jake Golday (day 2), Kyle Louis (day 2-3), Kaleb Elarms-Orr (day 3)
- Safety: Treydan Stukes (day 2), Keionte Scott (day 2), VJ Payne (day 3)
- CB: Devin Moore (day 2-3), CJ Demmings (day 3), Ephesians Prysock (day 3)

Not many guys likely to go day 1.

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Miller?

Get the best talent available in our pick range. If there is a starting quality Tackle, WR, or Edge available take the best one. There's no point to reach for a lesser talent when you have multiple needs. I'm also not averse to them making a small move up if they see what they consider a blue chip talent slipping.

mgteich said:

Miller?

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Not quite the same level of love. Hw's a bit stiffer than Freeling or Iheanachor. I'd be happy with him at 31, though, if they are off the board.

Not knowing what the Patriots are thinking puts us at a disadvantage. Depends who is available @ 31m, either an OT and Edge rusher....

Particular is difficult, don't know what will be available.
I CAN say, that I want to solidify the Trenches.
Other than Miracles, you win and lose at the LOS.

I voted Edge as the most immediate need but the thing about drafts is depending on the year just cuz you are a first rounder does not mean you are an immediate plug and play player. Most drafts have somewhere between 10-20 of those so at #31 you are getting a guy that either doesn't have the measurables, production, refinement, or tape that gives you confidence they will be good to go game one. Most draft picks need time to develop whatever it is they are missing from their game. The other consideration is how long it takes a position to get up to speed, like RB to me is very instinctual you can either do it or not, versus QB or TE it can take 2 or 3 years before they have really hit their stride because the learning curve is so high.

With that in mind I think a realistic approach is still required to not get over hyped about the super bowl appearance. There are still a lot of holes and bandaids that were applied that will need replacing. Moses, Owenu, Henry, Landry, Spillaine, Davis, and Byard all come to mind. You can't replace 7 starters in one draft and luckily because they are all here you don't have to but those are the spots you should be looking to draft a starter that needs a year to be a back up and develop. Which is the kind of player you will get at 31 and 68. I will not be upset if they get the highest rated player on their board at any of Edge, OT, LB, or TE. If a S or CB they absolutely LOVE falls I can even get behind the logic in that.

People talk about not having your first round pick make this years team better being a waste of resources. I disagree with that a lot. An OT who comes in for Jumbo sets or gives both tackles a play off if they need it is extremely valuable. A #2 TE to learn from Hunter for a year and take some pressure off, extremely valuable. A young athletic sideline to sideline LB next to Spillaine, extremely valuable.

Edge, unless the cupboard is bare at this position come pick 31, in which case pick the best player at any of our several positions of need. I would include Tight End in that list.

Hopefully we do not waste resources, certainly not picks, most certainly not 2027 picks, on the AJ Brown delusion. Our WR room is adequate, worthy of a season's evaluation. I think a tight end would help Drake every bit as much as some flashy has-been WR whose skills at this point can only decline.

Later in the draft, we can take a flyer on a few "projects" at OT, maybe WR, and so on, but early in the draft: best player available at any position of need.

Patriot Missile said:

I would definitely do the 31 for 40 with the 2nd next year. No brainer. I would do a 2027 first for this years 31 straight up and not look back. It would make for a not so fun draft this year, but depending on the team, it could be phenomenal value in a a class that some are projecting to be one of the great ones in 27.

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No way would I make either of those trades. Trading 31 for 40 what is going to be a pick in the 50's next year, if not the late 50's or early 60's is crazy. And I wouldn't trade the first for a first next year unless I was really confident the team was going to suck. I would do it with the Dolphins, Jets, or another team bound for the bottom, but not good teams. There are good players to be had at. 32, and getting them into the system now is still important.

I think the Patriots should be really aggressive in this years draft, and come away with fewer picks but draft players they really like. If they want to move players like Barmore, Boutte, or Douglass then package them with existing picks this year to move up, don't trade picks from next years draft. If they are planning on moving on from guys then do it now.

PatMan said:

If there's any possibility of getting Kadyn Proctor I really hope the team makes the necessary sacrifice to move up and get him. He's this years no brainer NFL player that is falling on draft boards because his hype cycle started three years ago instead of this season.

I'm not saying he's definitively going to be Orlando Pace or Jonathan Ogden, but if you watch college tape of all three the common thread is that you'll see a starting college left tackle doing superhuman things that no one else can do against top competition... His ceiling is so much higher than any other lineman in the last three drafts. To me that's worth a first round pick at a premium position.

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Couldn't disagree more. He's a guard, not a tackle. He's weak in pass protection and will never be successful at tackle in the NFL.

For first 2 rounds at least, BPA at premium position that also takes supply of players available at each premium position into consideration. Premium positions include ER, OT, WR, CB, possibly DT. Avoid RB, TE, S, LB.
The way the draft sets up, maybe it ends up OT then ER rounds 1 and 2. But trades could change this.

Goal: Create as much expected surplus value as possible.
How Achieve: Draft players at positions that have highest salaries. Avoid players at positions that have lowest salaries and fill those in later rounds.

Huckleberry1 said:

No way would I make either of those trades. Trading 31 for 40 what is going to be a pick in the 50's next year, if not the late 50's or early 60's is crazy. And I wouldn't trade the first for a first next year unless I was really confident the team was going to suck. I would do it with the Dolphins, Jets, or another team bound for the bottom, but not good teams. There are good players to be had at. 32, and getting them into the system now is still important.

I think the Patriots should be really aggressive in this years draft, and come away with fewer picks but draft players they really like. If they want to move players like Barmore, Boutte, or Douglass then package them with existing picks this year to move up, don't trade picks from next years draft. If they are planning on moving on from guys then do it now.

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I think I would do the 31 for 40 and a 2nd next year.

We can still get a player at a position of need at 40 and that # 2 next year could be gold.

We already have the Bears’ 5th for Bradbury. I’d love the Pats to get as many 2027 picks as possible.

That would even give the Pats a viable option if they are determined to trade for Brown.

Seems like linebackers are under-valued and we might be able to snag a really good one at 31. But if a good TE falls, or even better, a good tackle. Seems like Edge would be leftovers.