New England Patriots: Mock draft predictions, exercises in futility

‘Tis the season for mock drafts and their ferocity is approaching a crescendo as commentator after commentator tries to predict New England Patriots and other teams draft picks.

Good luck with that.

Yet it should be quite clear even to the most casual of NFL draft observers, that mock drafts are an exercise in futility and make a mockery (lousy pun) of the legitimate fortune-telling profession.

This is an across-the-board observation. Yet, it especially, but not exclusively fits predicting New England Patriots picks.

To be fair, after the first 5 -10 picks in any draft, you might as well throw away the mocks of even the top experts and start tossing the Felger and Mazz of 98.5 The Sports Hub‘s tomato throw picks.

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You’ll mock just as well. Or maybe better. And frankly, if you’re the New England Patriots, you might actually pick more effectively if you do use Felgie’s methodology.

The New England Patriots won’t trade up for a young QB

So back to our favorite team, the New England Patriots, and mock drafts. Some are already predicting that the Patriots won’t trade up for a young quarterback.

Or, they may not even make a legitimate run at one in the draft. Now that would be a story. A great big story. Let’s explore this in more detail.

The 2021 draft is different in Foxborough. For the first time in forever, the king of the hill, not the coach/GM, the real king has weighed in and he’s not a happy camper. Mr. Bob Kraft is ticked off.

He clearly has a bad taste in his mouth after seeing his former quarterback win a Super Bowl with someone else’s team. That whole business is a long story and will be told in more detail on many of these same pages.

But he’s the boss and he’s not happy. He wants the quarterback situation sorted out and he wants a good if not great draft.

So, as the Eagles once sang, “The heat is on”.

Patriots sycophants are wont to point out that they did win six Super bowls under Tom Brady. Blah. blah, blah. It clearly should have been double digits with the best of the best under center.

And truly abominable and at times completely indefensible drafting was a major reason why not. The Patriots draft team has over the years has been a gang that couldn’t shoot straight.

They have made picks based on a flawed strategy that was so outlandishly outrageous that their picks even befuddled very knowledgeable NFL draft experts.

They couldn’t even find at least one high Patriots pick in their draft references. And yes, for the most part, they did flop. Shocker.

2021 could be a different and potentially better draft for the New England Patriots

So while mockers try to predict Patriots picks beginning Thursday, April 19th (if in fact, they do pick in the first round), Patriots fandom awaits with great anticipation (if they are draft aficionados) to see how the New England Patriots draft.

They traded out of the first round if you recall last season in a move this writer thought. They then selected Kyle Dugger who had a very good first season in the second round, though better options were available.

Yet, here’s why it may just be a different modus operandi in 2021.

Bob Kraft wants a new quarterback and he wants results. He’s made that crystal clear and that won’t be belabored here. What will the draft room do to make it so? Will they even try?

That’s going to be the most interesting subplot in this whole 3-day event for the New England Patriots. Will they accede to the owner’s wishes and go hard for a quarterback early?

Will they change their bizarre previous strategy and go legitimate with players who most observers actually think can play?

And, the ultimate interrogatory is, can they actually succeed in a draft and further augment the talent on a roster that seemingly has significantly been bolstered by a mammoth free-agency spending spree?

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Those are the tantalizing subplots to this draft over and above whether any of the mockers actually come close to hitting on any Patriots draft picks.

As for this writer, there are no predictions. Some suggestions, but no predictions.

And this comes from past lessons learned. Experience. Neither I nor almost anyone else outside that draft room has a clue.

Yet, hopefully, Mr. Kraft is in the room to see that his wishes are carried out. That would be a positive for the future of the team. Indeed.

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