New England Patriots Rumors: Will the AFC Champs Use a First Round Pick on a Defensive Lineman?
Patriots could also use a first-rounder to draft a potential successor to Tom Brady
The New England Patriots were on the cusp of history once again, as they needed just another win to claim their third Super Bowl trophy in four seasons.
It was not meant to be, however, as the underdog Philadelphia Eagles beat the Patriots at their own game.
Now, the Patriots find themselves needing to make tweaks to a roster that was perhaps good enough to win it all but was amply flawed that it could not bring the Lombardi Trophy home.
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Like the other 31 teams in the league, the Patriots are going to use the upcoming draft to bring in young talent to further solidify their talent base. Some mock drafts even have the team shoring up their defense with their first pick.
CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso has the Patriots selecting defensive lineman Taven Bryan of the Florida Gators with their first round pick, while Bleacher Report's Matt Miller has the AFC champs going with Harrison Phillips, a defensive lineman from Stanford.
The Patriots adding a defensive lineman with their first pick in the upcoming draft makes sense as the team could benefit from creating a larger pool of competent defenders. The team's defense got off to a slow start this past season, and the unit did not look good against the Eagles as well.
Adding a defensive lineman could help the Patriots position themselves better for another Super Bowl run next season.
Alternatively, the Patriots could also make a selection with their future in mind.
With the team having traded its young backup quarterbacks – Jimmy Garoppolo to the San Francisco 49ers and Jacoby Brissett to the Indianapolis Colts – this past season, it looks like they need someone who they can draft and develop to potentially take over for their 40-year-old starter Tom Brady.
If the Patriots do decide to draft a quarterback, they do not even need one who can start right away. Brady has shown no signs of slowing down just yet, and with retirement still seemingly far from his mind, the Patriots can go ahead and take a raw yet talented prospect and invest time to develop this player properly.
The Patriots have an interesting decision to make come draft night as they could take a player who has the potential to contribute right away or someone who could be even more impactful later on.
More news about the NFL Draft should be made available soon.
