Last year’s NFL Draft started off by-the-book for the Patriots, who took the best available quarterback — Mac Jones — after he fell to them with the No. 15 overall pick.
This year, things could get more interesting.
Though New England no longer has a gaping post-Tom Brady hole at quarterback thanks to Jones, they now badly need upgrades and/or future investments at key positions on the offensive line and every defensive position aside from safety.
Plenty of speculation naturally exists regarding which top prospects could fall to the Patriots at No. 21 — like, say, Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie or Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd.