FOXBOROUGH, Mass. —
The New England Patriots made eight picks during the 2021 NFL draft, but the team had some key decisions to make a short time later regarding two of their previous first-round selections.
Monday marked the deadline for NFL teams to exercise fully-guaranteed fifth-year options on players who were picked in the first round of the 2018 draft. Those players are entering their fourth year in the league.
In 2018, the Patriots drafted two players out of the University of Georgia in the first round: offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn with the 23rd overall pick and running back Sony Michel at No.