New England Patriots NFL draft picks: 2017 round-by-round results, grades
Coming off a Super Bowl win, the Patriots are looking to strengthen their team further going into the 2017 season. How will they use their picks in the NFL draft? We’re breaking down every selection below.
Andy Benoit breaks down New England’s biggest draft need: Edge Rusher. Searching New England’s depth chart for a “need” feels a little like searching Giorgio Armani for a neon windbreaker. But when you look closely, you can identify one area of question: the pass rush. Specifically, the edge rush. The Patriots might be the only defense in history that runs a coverage-based scheme but isn’t willing to pay top dollar for defensive ends. (Instead, they invest at the cheaper defensive tackle position.) Consequently, other than scantly used third-year pro Geneo Grissom, they have no true speedsters off the edge. Maybe Kony Ealy, whom they obtained by giving Carolina a second-round pick in exchange for a third-rounder, can become that. But the better bet would be to draft one. You’d get him on the cheap for four years, plus it would ensure that master technician Trey Flowers could rush the passer fulltime inside.
Here's the full list of picks the Patriots hold in the 2017 draft, which will be updated as each selection is made.
Round 3, Pick 8 (No. 72 overall)
Round 3, Pick 32 (No. 96)
Round 4, Pick 24 (No. 131)
Round 5, Pick 19 (No. 163)
Round 5, Pick 39 (No. 183)
Round 7, Pick 21 (No. 239)
