Though the quarterback position remains a position of need for the New England Patriots despite the team’s re-signing of Cam Newton, the presence of the veteran signal-caller for the upcoming season could allow the team to train their focus away from the QB position with the 15th overall pick in the NFL draft.
After a 2020 season that saw New England’s 11-year postseason streak dashed on their way to a third place finish in the very AFC East that the franchise has come to dominate, a season in which the Patriots failed to achieve a winning record for the first time in some 20 years, the focus for 2021’s version of the Patriots team is to return to the perennial playoff form that has seemed the club’s birthright under head coach Bill Belichick.
Could 2020 NFL draft be a turning point for the Patriots?
The 2021 NFL draft represents an opportunity for the Pats to jump-start that effort, with several top players among the team’s positional needs expected to be available when New England assumes its position on the clock in the opening round of next month’s proceedings.
In reviewing potential player-team matches for the team among this year’s group of incoming prospects, it can be helpful to take into consideration the Patriots draft history under the current regime, as well as anticipated scheme-fits and some traits for which Belichick and company have appeared to demonstrate a preference relative to a particular on-field position.
We will begin with what many regards as the Patriots’ greatest area of need in advance of the 2021 season.