When it comes to the 2023 NFL draft, Matt Groh isn’t ruling anything out of the equation.
The New England Patriots director of player personnel met with the media on Tuesday and discussed the possibility of trading up or down with the No. 14 overall draft pick.
New England has been linked to several wide receiver and corner candidates, and they have even met with some of the prospects during the pre-draft process. It appears that they are doing their homework beyond just draft picks and could potentially trade up or down from their original spot.
As of now, they are obviously exploring all avenues.
Groh says the #Patriots have a good idea of what it would take to trade up or back from 14th overall based on their experience picking 15th in 2021.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) April 18, 2023
A premium wide receiver or corner could be available with the No. 14 overall selection. The Patriots have a history of trading back in the first round of the draft. They most recently traded back with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020, when they gave up their No. 23 pick for Los Angeles’ No. 37 and No. 71 picks.
That was the year the Patriots selected safety Kyle Dugger.
They most recently traded up in the draft last season, when they traded their second and fifth-round picks to the Kansas City Chiefs for the No. 50 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft. That selection ended up being wide receiver Tyquan Thornton.
One has to wonder what New England will do this year. At the very least, it appears they aren’t taking the possibility of another first-round trade off the table.