The New England Patriots traded their 2028 first-round pick for A.J. Brown, putting some more pressure on them to draft a difference maker next year.
The Patriots made a major investment in Brown and hope that it pays off with a Super Bowl. He alone can not get the job done, so the Patriots need to add talent through the draft when they can. The 2027 Draft is regarded as very talented, and the Patriots should have an opportunity to add a great player to their team in the first round.
The Patriots' offense does not figure to have any major needs next offseason. They drafted well this year to set up replacements for players who may be leaving in free agency. They could target defense early, and Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski projected that they would select Kelley Jones, a cornerback from Mississippi State.
"The idea of Mississippi State's Kelley Jones playing opposite Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez is frightening," wrote Sobleski on Friday. "Gonzalez is already one of the NFL's better and more physical corners. Meanwhile, Jones is listed at 6'4" and 195 pounds, with outstanding coverage skills for a lankier defensive back. According to Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks completed just under 29 percent of their passes when targeting the third-team All-SEC performer."
The Patriots are working to extend Gonzalez, so adding another corner to play alongside him for the next few years would be wise. Jones is a bigger corner, but is still a fluid athlete.
"Bigger corners tend not to be as fluid in coverage," Sobleski wrote. "Despite Jones' size, he flips his hips and stays in phase much better than anticipated. He won't move like a much smaller corner, of course, yet he makes up the difference thanks to outstanding length and solid ball skills. With Carlton Davis III turning 30 later this year and entering his final contractual season in 2027, Jones can be a rotational piece as a rookie before taking over as Gonzalez's bookend."
More NFL: Will Campbell Had To Rehab Knee 5x Week Over Offseason