The NFL trade deadline is set for Nov. 3, and the New England Patriots have plenty of draft capital to make a move to improve their roster.
New England has eight picks in the 2021 NFL Draft, in addition to three projected compensatory selections for losing free agents Tom Brady, Kyle Van Noy over the offseason. So the Patriots have plenty of picks to dangle on the trade market in search of a wide receiver, tight end, pass rusher or another type of player.
Of course, there's a possibility the Patriots decide to be sellers and not buyers at the trade deadline. New England enters Week 8 with a 2-4 record, which puts them in 12th place in the AFC and third place in the AFC East division. The Patriots lost 33-6 at home to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, and they certainly didn't look like a team worth using draft assets to upgrade.
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Tom E. Curran's takeaways from Pats' loss to 49ers
New England lacks young talent at many different positions, so it really can't afford to ship off draft picks for rentals when the best-case scenario for this team is probably finishing with a 9-7 or 10-6 record.
The Patriots gave up a second-round pick before last year's trade deadline to acquire veteran wideout Mohamed Sanu from the Atlanta Falcons. The move didn't work out because Sanu suffered an ankle injury early in his New England career that prevented him from making a consistent impact in the passing game.
Devin McCourty gives honest take on 'embarrassing' Pats performance
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Here's an updated list of where the Patriots' 2021 draft picks slot in ahead of the trade deadline (via Tankathon and OverTheCap).
Round 1, 11th overall
Round 2, 42nd overall
Round 3, compensatory (for losing Tom Brady)
Round 4, 107th overall
Round 4, compensatory (for losing Kyle Van Noy)
Round 4, compensatory (for losing Jamie Collins)
Round 5, 138th overall
Round 6, 161st overall (via New York Jets)
Round 6, 169th overall (via Dallas Cowboys)
Round 6, 172nd overall
Round 7, 203rd overall