New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has developed a reputation as one of the winningest coaches in the NFL. However, Belichick has also become known for the way he approaches the NFL Draft. He has made numerous draft day trades, often emerging from these deals with the upper hand. Well, the Patriots head coach is at it again, though this time, he has executed a trade days before the 2022 NFL Draft. On Monday, the Patriots and Houston Texans agreed to a deal involving late-round picks in Thursday's draft, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Per Schefter and ESPN's Field Yates, the Patriots have agreed to send their fifth-round pick, or pick no. 170, to the Texans in exchange for Houston's sixth and seventh-round picks, or picks 183 and 245, respectively, in Thursday's NFL Draft. The deal ensures that Houston, who didn't have a fifth-round pick, will have their selection of players from that round.

Meanwhile, New England, who possessed a pair of fifth rounders, adds to their chest of draft picks in the back end. It's a shrewd move by both teams, with Belichick and the Patriots getting the chance to take a swing at multiple prospects in the later rounds, where there are sometimes “lottery tickets” to be had.

The Texans will get a chance to select a late-round prospect a bit earlier than they initially planned.

Fans of the Patriots and Texans won't have to wait long to see how this trade develops, as the NFL Draft is set to begin on Thursday night.