Although the New England Patriots were able to accrue two picks in the first round, they experienced a bit of a drought in the middle rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft. It seems they attempted to address this issue as the draft unfolded.
Among the teams they had negotiated with was the Cincinnati Bengals. However, Cincinnati’s director of player personnel Duke Tobin said during an appearance on the Bengals’ Beat podcast on the Cincinnati Enquirer that head coach Bill Belichick's offer was not enough to sway them from using the 78th overall pick.
“We were getting ready to take [linebacker] Malik Jefferson, and I think it was [Bill] Belichick that called and I’ve got the card in my hand — I’m trying to call our guy down in — and Belichick calls and he wants that pick,” Tobin said. “And I’m like, ‘Well Bill, thanks; I appreciate it, you know, what do you want to give? I’ll listen. I’ll always listen.’ And he wants to give commensurate value for it, and the answer is no, I think we’re going to pick.”
It should be noted that New England gave up their third-rounder in this year's draft in exchange for former San Francisco 49ers right tackle Trent Brown and pick No. 143, which they used to take former Purdue linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley.
Although there was a bigger gap in between picks than the Patriots would have liked, they were able to fortify some key positions early on with their other moves.
Tobin's story just goes to show how unpredictable the draft process can be. Only time will tell whether or not these teams made the right move. However, it is safe to assume they have addressed some of their short-term needs for the 2018 NFL season.
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