FOXBORO -- It took long enough for them to make their first selection of the draft Friday night, but the Patriots didn’t wait long before striking again.
After selecting pass-rusher Derek Rivers at No. 83 following a trade with the Titans, the Pats traded up from No. 96 to No. 85 in order to select Troy left tackle Antonio Garcia.
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A projected second-round pick, Garcia is viewed as being very athletic for an offensive lineman, though there are questions about the 6-foot-6 tackle’s frame. His NFL.com scouting report refers to him as “stringy” and notes that he has regularly played at under 300 pounds.
The Pats traded a fourth-round pick (No. 124, which they had just acquired from the Titans) to the Lions in order to move up from No. 96. So instead of picking at Nos. 72 and 96 as schedules, the Pats traded down and then up to pick at Nos. 83 and 85.
Interestingly enough, the 96th pick was the Patriots’ only original pick of the draft remaining, meaning they will go the entire 2017 draft without making one of their own selections.