The New England Patriots just won their sixth Super Bowl championship, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in NFL history. New England's dynasty could be far from over, however, and one reason for that is their treasure chest of picks in the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft.
The Patriots have a league-high 12 selections -- including six in the first three rounds -- in April's draft. New England is one of eight teams with 10 or more picks, and they have at least four more selections than each of their three playoff opponents on the road to winning Super Bowl LIII.
The last time the Patriots made 10 or more selections in one draft was 2015, when they found key players such as Malcom Brown (first round), Trey Flowers (third round), Shaq Mason (fourth round).
Here's how the Patriots' 12 2019 picks stack up to the rest of the league (click on the picture for the full view).
The Patriots got these additional draft picks through previous trades, plus the four compensatory selections they received from losing free agents after the 2017 season. This abundance of picks allows Bill Belichick to plug roster holes and replace any soon-to-be-departing free agents, and/or use them in trades to acquire established players capable of helping the Patriots repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2019.
It's a great situation for the Patriots, who continually do the best job building for the present while simultaneously keeping a keen eye on the future.
New England Patriots
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