The New England Patriots were busy in the trade market Wednesday, making two deals to bring in much-needed depth along the offensive line.
The Patriots acquired Arizona Cardinals offensive tackle Korey Cunningham in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. They also dealt a fourth-round pick to the Baltimore Ravens for offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor and a sixth-round pick.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, even after these two moves, still has an impressive collection of 2020 draft picks to use in future trades or keep to acquire more young players. New England currently projects to have 12 selections (via @patscap) in the 2020 NFL Draft, including the projected compensatory picks as a result of losing multiple players (Trent Brown, Trey Flowers and others) in free agency.
The Patriots made 10 selections in the 2019 draft, and the early returns have been encouraging. Third-round pick Chase Winovich from Michigan has been one of the best defensive rookies in the preseason, and fourth-round pick Jarrett Stidham of Auburn leads all rookie quarterbacks with 504 passing yards through three preseason games. Former Alabama running back Damien Harris has impressed in limited preseason action and is an intriguing fantasy football option, showing why he was worth a third-round selection. Undrafted rookie wide receiver Jakobi Meyers also has shown a lot of exciting potential.
We still have a long way to go before the 2020 draft, but the Patriots remain in the enviable position of having an abundance of draft capital to improve their roster in the final stage of quarterback Tom Brady's career and beyond.
New England Patriots
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