Source: jsportsblogger.worldpress.com / There has been much speculation circling around what New England will do with their 1st Rd pick (#23) in the upcoming NFL Draft. I've identified 3 leading possibilities...

Welcome back all & a very happy Saturday! The NFL Draft is creeping closer & closer and allowing us sports fans an opportunity to finally have something to debate, analyze, and discuss. I just released my latest Top 10 Mock Draft, and today take a closer look at the New England Patriots and what they may do with their 1st round pick at #23.

There has been much speculation & discussion surrounding what New England will in fact do with their 1st round draft pick. There seem to be three possible routes that the Pats will go: get their next franchise-QB, proven edge-rusher, or trade - either out of the 1st round or even possibly make a splash by trading up? Here are 3 realistic options that the Pats may elect to do:

Source: deseret.com / If still available, Love makes sense for a New England team that doesn't appear to have a clear-cut successor to Tom Brady.

1) JORDAN LOVE | QB | UTAH STATE

At 6 ft 4 in, 225 lbs, Love has the size profile that NFL GMs look for, and plenty of experience. He attempted 1,125 passes in his three years with the Aggies and completed 61.2% of them. His standout 2018 campaign put him on the map after throwing for 32 TDs and just 6 INTs. A completely new coaching staff and depleted offensive unit later, and his 2019 numbers suffered significantly, dropping to just 20 TD passes while ballooning to 17 INTs. How much that last season hurts his 2020 draft stock remains to be seen...

At any rate, the general consensus is that the Patriots will want to add another QB to a group consisting of Brian Hoyer, Cody Kessler, and presumed starter Jarrett Stidham. If mock drafts are to be trusted (always a precarious situation), then Love could very well be around at #23. Will New England stay put, however that is the big question? If they elect to trade out of the 1st round (another popular sentiment out there), then they most likely aren't banking on taking Love, but may look to a different QB prospect, in the 2nd or 3rd round, such as Jake Fromm, Jacob Eason, or perhaps the most intriguing, Jalen Hurts.

Source: hawkeyesports.com / Epenesa matches the profile of a typical 5-tool D-lineman that the Pats' tend to favor.

2) A.J. EPENESA | DE | IOWA

Epenesa has been heavily linked to New England at #23, and the move makes sense. They need to replace lost talent and production along the defensive front, and Epenesa can play anywhere along the D-line. He would provide a much-needed boost to the edge, and fits the Pats 3-4 scheme better than a couple of other prospects that may be available in this area of the first round.

I'm not 100% sure Epenesa will be available, he could as high as around 10, depending on how much teams decide to go after an edge rusher, so if New England really likes him, they may need to move up slightly to get him. If he's there at 23, however, it would make sense for them to pull the trigger. This of course, would be the least "splashiest" move for the Pats, so what about option #3?

Source: NJ.com / If the Pats do decide to roll with Jarrett Stidham and/or Brian Hoyer at QB, then why not make a splash and attempt to land a talented play-maker like LSU's Jefferson?

3) TRADE-UP & MAKE A SPLASH

JUSTIN JEFFERSON | WR | LSU

I'm with the general consensus in that the top 3 WRs available in this year's receiver talent-rich draft will be gone (Alabama's Jerry Jeudy & Henry Ruggs III, and Oklahoma's CeeDee Lamb), but LSU's play-making sensation, Jefferson, should still be out there. I just can't see Belichick & co. going against their M.O. too much by surrendering a lot of draft capital to move up into the top 10, but a minor swap, say up a couple of spots to land a high-upside receiver and help re-tool the offense for whichever QB steps in under center.

No matter who the signal-caller is, it is clear that the Pats need to find some weapons to pair with Julian Edelman and take some pressure off of a running game that ranked just 18th in the league this past season, and only produced 3.8 yards per attempt. To put that in perspective, the Bengals averaged 3.9 yards per carry for the 2019 season. After finishing 15th in total offense WITH Tom Brady at QB, they need weapons on offense and if they decide going against a QB here, Jefferson makes perfect sense.

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We shall see what happens with Bill Belichick & co., it's always a crapshoot, but it seems as though they will go in one of those three directions. Or, they could just trade back out of the 1st round altogether in true Patriots' fashion and really take the excitement out of it.

I appreciate the support as always, and will be back with my next NFL Top 10 Mock Draft, where there is some movement brewing. I hope you all have an awesome weekend and would love to get your thoughts in the comments section - what do you think New England will do their 1st round pick?

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Chris Elgersma

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@sportsguychris