The New England Patriots didn’t make a selection between 56th overall and 143 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. But it wasn’t for a lack of trying.

The Patriots dealt away their picks in that range in a sequence of trades. And while the moves left onlookers to wonder whether the team had no interest in prospects picked in that section of the draft, the Patriots may have simply missed out on the prospects they were pursuing.

For example, the Patriots tried to move into the spot where the Cincinnati Bengals ultimately picked Texas Longhorns linebacker Malik Jefferson, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin told Paul Dehner Jr. on the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bengals Beat Podcast.

“We were getting ready to take Malik Jefferson, and I think it was 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. 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.”

When the Bengals were picking at 78, the Patriots’ next pick would have been at 105. That’s a long way to jump.

Here’s a look at the ten selections that followed Cincinatti’s pick of Jefferson.

79. Seahawks: Rasheem Green, DE, USC

80. Texans: Martinas Rankin, C, Mississippi State

81. Cowboys: Michael Gallup, WR, Colorado State

82. Lions: Tracy Walker, S, Louisiana-Lafayette

83. Ravens: Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma

84. Chargers: Justin Jones, DT, N.C. State

85. Panthers: Rashaan Gaulden, CB, Tennessee

86. Ravens: Mark Andrews, TE, Oklahoma

87. Raiders: Arden Key, DE, LSU

88. Packers: Oren Burks, OLB, Vanderbilt

Did the Patriots’ target get picked during those selections? If they couldn’t get into the Bengals’ pick, why didn’t they try to make a trade with one of the picks that followed?

With the Patriots, their draft intentions will always remain a mystery, much like everything else they do.