FOXBORO — No team in the NFL consistently nails the draft, and that holds true even for the franchise that has reached eight consecutive Final Fours.

For as well as the Pats drafted earlier this decade, assembling what remains the core of the team, they emerged from the 2016 and 2017 drafts with little to show for their selections. Of the 13 players picked by the Pats those years, only one (left guard Joe Thuney) emerged as a starter. Only five are still with the team.

The tide began to turn at last year’s draft. The Pats came away with at least four players who could be longtime contributors: running back Sony Michel, cornerback J.C. Jackson (who was signed as a undrafted free agent), linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley and offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn.

A similar haul this weekend would position the Pats nicely for success into the 2020s.

And while the first round sucks in viewers and generates headlines, the heart of the Patriots’ 2019 draft class will be in the second and third round Friday night.

After nabbing Arizona State wide receiver N’Keal Harry with the No. 32 pick, Bill Belichick and Nick Caserio enter tonight with five selections, a pair in the second round (Nos. 56 and 64), as well as three in the third round (Nos. 73, 97, and 101). It’s a great spot to be in a draft that is considered relatively light on elite prospects but solid in the middle rounds. The second tier of talent across the board lasts deep into Round 2.

“You kind of look at it from a 30,000-foot view here,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said last week, “and I think that there’s 15 to 16 players that everybody in the league kind of agrees are the top guys, and then after that once you get to 17, 18, all the way to 50 or 60, they’re in all different order.”

The Patriots can go any number of directions tonight.

“There are some players that we like, that I think we’re going to like,” Caserio said after Round 1. “We have some flexibility. Maybe if there’s a player that we think we need to target a little bit earlier, we could potentially go up and get him. If not, we can kind of sit back and pick. So we’ll look at it, but I would say there’s certainly groups of players or some positions that have a little more depth than others.”

Currently, the Patriots will wait 22 picks to make their initial selection on Day 2.

If they do indeed trade up, here are some candidates to target:

QB Drew Lock, Florida: Three quarterbacks went in the first round. Unexpectedly, Lock slid off the board. Many analysts believed Lock would go as high as No. 10 overall to Denver, but the Broncos traded down to No. 20 and selected Iowa tight end Noah Fant.

Lock is undeniably talented. He has a big-time arm, more-than-adequate mobility, ideal size at 6-foot-4, 228 pounds, and a quick release. He simply needs to polish his pocket awareness and presence. That’s where Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels come in.

As the Patriots pursue a quarterback to groom behind Tom Brady, Lock looks like an intriguing prospect.

OT Jawaan Taylor, Florida: Considered a top-15 talent entering the weekend, Taylor experienced a precipitous fall out of the first round.

Taylor is a right tackle who can maul in the running game. He’d likely slide in as the No. 3 tackle behind Isaiah Wynn and Marcus Cannon as a rookie, but could develop into the long-term starter on the right side.

Cannon turns 31 next week.

TE Irv Smith Jr., Alabama: The Pats never got a shot at the Iowa duo of T.J. Hockenson (No. 8 overall to Detroit) and Noah Fant (No. 20 to Denver). Smith is a bit small for the position, but he’s a well-rounded tight end who should contribute right away.

CB Greedy Williams, LSU: No, the Pats don’t need a cornerback in the second round. But Williams brings excellent size (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) and speed (4.37 40-yard dash). The Patriots have a tendency to go defensive back in Round 2. Their past three selections in that round were all players in the secondary (Duke Dawson, Cyrus Jones, Jordan Richards).

DE Chase Winovich, Michigan: A classic 3-4 linebacker/4-3 end, Winovich could develop a skill set similar to former Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich. He produced at Michigan and tested extremely well at the NFL Combine, running a 4.59 40-yard dash and 6.94 three-cone drill.

CB Joejuan Williams, Vanderbilt: Not the fastest corner, but big and physical at 6-foot-4, 211 pounds.

OT Greg Little, Ole Miss: A three-year starter, Little possesses natural athleticism and the tools to develop into a high-end tackle. He made 38 consecutive starts at Ole Miss to close out his college career.

WR Deebo Samuel, South Carolina: Would it be crazy to double-dip at receiver in Rounds 1 and 2? The Patriots need to plan for the future at the position, and Samuel projects as a versatile slot receiver who would complement Harry.

WR Parris Campbell, Ohio State: Similar to Curtis Samuel, who was a second-round pick out of Ohio State two years ago. Campbell is an explosive slot receiver who excels with the ball in his hands on quick throws and end-arounds. After losing Cordarrelle Patterson in free agency, the Patriots could use a player like Campbell.

S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Florida: In the Patrick Chung mold, Gardner-Johnson is a physical safety who can play near the line of scrimmage as well as line up in man coverage against tight ends and slot receivers.