TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - NOVEMBER 09: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide throws a pass during the second half against the LSU Tigers in the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Who is the best tight end prospect for the Patriots in this draft?

Who is the best tight end prospect for the Patriots in this draft? by Andrew Desino

At least one prominent analyst has the New England Patriots moving up 10 spots in the NFL Draft to acquire Tua Tagovailoa this week.

The New England Patriots still have a lot of work to do in regards to upgrading their team after losing quite a few key players through free agency this offseason.

In consideration of their cap number, it seems like all the Patriots can do now is start rebuilding through the NFL Draft for this season. The Patriots currently own the 23rd overall selection and do not have another pick after that one until the third round.

It’s no secret that there is a lot of speculation surrounding the Patriots and their quarterback position as we are nearing the start of Thursday’s draft.

It’s still a bit unknown if second-year quarterback and former Tom Brady backup, Jarrett Stidham, is ready to lead the team to success or not … and it’s also fair to say that Brian Hoyer is probably not capable of doing so, despite Bill Belichick liking him a lot.

With the draft fast approaching, what should the Patriots do about their team’s quarterback position?

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One of the best and biggest football journalists in the country, Peter King of NBC Sports, foresees New England making an interesting move in his latest NFL mock draft that would move them up 10 spots in the draft order, landing them with the 13th overall pick and selecting Tua Tagovailoa.

King went on to explain that the Patriots rarely have the opportunity to select high-end talent due to consistently finishing at the top of the NFL for the last 20 years, and how this could be a chance for them to finally do so.

He also mentions that with Tagovailoa’s injury history throughout college — but more recently as of last season — that his stock is still continuing to drop to the point where the Patriots could realistically have the chance to draft a potential superstar.

To pull this off, King has New England swapping draft selections with the San Francisco 49ers, who currently own the 13th overall pick, along with an additional draft pick or two to make the deal look more appealing. King then has the 49ers selecting offensive tackle Josh Jones 23rd overall.

This is a great theory, but it makes me wonder if the trade with the 49ers is just a swap in the draft order or if it includes a player, because there are a few different scenarios that could be built off of King’s mock draft outcome.

The first one is that considering the 49ers are in the market for an interior offensive lineman, there’s always the possibility of throwing Joe Thuney into that negotiation. Thuney is a top-three guard in the entire NFL and has to at least be equivalent to a first round draft pick.

What I’m saying is that if the Patriots go about this a certain way, they might be able to trade Thuney straight up for the 13th overall draft selection — which would give them two first round draft picks.

Another option could be to still swap the first round picks in the draft order and throw in Thuney for the 49ers’ second round pick, which is 45th overall — thus giving the Patriots the 13th and 45th overall draft selections.

Seeing as New England cannot seem to come to an agreement with Thuney as of yet and are potentially interested in trading him anyways, this would be one of the best ways for the New England Patriots to get what they want: which is a quarterback for the future and additional draft picks to continue the rebuild cycle.

What we know of Tua is that he is a national champion, and that he has been a superstar at the University of Alabama. And despite his injury history, Tua’s physical abilities still appear to be intact and ready to go.

We also know that he has been coached by Nick Saban for the last four years, who is one of Bill Belichick’s closest friends and someone that he respects and trusts immensely.

This upcoming season is going to look a lot different than what most Patriots fans have been accustomed to seeing over the last two decades. We’re going to notice different voices being heard and new leaders rising up to the occasion.

Thursday night’s draft is the start of a new era of the New England Patriots.