NFL Trade Rumors: Patriots Deal 5th-Round Draft Pick to Texans for 6th, 7th-Rounders

AP Photo/Adrian Kraus

Once upon a time, the New England Patriots selected a relatively unheralded quarterback prospect named Tom Brady with a sixth-round pick.

They reportedly have an extra pick in that exact round this year following a Monday trade.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Patriots traded a fifth-round pick to the Houston Texans for a sixth- and seventh-round selection.

This, of course, does not mean the Patriots have their eyes on the next Brady with their new sixth-round selection, but it does give them an extra pick to add depth near the end of this year's draft.

The franchise also has a history of discovering hidden gems late in the draft that goes beyond Brady.

New England selected 2021 first-team All-Pro return man Braxton Berrios with a sixth-round pick in 2018 even though it later released him. The team selected three-time Super Bowl champion Nate Ebner with a sixth-round pick in 2012 and chose three-time champion and Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman with a seventh-round pick in 2009.

For a team with a track record of picking players like Brady and Edelman this late in the draft, adding more Day 3 selections probably isn't the worst idea.

As for Houston, it now has a pick earlier in the draft that could be used on a player with a higher ceiling than perhaps a project in the sixth or seventh round. The Texans are coming off two straight four-win seasons and could use young playmakers to facilitate a rebuild.

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New England isn't in quite as dire of a situation coming off a AFC playoff appearance and can target positions of need this year.