2011 NFL Draft: Where Does the Best Value Lie for the New England Patriots?

For weeks, even months leading up to the 2011 NFL draft, we have heard analysts and fans of the New England Patriots ask the same old question: Will Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft trade up this year, or down as they usually do?

Arguments are made for certain players at certain spots in the draft, and some have even concocted their perfect trade scenario in which they envision the team trading up to nab a top-10 prospect.

There's a wealth of talent at defensive end and outside linebacker, especially at the top of the draft, so this can't be ruled out. The Patriots definitely have the ammunition to move up to just about any spot they'd like.

Meanwhile, others have pointed to past drafts as evidence that Belichick simply doesn't like drafting in the first round; that he'd rather pick players he's targeted in the second round while accumulating picks for next year's draft.

With all the talent at their positions of need, it's hard to envision a scenario in which the Patriots trade down for lack of a player they've targeted.

The common opinion is that the Patriots will take one of the many talented five-technique defensive ends or possibly an outside linebacker "hybrid" prospect with their 17th overall pick. But what if none of their guys are available?

A good thought would be to trade down from the 17th spot to target an interior offensive lineman, another position that is considered a top need. With the retirement of Steve Neal and the uncertain contract situation of Logan Mankins, there's plenty of reason to make that move.

Of course, trading down would send New England sports talk radio shows into hysteria and would have the phone lines blowing up like wildfire, but that's never stopped Belichick in the past.

There are, however, certain picks that warrant trading. The first pick in the second round has been the prime topic for discussion. Teams will have 20 hours between the end of the first round and the beginning of the second round to re-stack their big board. If teams find players with first-round grades that they're anxious to get their hands on in the second round, Belichick's phone could be ringing off the hook.

That 33rd overall pick could be parlayed into multiple picks in this year's draft, or even into a first-round pick in next year's draft. Being that the Patriots acquired that 33rd pick for the 89th overall pick last year, the Patriots will have acquired a ton of value for a third-round pick in just a two-year span.

That's the way Belichick's draft-day game plan works: finding the best value possible for the players he's targeted, while acquiring picks for next year's draft.

This is one of the rare instances where value meets need for the Patriots in the draft. The players that are projected to go in the area of the 17th pick are players that look (at least to the naked eye) like solid fits for the team.

If the Patriots are unable to pick any of the players they've targeted with the 17th overall pick, or they think they're able to acquire one of those players with a later pick, it wouldn't shock me in the least to see them trade down.

In short, where the best value lies depends on how the board falls, and how Belichick has stacked the board. There's no way of knowing how he has certain players rated, but if one of his top prospects begins to fall, there's the potential for the Patriots to trade up as well.