NFL Draft 2023: Patriots’ behind-the-scenes video from the first round
The New England Patriots were quite busy on Thursday night. Entering the first day of the 2023 NFL Draft as the owners of the 14th overall selection, they worked the phones to possibly move out of that spot.
Indeed they did, manufacturing a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers to move down three positions to No. 17 overall. There, they were then able to take arguably one of the top talents overall in this year’s draft, Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
The Patriots, as they usually do, had some cameras inside their war room to capture the action. The video shows Bill Belichick on the phone, presumably negotiating with the Steelers about moving back in Round 1 and informing the rest of his support staff that “they want to do it for a fourth.”
Later, Patriots director of football/head coach administration Berj Najarian can be seen calling Gonzalez to inform him about the pick. Belichick then was on the phone again, this time talking to the newest Patriot. Oddly enough, as opposed to years past, no scene of team owner Robert Kraft speaking to the draft pick was included.
New England’s video team will have plenty of opportunity to show him do that over the next two days, though. The Patriots own 11 total selections between Rounds 2 and 7, even though it seems unlikely all of those picks will eventually be made.
Source: Pats Pulpit
