Mike Tomlin comments on Patriots’ sneaky draft move
The New England Patriots made a notable move in the draft when trading the 14th overall pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for the 17th overall selection.
A fourth-round pick was also included in the deal.
The Patriots got the player they wanted in cornerback Christian Gonzalez. They also managed to make life harder for the AFC East rival New York Jets. With the 14th overall selection, the Steelers selected Broderick Jones from Georgia.
Jones was thought to have been a prime selection for New York, as they needed help protecting Aaron Rodgers. After the pick, the Jets ended up taking Iowa State defensive end Will McDonald IV at No. 15.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about this on “The Rich Eisen Show” on Thursday afternoon, and he admitted the Patriots didn’t hesitate in allowing the Steelers to move up on the draft board to get the player projected to the Jets.
“I’m not going to delve into the relationship between New England and the Jets. Let’s just say I’m glad we found a partner,” said Tomlin. “…I’ll put it this way: There wasn’t a lot of hesitation on New England’s end.”
New England was able to get their guy in Gonzalez and potentially stopped the Jets from being able to select a priority target. It was a win-win trade for two teams, with the Jets being the ones left in the dust.
