Karen Guregian: Putting the GM hat on, here's what Patriots should do at No. 31

Helping Maye means one of two first-round scenarios.

Either the Patriots make a splash with an offensive tackle, who will serve as insurance behind Morgan Moses and Will Campbell, and make a push to start on either side, or go after a legitimate weapon.

Now some qualifiers.

If A.J. Brown is truly in the cards, then tackle should be the choice at No. 31. Or, perhaps move up the board for Oregon star tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who will add sizzle to the Patriots offense beyond Brown.

Game changers come in different positions. And Sadiq is a difference maker at tight end.

But let’s start with tackle.

While Eliot Wolf claimed the Patriots don’t have to draft for need, this is an absolute must, especially with Moses being 35 and no sign of a legitimate tackle behind either Moses or Campbell.

The best options at 31?

Arizona State’s Max Iheanchor and or Clemson’s Blake Miller. Both should be right around their range. The top seven tackles - with Iheanachor and Miller being in that mix - are likely to come off in the first round. So if the Patriots wait a round, they’ll miss out. They might even have to move up a few spots to insure landing one of them.

It’s a boring pick, but it’s needed. Just as the Patriots needed to draft a left tackle with the fourth overall pick last year.

They also need to grab a pass-catching tight end early. So if they don’t boldly move up for Sadiq, they should pounce in the second or third round the latest.

Ohio State’s Max Klare, Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, Georgia’s Oscar Delp and Stanford’s Sam Roush are good options in the second and third rounds. As pass catchers, they would serve as great chess pieces for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to work with.

Ultimately, this all comes back to setting Maye up for greater success.

It’s about protecting Maye, who was sacked a record 21 times in the postseason, and giving him more elite weapons to work with.

If the Brown deal isn’t as sure as it seems, receiver jumps to the head of the class.

Obviously, the Patriots haven’t had the best history drafting receivers early.

That doesn’t mean they should stop trying. So if no Brown, then the names should include Texas A & M’s KC Concepcion, Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr., or Washington’s Denzel Boston.

Of course a lot will depend on how the board falls, and who falls to them at 31, or if a move is needed to land the desired player with a trade.

“I think we are going to continue to try to strengthen our team,” Vrabel said Tuesday during his surprise media availability. “Our first focus is going to be on Thursday night and making sure we get that right.”

Helping Maye is getting it right.

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