NFL Draft 2020: 9 players experts think the New England Patriots could target in the first round

Will the Patriots opt to add a defensive standout after losing several starters in the offseason? Or take a shot at a new franchise quarterback?Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel via USA TODAY Sports // David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports // John Glaser-USA TODAY Sports

• The 2020 NFL Draft is set to begin on Thursday, April 23.
• The New England Patriots will be an intriguing team to watch on draft day, holding the 23rd overall pick in the first round.
• We analyzed 11 mock drafts to get a sense of what experts expect from the Bill Belichick and the Patriots front office on Thursday night.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft will take place on Thursday, April 23.

Barring a trade, the New England Patriots will make the 23rd selection of the night, but who they draft will remain a mystery until Roger Goodell reads their name.

We analyzed the mock drafts of 11 experts — Mel Kiper Jr. at ESPN, Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso at CBS Sports, Chad Reuter, Peter Schrager, Bucky Brooks, and Rhett Lewis at NFL.com, Danny Kelly at The Ringer, Dane Brugler at The Athletic, Peter King at NBC Sports, and Walter Football — to see if we could find any consensus on how the Patriots might play the first round of the draft.

It was tough to find a consensus amongst the experts — just two potential picks had multiple mock drafts sending them to the Patriots.

That said, New England's needs are clear — after losing a slew of defensive starters, as well as their franchise quarterback of 20 years in the NFL offseason, those positions present obvious options for the team. The Patriots could also shoot for a tight end with hopes of filling the gap that Rob Gronkowski left in their roster at the end of the 2018 season.

Take a look below to see how the experts project the Patriots first-round pick.