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The Patriots have mostly been conservative in recent NFL drafts Ivan Provorov Jersey , often moving down on the board or being content to search for gems in the undrafted player pool.

This year they don't have that luxury with several holes to fill, including one behind 40-year-old quarterback Tom Brady.

New England has plenty to work with. It holds two first-round picks and five selections in the first 95 picks. It shapes up to be a busy weekend that could go a long way in molding the post-Brady era.

Coach Bill Belichick said everything is on the table.

"We evaluate what our options are and try to do what we feel like is best, whether that's stay and pick a player, move up for a player, move back and trade into next year," he said.

"We've traded draft picks for players on the day of the draft; we did that last year. So, whatever the opportunities are, we'll evaluate them as they come."

With Brady under center, the quarterback position wasn't a huge priority for most of his career.

Brady is coming off an MVP season, but backup Brian Hoyer is the only other quarterback on the roster.

New England most recently drafted Jacoby Brissett (third round, 91st overall) in 2016. But the Patriots haven't selected a quarterback in the first two rounds since they picked up Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round (62nd overall) in 2014.

The last quarterback that New England selected in the first round? Drew Bledsoe in 1993.

Garoppolo seemed like Brady's successor until his surprise midseason trade to San Francisco last season. That deal followed the preseason trade of Brissett to Indianapolis.

New England got a second-round pick in return for Garoppolo, which is one of the bargaining chips it could use to select one of the sought-after prospects in this year's deep quarterback class.

Players such as UCLA's Josh Rosen and Louisville's Lamar Jackson could be targets if the Patriots move up. But so are players expected to be available later such as Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph Mario Lemieux Jersey , Richmond's Kyle Lauletta and Toledo's Logan Woodside.

NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said he thinks New England will have to consider Jackson, but questions whether it would be too drastic a move away from Brady's style.

"I think the Patriots are as comprehensive as any team I've ever been around. The homework they do is amazing," Mayock said. "So I think they throw a wide net, and they look at a lot of people."

HIGHLY DECORATED

The Patriots have 16 first-team All-Pro selections via the draft since 2000, which ranks behind only the Panthers (18), Cowboys (17) and Seahawks (17). In addition, the Patriots lead the NFL with 63 Pro Bowl selections via the draft since 2000. Next are the Cowboys (62) and Chargers (50).

OTHER PRIORITIES

While the quarterback position has gotten a lot of attention, New England has perhaps even more glaring needs on the offensive line, as well as at linebacker and cornerback.

The Patriots lost both of their starting tackles in free agency when Nate Solder signed with the Giants and Cam Fleming signed with the Cowboys. They also need another dependable option at linebacker to help Dont'a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy.

The same need is there at cornerback following Malcolm Butler's mysterious Super Bowl benching and his subsequent free agency signing by the Titans.

UCLA's Kolton Miller and Notre Dame's Mike McGlinchey are likely on New England's wish list at tackle. Alabama's Rashaan Evans is a name to watch early as a possible pickup at linebacker. UCF's Mike Hughes is a candidate at cornerback.

HITS, MISSES AND BARGAINS

The Patriots have had draft success on both sides of the ball recently. Garoppolo and 2017 Super Bowl star James White (fourth round, 130th overall in 2014) stand out on offense.

Defensively, safety Duron Harmon has been everything they hoped for when they took him in the third round in 2013. He's appeared in 16 regular-season games each of the past four seasons and led the team with four interceptions in 2017.

New England also got a huge bargain in 2015 when it selected defensive end Trey Flowers in the fourth round (101st overall). An injury kept him sidelined for all but one game his rookie season Youth Matthew Tkachuk Jersey , but he's bounced back to have 13陆 sacks over the past two seasons.

But there have been high-profile misses. Cornerback and punt returner Cyrus Jones has struggled to stay on the field after the Patriots used a second-round pick (60th overall) on him in 2016. He spent most of his rookie season in the doghouse because of five fumbles. Jones then missed the 2017 season after suffering a knee injury in the preseason finale.

SAN FRANCISCO — Two teams that looked a bit more like they hoped to look all season Thursday night will go head-to-head for the second straight game when the San Diego Padres take on the San Francisco Giants on Friday.

On the same night when the Padres were able to put Wil Myers and Eric Hosmer in the lineup together for just the ninth time this season, the Giants had their 1-2 pitching combination of Madison Bumgarner and Mark Melancon going strong in a 3-0 victory in the opener of a four-game series.

The Giants’ third straight victory was more than just a streak-extender, catcher Buster Posey insisted afterward.

“Bum is such a presence,” he said of the left-handed ace. “Even when he’s not pitching that night, he’s lurking. The other team knows he’s there. It’s a nice advantage for us to have.”

Bumgarner recorded his first win of the season Thursday in the same game in which Melancon notched his first save of the year.

The duo, who were viewed as a potential high-powered tag-team act when Melancon was signed as a free agent before the start of the 2017 season, worked the win/save thing for the first time as teammates.

Melancon was pressed into ninth-inning duties because of the broken finger sustained by closer Hunter Strickland earlier in the week.

If all goes well, the Giants might be afforded the luxury of moving Strickland back to a set-up role when he returns in August, presuming Melancon can continue to display the stuff that overpowered the top of the San Diego order on just 13 pitches to complete Thursday’s shutout.

Among the guys Melancon set down were Myers, who grounded out, and Hosmer, who struck out.

They combined to go 0-for-7 in their new setting — atop the San Diego order.

Myers Youth Chris Kunitz Jersey , who suffered arm and oblique injuries in spring training and the first month of the season, was playing Thursday for the first time since April 28.

“They’re our guys,” Padres manager Andy Green assured. “Every single team has a couple guys you look to rely on offensively to anchor you. They’re our guys. They are the two guys that we expect to anchor us, and when you’re missing part of that anchor it can be tough.”

The anchor looked a bit rusty against Bumgarner, who worked eight three-hit innings, but they will get a shot at Giants right-hander Chris Stratton (8-4, 4.22 ERA) in the second game of the series.

With Myers out of the lineup, Stratton threw seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit, in a 7-0 win over the Padres in April. It improved his career numbers to 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA against them in three games, including two starts.

Stratton enters the game on a nice roll, having lost just once in his last seven starts dating back to May 9.

He will be opposed by Padres left-hander Clayton Richard (6-6 Kris Letang Jersey , 4.31), who has won three in a row, allowing just six earned runs in 20 innings.

But the 34-year-old has struggled in his career against the Giants, going 6-8 with a 4.58 ERA in 22 games, including 19 starts.

He has pitched 13 times (10 starts) in San Francisco, going 4-4 with a 5.75 ERA.

Among those who have teed off on Richard are Posey, who has gone 12-for-32 (.375) with two home runs, and Andrew McCutchen, who also has homered twice in just 12 at-bats.

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