It will be some time before we reach the fifth round of this year’s draft, but the Patriots have already decided that they want to trade back.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Patriots have agreed to send a fifth-round pick to the Texans. They will receive sixth- and seventh-round picks back from Houston in the swap.
The Patriots have two fifth-rounders — No. 158 and No. 170 — and the Texans have three sixth-rounders — No. 183, No. 205, and No. 207 — in their possession, so it remains to be seen which picks will be moving as part of the deal. Their seventh-rounder is the 245th overall pick.
When all is said and done the Patriots will have three sixth-rounders and a seventh-rounder to go with one pick in each of the first five rounds. Houston did not have a fifth-round pick prior to this trade. They have two first-round picks, two third-round picks, two fourth-round picks, and two sixth-rounders along with their second and fifth-round selections.
UPDATE 4:39 p.m. ET: Field Yates of ESPN reports that the Texans will receive No. 170 while sending No. 183 and No. 245 to New England.