Patriots heading into 2013 with five picks

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It's looking like the Patriots will be light on early draft picks next April.

For the first time since 2007, the Patriots don't own multiple picks in any of the first three rounds.

New England currently holds first-, second-, third-, fourth- and seventh-round picks.

Their fifth-round pick went to the Redskins as part of the Albert Haynesworth deal. Their sixth-round pick went to the Bengals in the Chad Ochocinco trade.

(Trying . . . to withhold . . . wiseass comments . . . )

The Patriots had two first-round picks and two seconds in last week's draft. In 2011, they had two first-rounders and -- after some dealing -- wound up selecting twice in the second round and twice in the third. In 2010, they had three second-round picks (Rob Gronkowski, Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Spikes). In 2009, they didn't have a first-rounder but had four second-rounders and two thirds (Patrick Chung, Ron Brace, Darius Butler, Sebastian Vollmer, Brandon Tate, Tyrone McKenzie). And in 2008, they had two third-rounders (Shawn Crable and Kevin O'Connell).

The Patriots will likely get a couple of compensatory picks next year in return for Mark Anderson and BenJarvus Green-Ellis leaving as free agents (the granting of compensatory picks is based on a few factors including number of free agents signed by the team that had players signed away, value of a lost free agent's new deal and performance of the free agent with his new team).

And there's a good chance there will be some deals afoot as well. But as it stands now, next April may be relatively quiet in Foxboro.

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