The first person to know who the Patriots select in the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday, aside from the front office, will be a man who hasn’t had time to watch much football over the last year.
Don Cox, from West Barnstable, runs the USA Veterans & Military Support Foundation and has worked closely with Robert Kraft and the Patriots for years. This season, as part of its draft coverage, the NFL will host “Draft-a-Thon” — an effort to raise money for COVID-19 relief and highlight organizations that have made a difference in their communities.