NFL Draft Recap: New England Patriots: 2023 NFL Draft Outlook

The 2023 NFL Draft was a whirlwind of surprises, with a record-high 43 trades occurring over the course of the draft. Now that the draft is complete, the focus turns to the 2023 season. 

The New England Patriots had a very interesting draft in which they ended up making 12 selections. They moved down three spots in Round 1 to allow Pittsburgh to jump their divisional rival, the New York Jets, and select Broderick Jones to solidify the trenches.

How does their 2023 rookie class grade out and what should we expect in Year 1 from these 12 players? Let’s take a look.

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New England Patriots Draft Recap

New England Patriots Rookie Class Outlook

New England’s first selection was a value pick and a day 1 starter. Former Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez was projected to be picked as high as sixth overall, so grabbing him at seventeenth to fill an obvious hole in the roster was a huge win. The corner duo of Jack Jones and Christian Gonzalez on the outside should help New England against the tough divisional passing attacks led by Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, and Tua Tagovailoa.

From there on, New England’s draft had no surefire home-run hitters. They appeared to be drafting for need and grabbed three interior offensive linemen, two cornerbacks, two receivers, and two specialists beyond the third round. They also shored up the depth in the front seven in Rounds 2 and 3 with the explosive Keion White and the dynamic Marte Mapu, both under heralded prospects who could be diamonds in the rough if they buy into the Patriot way.

I would grade this New England draft class as a C+. Outside of Christian Gonzalez, none of these players strike me as immediate impact players and seem more like depth additions, although in positions of need. It seems as if the front office was hoping for one of each position group to pan out, and if it ends up working out that way they absolutely crushed it.

One of the most intriguing Day 3 selections in the entire draft was LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. Boutte exploded in his freshman season and stayed hot into his sophomore season before suffering a season-ending injury, but had a very up-and-down junior season that caused him to fall from a Round 1 prospect to Round 6.

Bill Belichick and co. took a swing on the talented playmaker and in a receiver room containing JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Tyquan Thornton, and Kendrick Bourne, he will have an opportunity to prove himself.

This offense will likely run through Rhamondre Stevenson so New England’s attempt to address the interior offensive line depth was an ode to that. 

One of the most interesting takeaways from New England’s draft class was the decision to draft both a kicker and a punter. They were the first team since 2000 to do so, showing Belichick’s dedication to special teams play.

The Patriots face an uphill battle to not finish last in their competitive division and it remains to be seen if this draft ends up panning out or not. Mac Jones is entering a do-or-die year and if he doesn’t elevate his play we could see New England pursuing a quarterback at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft. 

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