The Patriots’ 2023 Draft Class is complete. Not including undrafted free agent signings, I took a look at each pick, broke down the player and what they will bring to the Patriots, and discussed the pick as a whole. Early feedback on the draft from fans is mostly positive but still mixed on exactly how they view it. One thing is clear, the Patriots went with the best available and value picks, which is often the right path to take. Let’s take a look at my New England Patriots draft grades.
17th Pick: Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez
When the Patriots came on the clock with the 14th overall pick, the board had fallen perfectly in front of them. CB Christian Gonzalez, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and OT Broderick Jones were all still available. They could’ve taken any of those three at 14th overall and no one would’ve complained. Though after seeing the board and receiving an offer from the Pittsburgh Steelers (17th overall), they opted to slide down three picks, add the 120th overall pick, and they still landed what some thought was the best cornerback in the draft.
Christian Gonzalez is exactly what the Patriots and their fans were looking for if they were going to add at the CB position. He’s a tall, lengthy corner that can play all around the field. When you watched him at Oregon, you could see right away how fluid he is at the position. He has quick feet, good discipline, and keeps his eyes locked on the ball while not losing hold of the WR. Gonzalez was a projected top-10 pick for most, so landing him at 17th overall was a homerun pick for the Patriots.
The #Patriots really got the steal of the draft last night with Christian Gonzalez at 17.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) April 28, 2023
Looks like Oregon is in cover-six here, with Gonzalez playing it like quarters/cover-4. Colorado QB thinks he has Gonzalez biting on the post, opening up the wheel. Nope. pic.twitter.com/gsEJU9A13j
Draft Grade: A+
46th Pick: Georgia Tech DE Keion White
As round two started, many watched for the Patriots to possibly move up from 46th overall. Though after watching the draft board unfold, they decided to sit at 46, and similar to that of the first round, they were able to land a premier talent at 46th overall. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah had White ranked as his 28th-best player in the draft.
Keion White brings an impressive blend of size, speed, and power to his position. First, he has the size and power to line up both inside and outside on the line of scrimmage. He can play in both 3-4 or 4-3 schemes as well. On top of that, he has the speed to make tackles in space, and even occasionally drop back in coverage. The one knock on White right now comes with inexperience as he came into college as a TE and changed to DE shortly after. He has a ton of room to grow as a player and with the proper coaching, he could turn into a star defender for the Patriots.
Here’s new #Patriots defensive end Keion White (#6):
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) April 29, 2023
Beast.pic.twitter.com/etWlQpcgSK
Draft Grade: A-
76th Pick: Sacramento State LB Marte Mapu
The Patriots again surprised some by not moving up from 76th overall here and surprised most people with their selection of the physical linebacker Marte Mapu. As an older prospect and being unable to work out during the pre-draft process due to a torn pec, Mapu flew under the radar on media mock drafts. Though it was reported after the selection that Mapu was a hot commodity among NFL teams as he met with almost every franchise.
As a player, Mapu is a well-rounded and versatile defender. He has the size, speed, and length to play as both a linebacker and safety in the NFL. It’s unknown how the Patriots will use him, but watching them utilize Kyle Duggar and Adrian Phillips over the past few seasons likely offers an insight into how they could use Mapu. He wouldn’t have been my selection at 76th overall, but it’s tough to not see why the Patriots liked his upside.
Sacramento State’s Marte Mapu brings rare size to the nickel position. Frequently gets downhill and makes impact plays with his instincts, physicality, and take on skills.
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) April 23, 2023
Mapu is a top-10 SAF in the 2023 NFL Draft; he’d also be a top-10 LB in the class if that’s where he plays. pic.twitter.com/mxpOi5p5TZ
Draft Grade: C+
107th Pick: Troy C Jake Andrews
The Patriots looked to fortify their interior offensive line with this selection by adding another center with the last name Andrews. After dealing with numerous injuries on the offensive line last year, the Patriots’ focus in the fourth round was clearly to bolster the position.
At Troy, Jake Andrews displayed a nice combination of power and quickness as a center. Known for his mauler tendencies as a run blocker, Andrews has the quickness to pull as a run defender and overpower linebackers in space. He’s a prototypical Patriots interior offensive lineman and offers good short-term depth and possibly long-term upside as a starter.
Draft Grade: B
112th Pick: Mayland K Chad Ryland
The Patriots completed a rare in-division trade with the Jets to move up eight spots to select Maryland kicker Chad Ryland. It was certainly a bit surprising to see the Patriots draft a kicker this early, but after watching Michigan kicker Jake Moody go at the end of round three, they choose to attack and land their potential kicker for years to come. The team does have Nick Folk under contract for 2023, and he’s been good as a Patriot, but with his very limited range and inability to handle kickoffs, it’s understandable why Belichick looked to upgrade.
Ryland transferred to Maryland for his final collegiate season where he made 19 of 23 field goals, including 3 for 6 from 50+ yards. Combine that with having a nearly 70 percent touchback rate on kickoff duties, you can see the upside for Ryland. He was the consensus second-best kicker in this draft class.
Draft Grade: C-
117th Pick: Eastern Michigan G Sidy Sow
The Patriots went interior offensive line again at 117th overall and landed Eastern Michigan G Sidy Sow. Early on in his college career, Sow played left tackle but spent the rest of his time at Eastern Michigan at left guard. With the extensive depth now on the interior offensive line, it’ll be interesting to see if the Patriots keep Sow at guard. He does have the length and quickness to handle the tackle position.
Nevertheless, at left guard, he shines in space as a run blocker and has the size and power to overwhelm defenders. Similar to Jake Andrews, Sow is known as a mauler offensive lineman who plays fierce and through the whistle.
Draft Grade: C
144th Pick: UCLA G Atonio Mafi
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After trading back to 144th overall, the Patriots left fans confused as they added their third offensive lineman in the last four selections. Starting center, David Andrews and right guard, Michael Onwenu have unclear futures with the team past this upcoming season, so there could be a long-term need at the position. In the short term, they will likely be nothing more than depth barring injury or a possible trade. Onwenu is due a big payday and it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Patriots trade him to get value while they still can.
For the selection itself, it’s not shocking to see a UCLA player come to New England as Bill Belichick’s connection with their head coach Chip Kelly is well known. Atonio Mafi brings size and power to his game at the left guard position. Unlike Sow, Mafi is more known for his pass blocking but similar to Sow and Andrews, he plays tough and through the whistle. The player is solid, but going with a third interior offensive lineman at this moment is confusing.
Draft Grade: C-
187th Pick: LSU WR Kayshon Boutte
The long-awaited wide receiver is finally selected here in Kayshon Boutte. At the least, the LSU wide receiver brings tremendous upside for a pick this late in the draft. Twelve months ago, Boutte was a projected top-15 pick in the NFL Draft. Though after a series of injuries, off-field issues, and an overall poor 2022 season, Boutte’s stock plummeted. Heading into the draft, he was a projected fourth-round pick so to snag him in round six looks like a steal in terms of value.
As a player, Boutte’s upside is seen in his film. He won’t blow you away with his speed or size but he consistently creates separation and plays faster on the field than he would running a 40-yard dash. Boutte is a good route runner with the ability to make contested catches and be a vertical threat. No one should assume he’ll figure it out and become the high-quality player and NFL star that many projected him to be. That being said, the upside is clear for Boutte and he was well worth taking a shot on at this point in the draft to see if he can turn his football career around.
Biggest reason I wanted Zay Flowers was how well he fit as a juiced up Edelman where inside-out versatility and separation + YAC ability are maximized by scheme
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) April 30, 2023
Think a committed Kayshon Boutte could fill that role, swapping Flowers' speed + twitch for more size + savvier routes pic.twitter.com/3JWnrEsRu5
Draft Grade: A
192nd Pick: Michigan State P Bryce Baringer
The Patriots used this selection to hopefully solve their dreaded punter woes from 2022. After extending Jake Bailey to a long-term contract, he essentially fell off a cliff as a player. Everything went downhill in 2021 and then continued in 2022 to the point where he was put on IR and replaced. For a team that has always been known for being great at special teams, the Patriots performed poorly in 2022.
Bryce Baringer initially committed to Illinois out of high school but quickly transferred to Michigan State after his red-shirt freshman season. From there, Baringer struggled to earn a spot on the team in 2018 and 2019. But finally, in 2020, he found his spot on the team and continued to punt for the Spartans for two more seasons. In 2022, Baringer led the nation with 49 yards per punt attempt. If Baringer can fix the Patriots’ punter issues, he’ll be worth the pick.
Draft Grade: B
210th Pick: Liberty WR Demario Douglas
If the Patriots weren’t going to use an early selection on wide receiver, it’s nice to see them double-dip here at the back end of the draft. It can’t hurt to take multiple shots and if just one of them works out, it’s a massive boost for the Patriots offense.
Demario Douglas is a speedy, small slot receiver that works inside the numbers and is great after the catch. He also works as both a punt returner and kick returner which will certainly increase his paths to making the Patriots 53-man roster.
Draft Grade: B-
214th Pick: Michigan State CB Ameer Speed
At this point in the draft, the focus for NFL teams and how it likely is for the Patriots is to simply take the “best available” and players who offer the raw traits to become quality players. With Ameer Speed, he brings an unusual combination of great size and speed. At 6’3″ and 210 pounds, Speed lives up to his name, running a 4.34 40-yard dash.
As a fifth-year senior, Speed spent the first four years of his college career at Georgia, playing mostly special teams and limited defensive snaps. In 2022, he transferred to Michigan State where he was finally able to play consistent defensive snaps. The good news for Speed is everyone knows New England values special teams play and that’s where Speed already excels. He has the speed to be a high-quality gunner for the Patriots. On top of that, he offers the traits that bring upside to hopefully develop into a quality defensive player.
Draft Grade: B
245th Pick: Jackson State CB Isaiah Bolden
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The Patriots take another swing at cornerback here by selecting Jackson State CB Isaiah Bolden. The former Florida State player transferred to Jackson State to play for Deion Sanders. Bolden is a tall, lengthy corner that was also a premier kick returner for Jackson State. Similar to Speed, Bolden offers some solid traits that the Patriots could work to develop while he already can help on special teams. Belichick is known for finding diamonds in the rough at cornerback. Hopefully, Bolden or Speed can be the next.
Draft Grade: B-
Patriots grab a big corner in Isaiah Bolden; he played for Deion Sanders at Jackson State. Wicked athlete (4.33 40) at 6-2, 201. Also a really impressive return man: pic.twitter.com/DR47uXozgt
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) April 29, 2023
Overall Draft Grade: B
When you look over the entire Patriots draft, there’s a lot to like but yet still some to be desired. They added a premier corner in round one and two more in the late rounds that all bring the size that they needed at the position.
With Keion White and Marte Mapu, they added two physical, big players that move well and bring versatility. They added three interior offensive linemen that will fill their need for depth in the short term and will possibly be starting in the long term. And though many don’t prioritize the need to improve their special teams, they brought in potential replacements at both kicker and punter while also adding multiple players with extensive special teams experience, including a couple who were high-quality returners in college.
The downside is simple, they didn’t invest offensively the way I or most people would’ve liked them to. Though I like the additions of Boutte, Douglas, and the offensive linemen, there still is a clear need for playmakers offensively. I wouldn’t rule out them adding more receiving weapons to the mix, including at both TE and WR, but for how things stand, they barely addressed it in the draft.
In the end, I firmly believe the Patriots added a few long-term starters for this team. It was far from a perfect draft but they certainly were able to fill multiple needs with quality players, even if those players weren’t at the top of their positional needs list.
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