Can NFL Draft Fill Patriots' Plentiful Needs?
The New England Patriots have 11 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft, including the No. 14 overall pick. The retooling Patriots have needs to fill all over their roster, including adding help at offensive tackle, wide receiver, cornerback and safety.
A stronger offensive line would go a long way in helping the Patriots get back to the playoffs. New England finished the 2022 season with an 8-9 record and currently has the worst odds to win the AFC East Division. Quarterback Mac Jones is not the most athletic escape artist, and could use some help.
Good news for the Patriots is their need for offensive tackle comes at a solid time with a multitude of athletic blockers expected to be NFL starters.However, NFL.com ranked the OT position as only the eighth-best position group as a whole. The reasoning?
I see Peter Skoronski as this year's No. 1 offensive tackle prospect, although his best position could ultimately be guard. When weighed against the last several drafts, most of the top tackles in this draft would fall into Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) territory, in my opinion. There will be tackles pushed into the top 40 picks who become starters, but the class is extremely light on depth and it's unlikely to produce top-tier talent.
The considerations for NFL.com's rankings: star-caliber players, future starters and overall depth. The list is concentrated on prospects who are most likely to be drafted in the first five rounds. Here is best two position groups:
1. Cornerback: I expect Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon to be the first two players drafted at the position, but we should see five, maybe even six, taken in the first round.
2. Tight end: This is one of the most promising tight end classes I've seen in a while. Michael Mayer, Luke Musgrave, Dalton Kincaid and Darnell Washington are the most well-known prospects and each is worthy of going inside the first 40 picks.
However the chips fall, the Patriots have solid options to upgrade their squad and fill their needs.
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