Patriots Select UCLA OL Atonio Mafi After Raiders Trade-Down
FOXBORO — With pick No. 144 in the fifth-round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected UCLA guard Atonio Mafi.
New England acquired the selection from the Las Vegas Raiders, moving their final fourth-round selection at No. 135 to old friends Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler for selections 144 and 214.
Per SI Fan Nation’s All Bruins: “Mafi shows his high IQ in both pass protection and opening up running lanes.”
Mafi projects as a swing option for New England, capable of playing both interior positions. Despite not being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, Mafi’s athleticism is clearly visible on his game film. He plays with solid balance, which should help him at the pro level.
However, his hand placement can be an issue in protection. Still, Mafi should impress with his height (6-3, provided he can manage his 329-pound frame by removing some weight prior to the start of the season. Should he receive the proper development under offensive line coaches Adrian Klemm and Billy Yates, Mafi has the talent and skill set to develop into a productive guard in New England’s power-run sets.
New England previously selected Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez in the first round at pick No. 17. The Pats also chose Georgia Tech defensive end Keion White (46 overall) and Sacramento State hybrid linebacker/safety Marte Mapu with their lone third-round (76 overall) selection. New England opened the fourth-round (107 overall) by selecting Troy center Jake Andrews.
The Pats acquired the 112th selection by making a rare intra-divisional trade with the New York Jets in exchange for the Pats picks at No. 120 and 184. They used the pick to select Maryland kicker Chad Ryland. New England used pick No. 117 to draft Eastern Michigan offensive guard Sidy Sow.
The Patriots are set to make their next selection at pick No. 187.
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