NFL Draft Grades: Patriots Get A?
Now if only the New England Patriots' draft "success" can translate into more wins.
After trading down but still snatching Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez No. 14 in the first round of the NFL Draft, the New England Patriots received a ton of praise. They continued to focus heavily on the defense in the second round, drafting Georgia Tech edge-rusher Keion White and Sacramento State linebacker/safety Marte Mapu in rounds two and three.
They produced a quirky, historic Day 3, drafting a couple of offensive linemen, two receivers and even a kicker and a punter.
All in all, analysts are reacting favorably to New England's draft. Fox Sports, for example, is grading the Pats with a "B-plus" in predicting Gonzalez is the "best athlete Bill Belichick has ever coached at cornerback."
Explains Fox:
And that's saying something, given the coach has worked with Ty Law and Stephon Gillmore, among others. So for the Patriots to get Gonzalez at 17 after trading back? That's just awesome. They then took Georgia Tech defensive end Keion White in the second round. He's another elite athlete with a lot of potential. The good news is that he won't have to rush onto the field, with the Patriots fairly deep on the edge. New England finished the draft with a total of 12 — TWELVE! — prospects. They took three cornerbacks, one defensive lineman, one inside linebacker, two receivers, three interior offensive linemen, one kicker and one punter. What they didn't take? A tackle. That's the lone need they didn't fill.
Elsewhere in the AFC East, Fox grades the Miami Dolphins with "B-plus", the New York Jets with a "C" and the Buffalo Bills with a "B."
Other national media reviews of New England's draft:
Alabama DB Brian Branch seemed like a strong fit in New England throughout the draft process, but the Patriots didn’t get a chance to select him in Round 2, with the Lions trading up just in front of them to snag the defender. New England did score a nice consolation prize in White, who’s yet another versatile lineman who can play multiple spots up front because of his strength.
Mapu isn’t a household name, but he’s a typical Pats pick in that he was selected a round or so earlier than expected. He has intriguing safety/linebacker skills, though, and could thrive in New England’s scheme.
White (6-4 7/8, 285) has long arms (34 inches) and wingspan (80) mostly played outside the tackle but generated 30 hurries last year for Georgia Tech to go along with his seven sacks. White has plenty of room to grow despite his college experience and can play in multiple schemes because of his size.
Blessed with a linebacker body (6-3, 221) and long arms (78 ¾ wingspan), Mapu is a heavy hitter and covers like a safety. Mapu might have to redshirt for a season, but if he’s healthy, he could become an asset right away in subpackages and on special teams.
White fits the mold of the defensive linemen that New England tends to look for up front — a powerful 6-foot-5, 285-pounder. White earned a 75.8 PFF pass-rush grade in his lone season as a starter for Wake Forest in 2022 after transferring from Old Dominion.
The Patriots continue to add different skill sets and body types at safety, a position they’ve had good depth at in recent years. At 221 pounds, Mapu came in at the 96th percentile among safeties in weight, and he paired that with an 85.9 PFF run-defense grade in his final season at Sacramento. He’ll likely have a role in the box with New England.
In Day 3 New England added center Jake Andrews (No. 107), kicker Chad Ryland (No. 112), guard Sidy Sow (No. 117), guard Atonio Mafi (No. 144), wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (No. 187), punter Bryce Baringer (No. 192), wide receiver Demario Douglas (No. 210) defensive back Ameer Speed (No. 214) and cornerback Isaiah Bolden (No. 245).
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