Kicked: Patriots Criticized For 'Worst' Draft Pick
The New England Patriots made 12 selections in the 2023 NFL draft. But which of them took the spotlight?
In the wake of the draft, CBS Sports is identifying each team's best, worst and most interesting picks.
According to CBS the Patriots' best draft choice was Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was taken with the No. 17 overall pick in the first round. Last season at Oregon, Gonzalez had four interceptions and seven pass deflections, leading the team in both categories.
Writes CBS:
We had him ranked as the top corner in this draft. For him to fall this far is amazing to me. The Patriots traded down and still filled a major position of need.
Conversely, the site noted the team's worst pick is the fourth-round selection of Maryland kicker Chad Ryland. Selecting a kicker in the draft is a gamble because kickers tend to be the most erratic players, and even accomplished college kickers may struggle to replicate their success in the NFL.
Furthermore, the Pats became the first NFL team in 40 years to take a kicker and a punter in the same draft. And they even traded up for Ryland - who wasn't even the Lou Groza Award winner in college football last season - in the fourth round.
Says CBS:
Accurate kicker but doesn't have a big leg. I get kickers can be drafted but trading up for a kicker in the fourth round?
Finally, the team's most interesting pick is LSU wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, who the Patriots took in the sixth round. At one point in his career, Boutte was viewed as a likely first-round pick. But the Patriots have a reputation for taking on projects that require restoration. So Boutte finds himself in a situation that provides him an opportunity to thrive through the guidance of the Patriots coaching staff.
Writes CBS:
Low-risk, high-reward. At one point, Boutte was considered to be a rising star in college football. His career at LSU didn't pan out that way, but could he find success at the next level? Intrigued by this prospect.
Only time will tell which of the Patriots' "best, worst and most interesting" 2023 rookies will fare in the NFL.
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