The New England Patriots addressed one of their most pressing needs through the draft while relatively bypassing another.
The Patriots bolstered their wide receiver depth chart when they used their first-round pick — No. 32 overall — on Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry. New England went on to tackle secondary, offensive line, defensive line, quarterback and even punter in the following rounds but didn’t use any of its 10 picks on a tight end. This came as a surprise to most, as many thought the Patriots might even trade up to draft one of the premier players at the position in this year’s class.
NFL.com doesn’t seem too concerned about the Patriots not drafting a tight end, though. As NFL analyst Elliot Harrison noted in his latest league power rankings — which tabs New England at No. 2 behind the New Orleans Saints — the reigning Super Bowl champs never really were/are going to come close to replacing Rob Gronkowski.
“The Patriots surprised more than a few folks by tabbing N’Keal Harry to be their big wideout outside with the No. 32 overall pick. Call him the Josh Gordon placeholder for now,” Harrison writes. “The need was real, as is the Arizona State star’s talent. No matter how well this 2019 class turns out, New England was bound for a downswing with the exit of Rob Gronkowski. Speculating about draft picks is super fun, but expecting any of these kids at this point to find their way into Gronk’s area code as a player will put you in the funny farm.”
Harrison also deemed second-round selection Joejuan Williams as a “championship pick” for the Patriots, as the 6-foot-4 cornerback won’t be physically outmatched by any wideouts across the league.
It is a little surprising NFL.com has the Patriots ranked so high, as there currently are a few question marks surrounding their roster, especially in terms of offense. Then again, games aren’t won on paper, and New England tends to always make the most of its collective unit.
