When Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots make a selection in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, that player needs to check plenty of boxes.
And with their top pick, the Patriots are not only taking into consideration the on-field talent, but also how that player acts off the field, according to former Patriots front office executive Scott Pioli.
Appearing on NFL Network on Thursday morning, Pioli, who was with the Patriots from 2000-08, laid out what the Patriots look for in their first round picks and it tends to follow the mold of players like Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, Vince Wilfork and Logan Mankins — all players Pioli helped to draft and who became integral pieces in New England.
“Every single one of those guys were not only big, physical and tough, but they were extremely, extremely dependable,” Pioli said. “So when they are looking at a big guy in the first round, if that’s what they’re going to do, that is going to be not only the physical tools that they’re looking for, but from a trait standpoint, from a human standpoint, those are the kind of players that they would go after.”
The Patriots haven’t exactly cashed in on their most recent first-round picks. Three out of the last four in Isaiah Wynn, Sony Michel and N’Keal Harry haven’t panned out while it’s still too early to label the pick of Mac Jones as an ultimate success even though it is trending that way.
With the No. 21 overall pick in this year’s draft, the Patriots could go any which way with a plethora of needs on both sides of the ball and they could use the formula that at times has worked in the past to fill one of those holes.
“I know that was a lot of years ago and that’s the way we did it a long time ago,” Pioli said, “but I know that is a true, tried and trusted way of drafting the big guys.”
The first round of the NFL draft commences Thursday, April 28 at 8 p.m. ET.
