How will the New England Patriots use their top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft? That remained a mystery as the draft got underway Thursday night.
But Patriots owner Robert Kraft knows what his team won’t do with that selection: take a quarterback.
“It’s hard to predict what Coach (Bill) Belichick is going to do,” Kraft told fans at New England’s draft party at Gillette Stadium, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “… But I can tell you one thing: He is not going to draft a quarterback in the first round.”
That, of course, is no surprise. The Patriots drafted a quarterback in last year’s first round, and Mac Jones went on to enjoy a promising rookie season, finishing second in NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting and making the Pro Bowl as an AFC alternate.
After two consecutive offseasons of uncertainty behind center, New England no longer has a need at QB, though it could look to draft a developmental backup in the later rounds.
The Patriots do have notable holes at several other positions, however, including linebacker, cornerback and guard. Linebackers Devin Lloyd, Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker, corners Trent McDuffie, Kaiir Elam and Andrew Booth, and guards Zion Johnson and Kenyon Green all could be in play when Belichick’s club goes on the clock at No. 21 overall — assuming the Patriots don’t trade that pick to acquire additional assets.
Wide receiver, offensive tackle, edge rusher and defensive tackle are other position groups New England could look to improve in this year’s draft. The Patriots entered Thursday night with one selection in each of the first five rounds, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.
