Todd McShay Projects Patriots’ Top Pick In Early 2023 NFL Mock Draft
Linebacker could become an urgent need for New England
Many NFL draft gurus predicted the Patriots would use their first-round pick this year on a linebacker.
New England ultimately went in a different direction. In fact, the Patriots didn’t use any of their 10 selections on a linebacker. Perhaps that’s why Todd McShay believes Bill Belichick and company will prioritize the second level of their defense in next year’s draft.
McShay on Thursday published a very early 2023 first-round mock draft. The veteran draft analyst currently projects the Patriots to spend the 15th overall pick on Oregon inside linebacker Noah Sewell.
“The brother of 2021 first-rounder Penei Sewell, Noah Sewell can impact multiple areas of the game,” McShay wrote. “The 6-foot-3, 251-pound linebacker had 110 tackles, four sacks and six pass breakups last season. And the Patriots are still looking for a leader in the middle of their defense.”
There’s a chance linebacker becomes less of a need for New England as the 2022 season unravels. The Patriots clearly have high hopes for Cameron McGrone and Raekwon McMillan, and Mack Wilson could prove to be a successful reclamation project in Foxboro.
Still, a true ace in a linebacking corps is invaluable for any team and Sewell seemingly has the makeup to take on that label.
