The Patriots' reward for their disappointing 2022 season is their highest draft pick in a decade-and-a-half.
By finishing 8-9 and missing the playoffs, New England officially will receive the 14th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The last time the Patriots picked higher than 15th was in 2008, when they took linebacker Jerod Mayo 10th overall after a trade with the New Orleans Saints. The last time their own assigned pick was this early? 2003, when they received selection No. 14 after going 7-9 in 2002.
Recent 14th overall draft picks include:
2022: S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
2021: G Alijah Vera-Tucker, New York Jets
2020: DT Javon Kinlaw, San Francisco 49ers
2019: G Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons
2018: DE Marcus Davenport, New Orleans Saints
After a stretch of rough drafts from 2017 to 2019 sapped their roster of young, affordable contributors, the Patriots have hit on several picks in recent years. They drafted Kyle Dugger, Josh Uche and Mike Onwenu in 2020 and Mac Jones, Christian Barmore and Rhamondre Stevenson in 2021.
2022 draftees Marcus Jones and Jack Jones impressed this season, with Cole Strange, Tyquan Thornton, Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris flashing potential during uneven rookie campaigns. Bailey Zappe also played well as an early-season fill-in for Mac Jones.
The Patriots currently own a total of eight 2023 draft picks and are likely to receive more once the NFL's compensatory selections are announced. They also almost certainly will trade and/or acquire picks before or during the draft, which begins Thursday, April 27.
Here's a full rundown of New England's current draft choices:
First round, 14th overall
Second round
Third round (via Carolina Panthers)
Fourth round
Fourth round (via Los Angeles Rams)
Sixth round
Sixth round (via Carolina)
Sixth round (via Las Vegas Raiders)
The Patriots' season ended Sunday with a 35-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. They've now failed to qualify for the postseason in two of the last three seasons and have not won a playoff game since Super Bowl LIII.
