Count ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. among the many who believe the Patriots did well in the 2023 NFL Draft.
In his league-wide draft roundup, Kiper didn’t seem sold on New England’s mid-round draft decisions but gave the Patriots high marks for what they did early and late. Overall, Kiper assigned New England a B-plus for its draft performance.
“At No. 14 overall, the Patriots were in an interesting spot in this draft,” Kiper wrote. “In fact, that was right around the cutoff point for where most NFL execs and scouts had their first-round grades. … Still, New England was in a spot to get a starter, either at cornerback, offensive tackle or wide receiver. And that’s what Bill Belichick was able to do, trading down for cornerback Christian Gonzalez (17), a player I had ranked in the top 10. This is a fantastic get.
“I also liked the Keion White (46) selection in the middle of Round 2. He has the position flexibility to play with his hand in the dirt or standing up on the edge of the D-line. I thought the Pats reached a little bit for linebacker Marte Mapu (76), but he is a solid player, so I’m not going to ding them much. The biggest question I had Friday night was: Why didn’t they get Mac Jones any help? They passed on the tight ends and receivers. In fact, they ended up not taking a pass-catcher until Round 6.”
Kiper also gave the Patriots high marks for drafting kicker Chad Ryland and punter Bryce Baringer. He seemed less sold on sixth-round receiver Kayshon Boutte, a polarizing prospect who once looked like a first-round pick but saw his stock plummet over the last year.
By the time the dust settled Saturday evening, New England made 12 picks, giving Bill Belichick and company their largest draft class since 2010. But the action didn’t stop with the draft. The Patriots got right to work on signing undrafted free agents, including reportedly giving a record-setting contract to quarterback Malik Cunningham.
You can click here for ongoing updates on all of New England’s UDFA signings.
