The New England Patriots added some intriguing pieces via the 2023 NFL Draft.
There’s still a lot of uncertainty surrounding the roster, though, and only time will tell whether New England is capable of keeping pace in a loaded AFC East. After all, last season was very underwhelming for the Patriots, who went 8-9 and missed the NFL playoffs.
So, what’s the most pressing question facing New England after the draft?
ESPN.com published a piece Monday looking at each team’s biggest post-draft question, and Patriots reporter Mike Reiss posed the following: “Did the Patriots do enough to help quarterback Mac Jones and the offense?”
Here’s what Reiss wrote of the situation:
The Patriots’ first three picks were defenders, which Bill Belichick said was simply the way it worked out. Belichick also noted that the majority of veteran free agent signings earlier in the offseason came on offense (e.g., wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, tight end Mike Gesicki and offensive tackles Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson). Still, OT, TE and WR seemed like areas that could use a boost entering the draft and there weren’t any major draft-based investments there.
New England drew mostly positive reviews for its 2023 draft class, which consisted of 12 players, including first-round cornerback Christian Gonzalez and second-round edge rusher Keion White. But the Patriots’ offense struggled throughout the 2022 season, and without making a significant splash on that side of the ball in free agency or the draft, it’s fair to wonder whether the unit will sputter again in 2023.
The Patriots will need to hope Mac Jones takes a significant step forward in his third NFL season after regressing in his sophomore campaign. Having Bill O’Brien back as New England’s offensive coordinator should help in that regard, but bolstering Jones’ supporting cast in some way, shape or form would’ve gone a long way toward setting the quarterback up for success.
