Two down, 10 to go
The Patriots are making progress toward signing each member of their 2023 NFL Draft class.
New England last week agreed to a four-year, $4.027 million contract with receiver Kayshon Boutte, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. And on Tuesday, Reiss reported the Patriots reached a similar four-year deal with offensive guard Atonio Mafi.
New England selected 12 players in the draft, its largest class since 2010.
The Patriots used a sixth-round pick on Boutte, a polarizing prospect out of LSU. Once a projected first-rounder, Boutte struggled on and off the field the last two seasons, with a poor performance at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine further damaging his draft stock.
As for Mafi, New England selected the massive guard in the fifth round of the draft. The UCLA product is cousins with former Patriots tight end Devin Asiasi, who gave Mafi some advice about New England upon his drafting.