The Patriots on Thursday put the final nail in the coffin that carries their 2019 NFL Draft class.
New England selected 10 players in that draft, and none of them are on the current roster. Offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste was the last one standing, but he was released Thursday, just over a month after signing his restricted free agent tender, the salary for which wasn’t guaranteed.
Cajuste, a fourth-round pick in 2019, battled injuries and didn’t appear in a single game over his first two seasons. But he saw some action in 2021 and a solid training camp last summer indicated he finally might’ve turned a corner. Cajuste wound up making a career-high three starts last season, but he failed to impress and by the end of the season was backing up Conor McDermott. Now, he’s on the open market.
Cajuste’s release followed the recent departures of punter Jake Bailey and running back Damien Harris, both of whom also were drafted in 2019. Bailey and Harris both enjoyed great stretches in Foxboro, and fellow 2019 draftee Chase Winovich racked up 11 sacks over his first two seasons. So, it’s not as if the Patriots didn’t find any good players that year.
However, on the whole, it’s hard to view that draft as anything other than a failure, particularly because it wasn’t long ago. The only other draft class from the previous eight years that isn’t represented on the current roster is the 2016 group, which included the likes of Joe Thuney, Jacoby Brissett, Elandon Roberts and Ted Karras.
Here’s a rundown of each player the Patriots drafted in 2019, along with their current professional status:
Round 1: WR N’Keal Harry (currently unsigned)
Round 2: CB Joejuan Williams (now with Minnesota Vikings)
Round 3: DE Chase Winovich (now with Houston Texans)
Round 3: RB Damien Harris (now with Buffalo Bills)
Round 3: OT Yodny Cajuste (currently unsigned)
Round 4: G Hjalte Froholdt (now with Arizona Cardinals)
Round 4: QB Jarrett Stidham (now with Denver Broncos)
Round 5: DT Byron Cowart (now with Texans)
Round 5: P Jake Bailey (now with Miami Dolphins)
Round 7: CB Ken Webster (currently in Canadian Football League)
In case you’re wondering, linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley is the lone holdover from the 2018 class following Isaiah Wynn’s recent signing with Miami. The 2017 class is represented by both McDermott and defensive lineman Deatrich Wise, and the 2015 class includes current Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona. The only player left from any class before then is special teamer Matthew Slater, who was selected in 2008.
Obviously, once you start talking about drafts from over five years ago, it becomes less of a big deal if there aren’t players left. Plus, in fairness to the Patriots, the last decade is full of undrafted success stories, such as center David Andrews and cornerback Jonathan Jones.
The good news is that New England appears to be on a hot streak with its drafting. The 2020, 2021 and 2022 drafts produced a slew of meaningful players, including Josh Uche, Kyle Dugger, Mike Onwenu, Mac Jones, Rhamondre Stevenson, Christian Barmore, Jack Jones and Marcus Jones — just to name a few. Time will tell how long those players stick around, but the Patriots undeniably are trending in the right direction.
And this year’s class is easy to get excited about, even though we haven’t seen any of the players on the field yet. New England drafted 12 players, including some — cornerback Christian Gonzalez; hybrid defender Marte Mapu — who could contribute right away.
But, barring something unforeseen, the Patriots won’t receive any contributions this season from their 2019 draft class. That should be a tough pill to swallow for Bill Belichick.
