One of the few knocks on Bill Belichick across his Patriots tenure has been mediocre drafting.
NFL.com believes the legendary head coach and his New England staff assembled another so-so class this year.
The league's official website on Monday released a power ranking of 2023 draft hauls and the Patriots, who made a total of 12 picks last weekend in Kansas City, checked in at No. 15.
"From a league-value standpoint, Christian Gonzalez and Keion White could be considered smart and perhaps safe picks by New England to kick things off," Eric Edholm wrote. "Corner was a need, and Gonzalez's length and athleticism give the Patriots -- who landed him after trading down from No. 14 to No. 17 -- even more flexibility, coverage-wise. They'll ask him to be a more physical tackler and maximize his traits further, but this could be a big hit in a year or two. White was a bit of a late bloomer in college and could have limited upside, but he's a multi-position performer with elite athletic traits. It's clear with Matt Groh overseeing the past two drafts that the Patriots have put more emphasis on upgrading the athletic quotient.
"Marte Mapu was a classic Day 2 Patriots pick, matching sort of a Kyle Dugger template with excellent special-teams value. Spending three picks on interior offensive linemen and two on specialists is the Patriots' way of reminding you that they do business a bit differently than other teams, but that approach has paid off for them in the past. Of those picks, Sidy Sow (who has some tackle versatility), Atonio Mafi and Bryce Baringer seem to me to have the best chance to redeem their draft value. There was reason for excitement in Round 6 with the selections of Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas. Both could end up making this team in August. Also keep an eye on Isaiah Bolden, who could be a freaky-traits steal. I thought a tight end might be on the menu, and they were reportedly interested in trading back into Round 1 late; might Dalton Kincaid have been their guy?"
New England deserves credit for making a concerted effort to improve its defense through the draft. However, this year's class, at least on paper, didn't do much to help the Patriots offense, which plagued the team from wire to wire last season. Folks around the NFL reportedly were "scratching their heads" over New England not selecting a wide receiver or offensive tackle in the early rounds.
Of course, a verdict can't be delivered on the Patriots' 2023 draft class until the players get on the field. They'll make their first impressions as rookie minicamp next week.
