We’re finally here. It’s NFL Draft week, and the Patriots’ selections will begin in just a few days.
This is the culmination of a long, arduous process. We’ve been through the college football season, All-Star games (Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl), Combine, pre-draft meetings, and more. That will all culminate in (what is scheduled to be) 11 player selections for the Patriots this weekend.
TRADE!
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 18: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots reacts before a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Patriots get:
-17th overall pick (1st round)
-80th overall pick (3rd round)Steelers get
-14th overall pick (1st round)
Starting with a trade back, albeit a small one. The Patriots stay in the top 20 here, while also adding another top 100 pick. According to the Bill Belichick trade chart, the Patriots give up 325 points worth of pick(s), while getting 352 in return (teams typically overpay to move up).
Round 1, Pick 17 (from PIT):
CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
Nov 5, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Maryland Terrapins defensive back Deonte Banks (3) reacts following a play during the third quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Since free agency, it’s felt like things are trending towards the Patriots making a cornerback their top pick. As things stand now, cornerback stands as the clearest void (not biggest need) on the roster, and the Patriots have made spots meeting that description their top pick in each of the last two years. Plus, while speaking about this year’s draft class during his pre-draft press conference last Tuesday, director of player personnel seemed to downplay the need at tackle while suggesting the best spot to take a receiver in this draft is beyond the first round, while hyping up the cornerback class.
In this scenario Christian Gonzalez, Devin Witherspoon, and Joey Porter Jr. have all gone. Even still, Banks checks more of the Patriots’ traditional boxes than both Witherspoon and Porter (and realistically they’re not going to be able to trade up high enough to get Gonzalez). The 6-foot, 197 pound cornerback has elite athletic traits, highlighted by a 4.35 40 and 42-inch vertical at the COmbine.
Last year at Maryland, quarterbacks completed only 43.3 percent of the 60 passes thrown his way, while he recorded eight pass breakups and an interception in 384 coverage snaps. He showed his best stuff against the best opponents, holding Ohio State’s NFL-bound wideouts to just four catches and 53 yards on six targets in 31 coverage snaps in their matchup last year.
TRADE
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – NOVEMBER 19: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on prior to the game against the Oakland Raiders at Estadio Azteca on November 19, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Patriots get:
-37th overall pick (2nd round)
Seahawks get
-46th overall pick (2nd round)
-107th overall pick (4th round)
-2024 5th round pickThe Patriots have traded up in the second round five years in a row coming into this draft, and we’re going to make it six. In this move, the Patriots give up 172 points worth of picks, with the 37th pick being worth 160.
Round 2, Pick 37 (from SEA):
EDGE Keion White, Georgia Tech
PITTSBURGH, PA – OCTOBER 01: Kedon Slovis #9 of the Pittsburgh Panthers is hit as he throws by Keion White #6 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second quarter of the game at Acrisure Stadium on October 1, 2022 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
White is another player who checks a number of boxes for the Patriots. A high-level athlete at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, he’s a converted tight end that had a breakout year for Georgia Tech in 2022 with 14 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks in 12 games. White is considered one of the more high-upside players at his position in this draft. He wins with his physical tools right now but should become even more effective as he further learns the nuances of the position.
Not only would White add much needed pass rush depth to the Patriots this season, but could be in for a big role quickly. With Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings on expiring contracts and no edge players besides Sam Roberts signed through 2025, expect the Patriots to try and get ahead of filling some of those spots.
Round 3, Pick 76:
TE Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State
South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft uses the existing layer of snow to slide into the end zone for the first touchdown of the FCS semifinal game against Montana State on Saturday, December 17, 2022, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, SD. (Erin Woodiel/Argus Leader/USA Today Network)
A number of things connect Kraft, a 6-foot-5, 254 well-rounded tight end, to the Patriots. Not only did he meet with the Patriots at the Combine, but it was also revealed that last year Kraft was recurited as a transfer to Alabama by now-Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.
Unlike some other tight ends in this range of the draft, Kraft can contribute more as a blocker which would allow more opportunities for him to get on the field without taking time away from Hunter Henry, and then he has the upside to be able to step into a bigger role when Henry’s contract is up after the 2023 season.
Round 3, Pick 80 (from PIT):
OT Blake Freeland, BYU
PROVO UT- OCTOBER 15: Blake Freeland #71 of the Brigham Young Cougars blocks against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the first half of their game on October 15, 2022 at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
As mentioned above, Matt Groh seemed to downplay the Patriots’ need at tackle in the short term last week. In some ways, their current situation at tackle feels similar to their situation at cornerback heading into last year’s draft. So, we’re going to approach it the same. Last year they finished Day 2 and started Day 3 with cornerback picks (Marcus Jones, Jack Jones), and they’ll double-up on tackles here.
That starts with Freeland. The easy comp for the 6-foot-8, 302-pound converted tight end is Nate Solder, who ended up working out well for the Patriots. Freeland played 1,622 snaps at left tackle for BYU the last two years, and 823 at right tackle the two years before that. He projects mainly as a left tackle in the NFL but should offers some positional versatility.
The biggest issue for Freeland coming out will be adding strength to pair with his athleticism. Leverage will be an issue as his height, so he’ll need to be able to bully quicker rushers. If the Patriots feel like they don’t need a tackle right away, he makes sense as a project player who will be more complete in Year 2.
Round 4, Pick 117:
OT Warren McClendon, Georgia
Sep 10, 2022; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Warren McClendon (70) blocks against the Samford Bulldogs during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
After drafting a potential long-term left tackle to close out Day 2, the Patriots add a potential right tackle – who also has some positional versatility – to start Day 3. They use this pick on McClendon, who they met with during the pre-draft process.
McClendon has been Georgia’s right tackle for the last three seasons, allowing just 22 pressures on 940 career pass block snaps while getting called for only eight penalties. The Patriots will like his football IQ and high motor, and he has the size to be a complete people-mover with the right coaching.
Round 4, Pick 135:
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 29: Dorian Thompson-Robinson #1 of the UCLA Bruins throws during the first quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Rose Bowl on October 29, 2022 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
As Groh pointed out last week, the team always does its due-diligence on quarterbacks and regularly drafts the position – doing so even when Tom Brady was in his prime. Of their 13 quarterback picks under Bill Belichick, eight have come in the top 150 picks including each of the last three and six of the last seven. They continue those trends here taking Thompson-Robinson, who they worked with at the Shrine Bowl (get ready for that to be a theme here).
The Patriots seemed to really like what they saw too, and gave Thompson-Robinson every chance to prove himself. Unlike most all-star games, where the quarterbacks rotate evenly, the Patriots put Thompson-Robinson on the field at the Shrine Bowl for the end of both halves, and he played two and a half quarters overall.
Thompson-Robinson is a dual-threat quarterback who was a four-year starter at UCLA. Last season he completed 70 percent of his passes for 3,169 yard with 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 games, while rushing for another 645 yards and 12 scores. During the pre-draft process, Thompson-Robinson has been working with a throwing coach to tighten up his mechanics, and the results showed at the Combine.
TRADE!
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 12: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on prior to the game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 12, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Patriots get:
-148th overall pick (5th round)
Bears get:
-184th overall pick (6th round)
-192nd overall pick (6th round)The Patriots are moving up to grab a fifth-round pick they previously didn’t have. This also gets their pick total to 10, which is the number of players they’ve selected in three of the last four drafts (with the exception being when they took eight players in 2021, the year the pre-draft process was stunted most by the COVID-19 Pandemic).
Round 5, Pick 148 (from CHI):
P Michael Turk, Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s Michael Turk (37) punts during a Bedlam college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Oklahoma won 28-13. (Bryan Terry/the Oklahoman/USA TODAY Network)
We have a couple of trends at play here. First off, the last time the Patriots drafted a punter also involved trading up, which they did when they took Jake Bailey in 2019. The fifth round has also historically been the Patriots’ ‘special teams round’ – they’ev made just six fifth-round picks since 2011, and half of those have been on specialists.
With this pick they take Turk, who they worked with extensively at the Shrine Bowl. Both Turk and the coaching staff seemed to enjoy working with one another, and Turk has the big leg and almost artisan approach to punting the Patriots tend to target (although he isn’t a lefty).
While the team did sign Corless Waitman as a free agent, he ranked in the bottom half of the league in most major punting categories last year. He hardly feels like a lock for the job, and in this scenario Turk is the guy he’ll be competing with.
Round 6, Pick 187:
WR Demario Douglas, Liberty
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 20: Demario Douglas #3 of the Liberty Flames carries the ball against the Toledo Rockets during the first half of the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl game at FAU Stadium on December 20, 2022 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
That’s right, another Shrine Bowl player! While Zay Flowers was the ‘star’ of the Patriots’ Shrine Bowl team, he only took part in one day of practice. The other two days, the team had Douglas in Flowers’ role and he thrived. The 5-foot-8, 179-pound receiver then built on that performance at the Combine, where he ran a 4.44 40 and had a 39.5-inch vertical.
Coming from a smaller school with just one year of significant production, Douglas will face an adjustment period while transitioning to the NFL. If put in the right spot though, he has the potential to be a game-breaking slot receiver and gadget player.
Round 6, Pick 210:
LB Anfernee Orji, Vanderbilt
Sep 10, 2022; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores defensive back Jaylen Mahoney (23) celebrates with linebacker Anfernee Orji (0) after a defensive stop during the first half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at FirstBank Stadium. Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Keeping the Shrine Bowl picks going with Orji, a high-IQ, aggressive off-ball linebacker who was all over the field all week in Las Vegas. Orji, a three-year starter and team captain at Vanderbilt, ranked fourth in the NFL last year with 106 tackles.
At 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, Orji is a plus player against the run because of both his instincts and willingness to initiate contact either with blockers or ball-carriers. He has some upside as a pass rusher, but won’t be a guy who will have many coverage responsibilities. He also projects as a guy who can be a core special teams player.
Round 7, Pick 245:
TE/FB/LB Jack Colletto, Oregon State
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 04: Jack Colletto #12 of the Oregon State Beavers carries the ball against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter of the game at Husky Stadium on November 04, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Wrapping up the draft with another Patriots Shrine Bowl player, and a unique one at that. We highlighted Colletto last week as one of the true two-way players in this draft. Oregon State used him as both an off-ball linebacker and traditional fullback, and started getting him more involved in the passing game last year. He won the Paul Hornung Award, given each year to the most versatile player in college football (Marcus Jones won the award in 2021).
At the Shrine Bowl, the 6-foot-3, 239-pound Colletto said he wanted to prove to teams there’s more to his game as a receiver than what he put on tape at Oregon State, and he can be considered a move tight end as much as he can be a fullback. He backed that up with impressive performances throughout the week. If Bill O’Brien is going to bring the fullback position back in New England, it will probably involve some sort of pass-catching responsibilities, and Colletto looks like he could be a fit. He also has significant special teams experience.
