2023 NFL Draft: Patriots earn mostly good grades from analysts on their 12 draft selections
The Patriots' first-round selection of Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez was unanimously praised, but there were differing views on many of their other selections.
The 2023 NFL Draft is complete and the New England Patriots came away with 12 new players.
They drafted Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with the No. 17 overall pick. On Day 2, the Patriots added Georgia Tech edge rusher Keion White in the second round and Sacramento State linebacker/safety Marte Mapu in Round 3. They were busy on Day 3, drafting three interior offensive linemen, two wide receivers, two cornerbacks, and two special teamers.
As the shine is still there on the Patriots’ draft picks, draft analysts mostly agreed that New England had a good weekend, but maybe not an excellent one.
Here’s how draft experts graded the Patriots’ 2023 NFL Draft.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: B+
Kiper only graded four teams higher than the Patriots, mostly because he was such a huge fan of their first two selections.
“New England was in a spot to get a starter, either at cornerback, offensive tackle or wide receiver,” Kiper wrote. “And that’s what Bill Belichick was able to do, trading down for cornerback Christian Gonzalez (17), a player I had ranked in the top 10. This is a fantastic get.
“I also liked the Keion White (46) selection in the middle of Round 2. He has the position flexibility to play with his hand in the dirt or standing up on the edge of the D-line.”
While he mentioned he thought the Patriots “reached” on Mapu in the third round, Kiper didn’t mind the selection but thought why they hadn’t done much to improve the 26th-best offense in the league from last season through the first two days.
Kiper is a fan of kicker Chad Ryland and punter Bryce Baringer, who were both his top-ranked players at their respective positions. He also called the Patriots’ sixth-round pick Kayshon Boutte “one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft.”
“This grade might be clouded a bit by the first two selections, both of which I loved; but overall, it’s tough to downgrade this class too much,” Kiper wrote.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter: A-
Reuter was similarly high on the Patriots’ draft, grading just six teams’ drafts higher than theirs.
“Gonzalez provided nice value at No. 17 as he covers receivers like a blanket and makes plays on the ball, the primary jobs of an NFL cornerback,” Reuter wrote of the Patriots’ first-round pick, which he individually gave an “A.”
Reuter was also a fan of the Patriots’ Day 2 picks, grading the day as an “A-.”
“White’s ability to play outside and inside makes him a typical Patriots defensive line selection,” Reuter wrote. “Mapu is yet another New England Day 2 pick that makes casual fans say, ‘Who?’ But I thought he showed real potential as a linebacker/hybrid who will star on special teams.”
Reuter gave the Patriots a “B” grade for their Day 3 picks, specifically mentioning how he liked Boutte’s “fit” in the slot and found the “size and athleticism” of sixth-round corner Ameer Speed and seventh-round corner Isaiah Bolden “intriguing.”
Pro Football Focus: A-
Pro Football Focus liked how the Patriots drafted in the first two days, mentioning how Day 2 picks White and Mapu are good fits on new England’s defense.
“White fits the mold of the defensive linemen that New England tends to look for up front — a powerful 6-foot-5, 285-pounder,” PFF wrote of the Patriots’ second-round pick. “White earned a 75.8 PFF pass-rush grade in his lone season as a starter for Wake Forest in 2022 after transferring from Old Dominion.
“The Patriots continue to add different skill sets and body types at safety, a position they’ve had good depth at in recent years. At 221 pounds, Mapu came in at the 96th percentile among safeties in weight, and he paired that with an 85.9 PFF run-defense grade in his final season at Sacramento. He’ll likely have a role in the box with New England.”
The analytic-driven website didn’t seem to like how the Patriots started Day 3 of the draft though when they used fourth-round picks on Troy center Jake Andrews and Ryland.
“For the second year in a row, the Patriots reach on a center, as Andrews ranked No. 237 on the consensus big board,” PFF wrote. “Andrews is adept as a run blocker in zone and gap concepts but earned a 56.5 pass block grade due to a lack of anchor and lower-body strength, which showed up with a 24th-percentile vertical and 44th-percentile broad jump.
“Ryland was the No. 3 kicker on the PFF big board, earning 89.0-plus kicking grades in each of the last two seasons. The below-average grade here is less of an indictment of Ryland as it is the process of trading up for a kicker in the fourth round.
Fox Sports: B+
Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna was mostly enamored with the athleticism and potential of the Patriots’ first two picks, helping them earn a good mark.
“Gonzalez might just be the best athlete Bill Belichick has ever coached at cornerback,” McKenna wrote. “And that’s saying something, given the coach has worked with Ty Law and Stephon Gillmore, among others. So for the Patriots to get Gonzalez at 17 after trading back? That’s just awesome.”
CBS Sports’ Pete Pricso: C+
Prisco wasn’t much of a fan of the Patriots’ draft, liking their fifth-round selection of UCLA guard Antonio Mafi more than their fourth-round selection of Eastern Michigan guard Sidy Sow. He also didn’t like the Patriots selecting Ryland in the fourth round, believing it was a bit early for a kicker, especially one he didn’t view too highly.
“They had seven picks in the first five rounds, but I am not sure they used them very well,” Prisco wrote. “First-round corner Christian Gonzalez will be a star. The kicker made no sense. I didn’t love second-round edge Keion White or Sow. Sixth-round receiver Kayshon Boutte has a ton of talent, but has off-field issues that Bill Belichick will have to fix. Smallish receiver Demario Douglas is one of my Better-Than guys in this draft. A kicker and a punter in the same draft? That’s over-thinking it.”
The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer: C-
Iyer believes the Patriots had one of the worst drafts over the weekend with their “C-” grade coming in at No. 29 among all teams. He wasn’t much of a fan of what the Patriots did following their first two selections.
“The Patriots hit Gonzalez out of the park and also got their ideal defensive lineman in White,” Iyer wrote. “But then it was the typical ‘why?’ and ‘who?’ that’s been the case of late under Bill Belichick, including too many offensive linemen, a kicker and a punter. At least Boutte keeps Day 3 from being a total repeat flameout.”
USA Today’s Nate Davis: B-
Davis believes the Patriots had a middle-of-the-pack kind of draft, ranking their class 18th in the league. Like many, he liked their first-round pick but was also confused by the Patriots not prioritizing wide receiver help earlier in the draft.
“They got a top-10 talent in CB Christian Gonzalez, even after trading back to 17th in the move that allowed the Steelers to jump the Jets for [Georgia offensive tackle Broderick] Jones (double win for Pats?),” Davis wrote. “High-effort second-rounder Keion White adds juice to an already formidable pass rush. And Bill Belichick obtained three linemen to bolster the protection in front of QB Mac Jones. However BB did not get Jones any noteworthy weapons, had to do a deal with the hated Jets to get K Chad Ryland in the fourth round and rolled the dice on Round 3 Sacramento State LB Marte Mapu.”
The Washington Post’s Mark Maske: B+
Maske thinks that the Patriots might have gotten a bit lucky to select Gonzalez in the first round, but unlike some other analysts, he also was intrigued by how the Patriots rounded out their draft class.
“It’s every bit as important to be fortunate in the NFL draft as it is to be wise. The Patriots benefited when CB Christian Gonzalez fell to them at No. 17 and pass rusher Keion White dropped to them in the middle of the second round,” Maske wrote. “Third-round LB Marte Mapu is versatile and interesting. Bill Belichick fortified the offensive line on Day 3 and even added a kicker, fourth-rounder Chad Ryland, and a punter, sixth-rounder Bryce Baringer.”
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