New England Patriots: Evaluating Patriots offseason moves

New England Patriots 2020 draft and undrafted free agency grades

I have explored the draft in detail previously. I pretty much panned the draft for a couple of reasons.

First, I thought that the Patriots clear draft priority this offseason had to be on the offensive side of the ball. Including quarterback high up in the draft. I still do.

Yet, the Patriots first three picks were devoted to defense. That fact really overrode any other feelings about the success of the draft in my opinion.

But there is another side of the story. With their first pick, they chose a Division II safety, a really good one at that, in Kyle Dugger, of Lenoir-Rhyne. Dugger got rave reviews for his Senior Bowl week and performance. I saw the game but didn’t really feel he excelled. But, let’s hope he does.

The opportunity cost though for picking Dugger was too high in my opinion. I thought they had other, better options available on offense. There were some terrific offensive players available when the Patriots picked at No. 37.

Jalen Hurts, the RPO quarterback who runs like running back was there. He’d have been my choice. A foundation piece for the future.

Also available was the best all-around tight end in the draft, Cole Kmet of Notre Dame and his teammate wide receiver Chase Claypool.

Either of the Fighting Irish would have been really solid selections. Better selections. Two top running backs I had highlighted previously were also on the board.

Running backs Jonathan Taylor from Wisconsin and Cam Akers of Florida State. Either would have been preferable to a defensive back. Bigger backs with real talent. Missed opportunity.

Later in the third round, the Patriots traded up to select Josh Uche an outside linebacker from Michigan. Uche was a standout in the Senior Bowl as an edge rusher. I like him. But again, it was a pick on defense.

Among those the Patriots passed up were big running backs A.J. Dillon from Boston College and Antonio Gibson, a wide/receiver/running back from Memphis. Two potentially very valuable contributors on offense.

They followed that up in the third round by taking another linebacker, Anfernee Jennings from Alabama. There they passed up huge offensive tackle Matt Peart from Connecticut.

Now I had hyped Jennings to an extent before the draft, but not in the third round. I was thinking much later. So I thought this was a reach. But again, he might work out fine for the Patriots.

Finally, in the third round, the Patriots addressed an offensive position that needed addressing, tight end. Yet the two choices left me cold. Devin Asiasi from UCLA and Dalton Keene from Virginia Tech. I thought both were reaches. Keene a huge one. And Adam Trautman from Dayton, a better option, in my opinion, was there for both picks.

I did like their 6th round pick, guard Michael Onwenu, however, and have written that I thought he was their best of the draft. A 6th rounder.

One last thought on the draft before the grade. I also was dismayed that the Patriots invested serious draft capital on moving up to select a few of the players they took high in the draft.

They had many holes to fill and I felt that more picks were better than fewer for New England. They could just have done a much better overall job.

With those thoughts in mind, I stand by my draft grade of D+. They needed impact offensive players early in this draft, and they chose not to get them.