After months of endless speculation, the 2021 NFL Draft came and went in a span of three short days, which proved to be very exciting for New England Patriots fans everywhere.
The top football prospects have found new homes as they attempt to make the leap from college football stardom to the NFL, and now we get to watch them continue their journeys.
For the Patriots, this year’s draft was arguably one of their most important in recent memory.
After losing Tom Brady in free agency last year, the Patriots struggled for most of the previous season, and missed the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.
Fresh off one of the most hectic free agency periods we have seen from a single team in recent memory, the Patriots knew they needed to have a really good draft in order to begin developing the next Super Bowl contending team in New England.
Armed with 10 picks heading into the draft, the usually trade happy Bill Belichick only swung one deal this year, which led to the Patriots moving up and trading away two of their fourth round selections and making only eight selections.
As with every draft, there were some major questions answered about this team, while some more questions popped up in the process. Let’s take a look at three major takeaways that Patriot fans should be aware of as a result of the NFL Draft.
No. 3: New England Patriots waited too long to add another wide receiver
Even after the Patriots free agency frenzy, the wide receiver room was a clear area that needed some additional reinforcements.
The Patriots only added Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne in free agency, while Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry are slated to return next season as well.
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While Agholor and Bourne should help out, it’s clear this wideout grouping isn’t exactly one of the best in the NFL, especially with Julian Edelman recently announcing his retirement.
That’s what made some of the Patriots selections in this draft somewhat confusing, especially on Day 3.
After trading up for Christian Barmore and inadvertently having Ronnie Perkins fall in their lap on Day 2 (more on these guys later) it seemed logical for New England to target a wideout with their only remaining fourth rounder to open up the final day of the Draft.
Instead, they waited all the way until their last pick of the draft, and picked up Tre Nixon, who they probably could have scooped up in the undrafted free agent pool shortly afterwards.
At this point, Nixon is nothing more than a developmental prospect the Patriots can hope to turn into something a couple years down the line, similar to what happened with Julian Edelman.
However, banking on a seventh rounder to turn into a bonafide star isn’t exactly a tantalizing proposition, and it would have been nice to see Belichick and co. address the position earlier on in the Draft rather than waiting until the last possible minute.
If the receiving core struggles again this upcoming season, it will be fair to wonder why a move wasn’t made earlier at this position.
No. 2: New England Patriots added some legitimate talent on the defensive line
It’s hard to argue with the fact that New England had a very successful Day 2 of the Draft.
After they struggled to create much pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season, while also struggling to slow the run, it was clear they needed to add to their defensive front seven this offseason.
After adding playmakers such as Matthew Judon in free agency, Belichick kept the train rolling by bringing in two more reinforcements to the d-line with their second and third round picks.
They started by making a move up the board to select Christian Barmore, a defensive tackle from Alabama. Barmore was considered to be a first round talent by some evaluators, and once Belichick saw him sliding in the second round, he swung a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals to move up and grab him.
Whereas most of New England’s interior linemen over the past few seasons have typically served as either a run defender or pass rusher, Barmore has the potential to be a three down player as the anchor on the Pats d-line.
And then nearly 60 picks later, New England got another steal by selecting Ronnie Perkins late in the third round.
Perkins is a defensive end from Oklahoma who was considered to be a second round talent, but had some character concerns that clearly drove teams away. There’s a good chance the New England brain trust wasn’t expecting Perkins to be around when they were on the clock at the end of Day 2, and to be able to pick him up this late could prove to be one of the steals of the draft.
Both these guys carry a degree of risk with them, as they both struggled with character issues in college that led them to drop to the Patriots.
Barmore’s work ethic has been a big question, as he openly tweeted about wanting to leave the Bama football team at the start of last season, before having some of his best games late in the season for them. And Perkins failed a drug test that caused him to miss six games last season, but when he was on the field he was an absolute menace, posting 5.5 sacks in only six games.
The upside on these two guys is through the roof, especially when considering where they were picked at. But they will have to prove that they belong in the NFL in order for them to be successful. All in all, there was a lot to like about Day 2 of the draft, and here’s to hoping these guys pan out in the future.
No. 1: New England Patriots got their QB of the future without having to do anything
Ever since Tom Brady fled south to Tampa Bay last offseason, everyone has been wondering who his eventual replacement would be.
Cam Newton showed last season he should be viewed as nothing more than a bridge QB, and Jarrett Stidham didn’t display anything to make anyone believe he could fill those big shoes. In a year with five quarterbacks who were viewed as first round talents, everyone wondered if the Patriots would strike, and they did by picking up Mac Jones in the first round.
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I’ve gone more in depth about why Jones is the perfect fit for the Patriots, so I’ll keep this limited to the key points.
When highlighting potential targets for the Patriots at the number 15 overall pick, it was clear that if one of the top five quarterbacks was still available, the Patriots had to take them. Bill Belichick did just that when Jones fell to them at 15, and probably ended up getting the guy they wanted in the process.
Think about it; if Belichick really wanted to make a move up for Justin Fields or Trey Lance, he probably would have. From the sounds of it, he was testing the waters to see what it would take to make a move up the boards, but ultimately ended up staying put. When considering that, it’s no surprise that they ended up with Jones.
In the process, New England didn’t sell their souls just to move up a couple of spots in the first round, which is something the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears most certainly cannot say.
Even if Jones doesn’t end up panning out for New England, it’s not as if they gave up tons of picks to take a chance on him, which makes this deal even more of a win than it should be.
Regardless, Jones has all the tools to become the Patriots quarterback of the future. His pocket passer style is a perfect fit for a Josh McDaniels style offense, and he will probably get to spend most of the upcoming season as Cam Newton’s understudy.
The Patriots stayed patient when other teams panicked, and they still ended up with their quarterback of the future.