As the New England Patriots approach summer camp the feeling here is that the offense is poised for a breakout but from the defense, well, not so much is expected. Contrary to expectations, the team neglected to draft any linebackers in the 2022 NFL draft. Passing on three in particular, may prove to have been a huge mistake.
The Patriots are relying on previously injured and/or untested players in the linebacking corps. If one categorizes Matt Judon as an edge, the steady but unspectacular Ja’Whaun Bentley is the only reliable asset.
This space has considered both the defensive line and the linebacking room to be far from being at a level to compete for a division title, never mind a Super Bowl. There are far too many question marks at both levels to feel comfortable with either.
The New England Patriots passed on worthy talent in the 2022 NFL Draft
The focus here will be the linebackers and mistakes of omission in the April draft. Any of (or maybe two?) three players on whom the team passed in the NFL draft could very well have provided significant additional talent and depth to that room.
That is especially compelling since the Patriots lost long-time star Dont’a Hightower (still a possible returnee ), Jamie Collins, and their top 2021 linebacker, Kyle Van Noy, all to free agency.
Let’s take a look at three linebackers in particular who may have been great picks in the first three rounds of the NFL draft and were passed on by the Patriots.
New England Patriots passed on Nakobe Dean of Georgia
One of the top linebackers the Patriots passed on twice in the NFL draft was Nakobe Dean of the FBS Champion Georgia Bulldogs. Dean was the leader of that stellar group. Dean is a bit undersized at 5’11” tall and about 229 pounds. But he’s all player and leader and exactly what New England could have used in the draft.
Here’s part of what NFL.com/prospects had to say about Dean,
"Explosive, three-down linebacker with the demeanor and quickness to become a volume tackler while holding down third-down duties at a high level. Dean’s play recognition is a work in progress, which limits reaction time and forces him to deal with more blockers than he’ll see as he gains more experience… He might lack measurables, but he has the toughness and technique to see a boost in his performance once his play becomes more proactive."
They also compared him to Jesse Tuggle, a former Atlanta Falcon star. At best, he could be at that level or even perhaps that of long-time Patriot nemesis, former Miami Dolphin, Zack Thomas, an absolute star as an undersized linebacker.
Dean is already turning heads in Philadelphia as he was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round. New England could have snatched the former Bulldog defensive captain earlier with one of their first two picks. Alternatively, they could have traded down again in the first round and added an additional pick to take Dean.
The Patriots passed on Dean. Like with all draftees, it will take some time to see whether or not that was a mistake. It says here that taking a flyer on a leader and productive player like Dean would have been a great move for a linebacker-deficient team like the New England Patriots.
New England Patriots had Chad Muma of Montana there for the taking
Another highly touted possibility prior to the draft that was there for the taking by New England on their first two picks was Wyoming tackling machine, Chad Muma. He has top size at 6’3″ tall and about 239 pounds.
And production could be Muma’s middle name. He racked up 142 tackles and two interceptions in 2021, exactly the type of production that the Patriots could have used. In addition, the team was looking for speed, he has it, having run a quick 4.63, 40-yard dash at the combine.
Here’s part of what profootballnetwork.com had to say about Muma prior to the draft,
"The Wyoming linebacker has excellent ability to diagnose against the run. He reads the play well and is rarely wrong-footed. Furthermore, he can fill gaps to prevent big running plays. Muma also has impressive sideline-to-sideline range, enabling him to chase down ball carriers. He showcases the full extent of his athletic potential when working downhill… He routinely demonstrates excellent technique as a tackler. Finally, Muma appears to be a leader on the field. He routinely directs teammates in addition to leading with his physical play style. When you add in his special-teams ability and experience, Muma has all the hallmarks of an impressive NFL Draft prospect."
Muma is a sideline-to-sideline player who can track a ball carrier or quarterback across the field using his top speed to haul them down. He’s not the finished product, and bleacherreport.com notes:
"Muma occasionally shows stiff hips when flying downhill to rally and tackle, as well as when forced to match up man-to-man in space, but his zone skills should be more than enough to keep him on the field."
Regardless, Muma has oodles of raw talent. Linebacker coach Jerod Mayo would certainly have appreciated being able to help mold into a top Patriots linebacker who may very well be out of the school of Tedy Bruschi or himself.
Unfortunately, that won’t happen since the Patriots passed up the opportunity on two occasions to draft this potentially devastating second-level player. The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Muma in the third round and the potential, or not, will be realized by that club at least for a few years.
New England Patriots could have drafted a prototypical Patriots linebacker
The third linebacker among others that the New England Patriots passed on, in this case on three separate occasions, who was a favorite in this space was Wisconsin wrecking ball, Leo Chenal. Chenal is a throwback big Patriots-type linebacker who stands 6’3″ tall and ran a blistering 4.53, 40-yard dash at the combine at 250 pounds.
That’s athleticism. Yet, the young man can also play football. He’s your prototypical inside linebacker that the Patriots have used extensively over the 20-plus-year tenure of Bill Belichick as Head Coach.
"Inside linebacker with a densely muscled frame for full-contact fighting between the tackles. Chenal is like a cinder block. His limbs absorb contact without losing balance or positioning. The power and toughness are outstanding but his technique, play recognition and discipline need more work. He’s tightly bound, lacking the fluidity and lateral agility for consistent success as an open-field tackler. He won’t offer much in coverage but has success as a power blitzer. Chenal has rare point-of-attack power and will be a handful inside the box, but will be limited by athletic deficiencies. He might never be more than a good backup or low-end starter but he should be able to make a living in the league."
Chenal was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round. This was after the third time the Patriots passed on the player. That’s surprising since Chenal seemed to fit the Patriot profile to a tee, having logged 115 tackles for the Badgers to go along with eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and 18.5 tackles for loss.
That’s super production and the team could certainly have put that to good use having sustained the loss of the three veteran essentially inside linebackers noted earlier.
So there are three highly touted linebackers that the New England Patriots passed on at least twice in the April 2022, NFL Draft. Was it a mistake? That’s a difficult question to answer but let’s approach it this way.
Want your voice heard? Join the Chowder And Champions team!
First, all three were highly touted and all went in the first three rounds of the draft. Second, the Patriots certainly seemed to need bolstering at the position in light of their losing the aforementioned veterans to free agency.
And, third, the New England Patriots are depending on a coterie of formerly injured and untested players, and absent Bentley (and Judon if you’d care to include him in the linebacking corps), there’s very little talent that one can say they can absolutely count upon.
So, yes, it was a mistake not to draft one or two of these players or a couple of other top linebackers in this draft. Instead, the Patriots drafted none. There were huge expectations that they would, and as if to confound “popular opinion” they eschewed taking any. That;’s the biggest mistake.
So be it. The draft is all a big crapshoot, so we’ll see how these players fare and whether the team was right to count on the ones they have. One thing is certain, however, the Patriots had the opportunity to draft any (or all actually) of these productive consensus top linebackers and they passed.
The bottom line is this, drafting no linebackers whatsoever was a mistake. How big of a mistake? We’ll see. As we all know well, that’s why they play the games.