Patriots 2023 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Needs and a little bit of greed

New England Patriots land two nice prospects in round 2 and 3

The Patriots second-round pick is another highly-rated prospect at a position that has flown under the radar but absolutely needs an infusion of young talent.

Siaki Ika follows in the long history of the New England Patriots using huge nose tackles to tie up blockers in the defensive front. Ika is 6’3′ tall and 335 pounds.

Here’s nfl.com’s take on the nose tackle,

"Girthy interior force with heavy hands and a combative nature at the point of attack. Ika is made for gap control with his wide frame and ready anchor. While he has the potential to become a highly effective block-eater as an odd or even front nose tackle, he’s quick enough off the snap to penetrate and disrupt play design if teams try to block him one-on-one. While he’s unlikely to see passing downs, Ika does have enough athleticism and hand work to challenge the pocket from time to time. If he’s able to manage his weight, Ika could become an early starter and help improve a leaky run defense."

Absent Christian Barmore and outside player Dietrich Wise Jr., the cupboard is pretty bare of talent on the defensive line. Ika fills a definite need.

The third-round pick is a wild card pick that may be counter-intuitive to many. Yet, in light of the uncertainty at the position, it’s a value pick that couldn’t be spurned and may pay huge dividends sooner rather than later.

Hooker slipped in this mock and his value may be way higher but he was available and it didn’t take long to snap up this solid quarterback. With Brian Hoyer having departed and Mac Jones  solidly ensconced in Bill Belichick’s doghouse, the pick makes sense here if he’s available.

Nfldraftbuzz.com has this to say about the 6’3″ 217 pound Hooker,

"In 2022 as a senior Hooker saw action in 11 games as he threw for an elite 3135 yards on 331 attempts with a completion percent of 69.2 for an average of 9.5 yards per pass, with an elite 27 TDs, while taking 26 sacks, and totaling a QB rating of 123.9. He added 129 runs for a total of 786 yards at an average of 6.1 per run."

If Patriots fans are looking for a dual-threat quarterback, Hooker fits the bill with a solid completion percentage and the ability to run the ball. He’s an absolute steal in the third round if he’s available.