The 2023 New England Patriots draft is an important one. Owner Robert Kraft wants a playoff appearance and he’s made that clear in no uncertain terms.
That prospect is not a far-fetched one as the team missed out on the playoffs by literally a play or two in 2022 while operating with a terrible offense.
Free agency has been a mixed bag with two solid additions in skill positions in wide receiver JuJu Smith Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki.
Smith-Schuster is an upgrade over Jakobi Meyers who left in free agency while Gesicki should be miles better than traded Jonnu Smith.
The grades for these two plus dumping Jonnu Smith’s salary have to be A-/B+. Additions to the offensive line, the position of greatest need were uninspiring.
The best is Riley Reiff who’s an upgrade over Isaiah Wynn but at 34 years old he’s not a top performer. Another addition, Calvin Anderson is a waiver-wire type.
Also, keeping third-round bust Yodny Cajuste and Conor McDermott (who’s better) is also not going to set the league on fire. The grades there are D+/C-.
Clearly, there is much to do in the draft. So here’s one C & C attempt at a 2023 mock draft.
With the No. 14 overall pick, the New England Patriots select Broderick Jones
The top three rounds are the team’s premium picks in the draft. It’s important to hit on them or the draft will likely be a poor one. Having used profootballnetwork.com’s mock draft simulator. let’s begin the draft by picking one through three and see what we landed.
Contrary to usual practice, as the board fell, the New England Patriots have used all of their own picks with no trades. That left 11 selections. The first and all-important pick goes to the team’s top need and they land a stud.
Jones is arguably the best left tackle in the draft. He’s unquestionably in the top two or three. Jones is 6’5″ tall, at 311 pounds, with 33 3/4″ arms, 10 5/8″ hands, and everything else you’d be looking for in a starting left tackle.
Nfl.com has this to say about the future star,
"Ultra-athletic tackle prospect with the size, length and potential to develop into a plus starter on the left side. Jones’ frame and technique both are in the developmental phase. His entry into block fits can be a little disjointed. He needs to improve his punch accuracy and timing to make the most of his length in pass protection. Jones is very talented at working into space and landing a block to help spring the running game. He has the nimble feet to mirror or recover against the rush. Jones isn’t a finished product, but the physical and athletic gifts allow for a projection as a good, long-time starter"
With Trent Brown in the last year of his contract, Jones will either step right in as the starting right tackle or be eased into either tackle spot. Injuries happen and once he’s inserted into the starting lineup he’s not going anywhere.
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.
New England Patriots cover lots of needs on day three
Having had an A+++ first two days of the draft, the team on day three has eight picks to fill needs all over the team, and they do so.
The New England Patriots fourth pick is in the fourth round. They go for a wide receiver here.
The Patriots fanbase certainly would like a top-rated wide receiver in this draft but the feeling here is that building from the line out is critically important first. Now, the team moves to add to the receiver room with Reed.
Here’s what si.com has to say about Reed,
"Reed was an All-American punt returner and All-Big Ten receiver in 2021, but saw his production drop in 2022 due to multiple factors, including playing through a lower body injury from training camp all the way through the season. However, Reed is back to full health now, and has been arguably the most impressive wide receiver at the Senior Bowl this week."
At 6’0″ and 185 pounds Reed has good size. In 2022 he caught 55 for 635 yards and five touchdowns. Reed ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the combine so he has the speed to get the job done as his Senior Bowl showing demonstrated.
Austin has excellent size for a corner at 6’1 and 195 pounds. The team needs depth at corner, and Austin could add it. Nfl.com has this to say about Austin,
"Austin’s size, length and football IQ work in his favor, but there is a lack of consistency with his man coverage that could limit the way NFL teams use him. He’s decent at mirroring the release from press but struggles to stay in-phase with quality route runners. He plays with below-average top-end speed and recovery burst in man coverage, but his instincts and awareness take him where he needs to go from off-man and zone coverage. Austin can play some press and a variety of zones and offers backup potential as a Day 3 option."
With the 135th pick, their third in the fourth round, the Patriots bolster a position that has seen loads of investment but has nonetheless been lacking. They add a solid blocking tight end.
Here’s what thedraftnetwork.com says in part about Schoonmaker,
"Schoonmaker is a willing and effective blocker in the run game. He fits his hands well and shows the play strength to turn defenders to seal the edges. Blocking may be his best trait overall. Schoonmaker’s ability to block allows him to work on tight end delay concepts in the passing game. He is an effective receiving option off of play-action…Schoonmaker’s receiving production was underwhelming, to say the least. He was never viewed as a priority in Michigan’s passing attack…His ability to block and work underneath coverages will provide opportunities for success in 12-personnel packages…"
New England Patriots add players to compete at several positions
In the sixth and seventh rounds, the Patriots have five more picks to add depth and competition pieces to the roster. They range from a kicker to a center/guard.
Their first pick in the sixth round is a center/guard depth piece. Since letting Ted Karras walk, there is a need for a younger player inside to add depth and versatility.
Scruggs is 6’3″ and 301 pounds, a solid size for a center. Here are some plusses cited by nfl.com,
"A two-year starter with center/guard versatility, Scruggs is dependable and consistent in carrying out his assignment to the best of his ability. He plays like a block of granite that is difficult to push back or knock off-balance, but he’s more of a neutralizer than road grader. He plays with solid technique and possesses the play strength to hold his own in the middle."
The next pick is the 187th in the draft. It’s a fullback. If you liked James Develin, you just might like this guy.
No. 187: Hunter Luepke, Fullback, North Dakota State
Here are excerpts from what the draftnetwork.com writes about Luepke who’s 6’1″ tall and weighs 236 pounds,
"Luepke shows good power as a ball carrier and excellent competitive toughness—although his vision and elusiveness likely limit his ball carrier reps to short-yardage situations at the NFL level. Many of his wins in the passing game come from power run play-action that forces defenders to suck up to fit the run before Luepke blows by them into space, allowing for large separation and chunk gains…His universal appeal, however, comes as a special teamer."
Role as special teamer for the Patriots? Indeed, fits right in.
Next up is a safety depth piece
Torrence is a depth piece who may have trouble making the team. gatorwire.usatoday.com has this to say about the player,
"Free safety with adequate athleticism but a lack of top-end speed and explosiveness on tape. Torrence understands the game and has a safety’s feel for leverage and caution when needed. He’s generally around the action and in position, but he needs to become a much more consistent wrap-up tackler."
The next to the last pick is a kicker. No surprise there. He’s from a great program at Ohio State.
Ruggles hit 17 of 20 field goals for the Buckeyes in 2022 and would provide competition for Nick Folk.
The last pick of the 2023 NFL draft for the New England Patriots is a small college player who could surprise. He’s a defensive lineman/edge.
No. 245: Karl Brooks, defensive line/edge, Bowling Green
The draftnetwork.com‘s scouting report has this to say about Brooks who notched 10 sacks in 2022,
"Bowling Green defensive lineman Karl Brooks projects as a hybrid-type defensive lineman in the NFL. Brooks has had a tremendous two-year stretch of splash play production for Bowling Green and he will look to continue that momentum into the pro game—although I do have some questions about how he wins against MAC competition and how he will need to play differently against NFL talent to see comparable results."
So that’s a seven-round New England Patriots mock draft. Should the team actually land the top three players, it has to be regarded as a complete knock-out A+++ draft.
Since that is highly unlikely, let’s just hope for a solid draft without any reaches or other quirks. We’ll see later this month. Let us know what you think of this mock draft. We’d like to hear.