Patriots 2023 NFL Mock Draft 4.0: Dream picks vs Belichick’s reality picks
With the No. 46 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Patriots select:
Pick Analysis. Oklahoma. Dream Pick: Anton Harrison. 46. player. Scouting Report. OT. 815
I can understand why the New England Patriots would zag here and add a pass rusher early. Teams can’t have enough nowadays, and there would be a couple of players that would be really appealing now, including Michigan’s Mazi Smith and USC’s Tuli Tuipulotu. In the end, after securing Witherspoon, I turn to protecting Mac Jones with Oklahoma’s Anton Harrison.
Now if it’s Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron or Alabama’s Tyler Steen, I would still be happy. What matters is finding long-term security to make the pocket a safe space. But man, adding a pocket demolisher now would be soooo tempting.
819. Pick Analysis. Notre Dame. Belichick's pick: Isaiah Foskey. player. Scouting Report. EDGE. 46
Isaiah Foskey now isn’t completely illogical. It would be concerning that OT was demoted for a lesser need. But Foskey is such a fit for the Patriots Way that I would accept the selection, with a little bit of nervousness.
Foskey is a huge, versatile pass rusher that can play on the edge and slide inside on passing downs. He had back-to-back double-digit sack seasons and totaled 23 tackles for a loss over the past two seasons.
What would really appeal to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is that Foskey has blocked four punts in his Fighting Irish career. Seeing a 6-5 260-pound man lay out to block a punt likely brought a tear to Belichick’s eye because it’s beautiful to him.
OT still comes first for me, though. The New England Patriots owe it to Mac after leaving him out to dry last season. D-line help will come later.