3 Offseason Mistakes That Will Come Back to Haunt the Patriots

2. Wasting Draft Picks

Christian Gonzalez and Keion White looked like great picks for the Pats in May, and both are showing plenty of promise in training camp so far. So that’s at least a better spot than we’re usually in.

But beyond those two, this was a very Bill Belichick draft. And that’s obviously not a compliment.

Marte Mapu was a fine but underwhelming pick in the third, though he doesn’t have an especially clear path to contributing as a rookie. Then we over-drafted both guards in the fourth round, and spent our other fourth-round pick on a kicker. Mafi is a total developmental pick who has only been an O-lineman since 2020.

That’s not the kind of collection of talent you want to come away with when you have five picks between Rounds 3 and 5.

Will we develop a couple surprise late-round players into “hidden gem” type talent that can contribute? Yes, and Ameer Speed is already looking like a real “Patriots” kind of guy.

But as usual, Belichick got a little too cute with his drafting approach.