With the NFL Draft just hours away, the New England Patriots will enter the draft with nine picks, which is tied for the second most. In the last decade with Bill Belichick as de facto general manager, the Patriots have failed in the draft, which is one of the reasons why they’ve gone 4-13 in back-to-back seasons.
But we can no longer blame Belichick for the Patriots' failures, as Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel are now tasked with bringing talent to New England. Even though the Patriots have spent big on acquiring big-name free agents, they still have numerous positions that need to be filled in the draft.
Left tackle and wide receiver are among their biggest needs, as the Patriots' offense was one of the worst in the league, ranking last against the pass and allowed 52 sacks last season. While these two positions need to be targeted, the Patriots also need to improve their aging secondary by drafting safety Jonas Sanker, as Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers are both 29 years old.
Patriots Must Draft Jonas Sanker
Dugger and Peppers are two impactful players on the Patriots defense who aren’t replaceable. Both complement each other’s game, as Dugger specializes in the run and Peppers in the pass. Last season showed how important they were to the defense, as the pair missed a combined 15 games.
Their absence revealed that the Patriots lack depth at the safety position. Currently, the Patriots have Marte Mapu and Marcus Epps behind Dugger and Peppers in the depth chart, both of whom are depth pieces that haven’t proved to be starting caliber. Finding a safety that is capable of playing behind Dugger and Peppers is a must for the Patriots, and Janos Sanker can be that guy.
Sanker is a safety out of the University of Virginia, where he was a three-year starter for the Cavaliers. During his tenure, he was named first-team All-ACC twice and led his team in tackles in 2023 and 2024. In his last season, Sanker had 98 total tackles, four pass deflections, two sacks, eight and a half tackles for loss, and one interception.
Bleacher Report’s Cory Giddings' scouting report of Sanker describes the perfect, versatile safety that the Patriots need.
"“His ability to play both deep safety and nickel makes him a valuable chess piece for defensive coordinators, particularly in schemes that prioritize coverage flexibility.”"Cory Giddings, Bleacher Report
The only downside to Sanker’s game tackling, which can be fixed by NFL coaches. Sanker is also not a ball-hawk safety, having two interceptions in 43 games.
Sanker is ranked as the eighth best safety per PFF and projects to be a fourth-round pick, as the safeties class is deep. Learning and developing behind Dugger and Peppers would benefit Sanker, who most likely won’t make an impact immediately. Drafting Sanker at his value and adding depth at the safety position is a necessity for the Patriots due to the age and injury concerns of both Dugger and Peppers.