The New England Patriots didn’t get aggressive in adding another offensive weapon to the roster at the skilled positions, but they did trade up in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft to select kicker Chad Ryland.
And Patriots fans were not happy about it.
To be fair, it would have been a stretch at this point to go digging around for the next great receiver, especially for a Patriots team with a bad track record of finding talent at the position.
But the decision to get a kicker here is a bit of a head-scratcher. Granted, the Patriots finished the 2022 season with the worst touchdown scoring percentage in the red zone, but they probably could have waited a bit longer for the Ryland pick.
It’s as if the team panicked after seeing Michigan’s Jake Moody come off the board in the third round to the San Francisco 49ers.
Even if Ryland wasn’t there in the fourth round, one would think there were other options the Patriots could have explored with that draft pick. Here’s what others in the media graded the No. 112 overall draft selection?