Tag: fourth round results

Twitter had varying reactions to Patriots’ Day 3 draft picks

There were mixed reactions from Patriots fans on Day 3 of the NFL draft.

The New England Patriots had a busy start to Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft, selecting center Jake Andrews, kicker Chad Ryland and interior offensive lineman Sidy Sow with their first three picks in the fourth round.

There were mixed opinions on the heavy focus on the interior offensive line, rather than selecting a tackle or receiver.

But things started to take a turn in the sixth round with the Patriots selecting Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas. That’s when the excitement level started to jump again.

The Patriots addressed defense on the first couple of days and then turned to the offensive line, special teams and receivers on Day 3. Here’s what people were saying on Twitter after the final day of the NFL draft.

Patriots move down on draft board in fourth-round trade with Raiders

The Patriots now have a fifth-round pick, thanks to a fourth-round trade with the Raiders.

Coming into the 2023 NFL draft, the New England Patriots didn’t have a fifth-round draft pick. But that changed on Saturday with the team striking up a late fourth-round trade with the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Patriots traded the No. 135 overall pick to the Las Vegas Raiders for a fifth-rounder (No. 144) and sixth-rounder (No. 214).

This is the team’s second trade on Day 3 with coach Bill Belichick clearly looking to move around the board, while also stockpiling more draft picks. What else is new?

So far, the Patriots have come away with center Jake Andrews, kicker Chad Ryland and offensive guard Sidy Sow.

The Patriots are still loaded with draft picks and the ability to do whatever they want heading into the fifth round of the event. Will they strike up more trades or continue to load their roster?

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Patriots select Eastern Michigan G Sidy Sow in fourth round

The Patriots took offensive guard Sidy Sow at No. 117 overall.

Boosting the offensive line appears to be the focus for the New England Patriots on Day 3 after taking Eastern Michigan guard Sidy Sow with the No. 117 overall pick.

This selection came after the Patriots selected Troy center Jake Andrews with their first pick in the fourth round.

Sow is a feisty interior lineman that Patriots fans are going to fall in love with early. Nothing comes easy when facing off with the Quebec native, who never backs down from a scrap in the trenches.

That should play into the Patriots’ favor considering they want to get meaner and nastier along the offensive front. But more importantly, they want depth when doing so.

Sow should help in both aspects.

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Patriots trade up to select Maryland K Chad Ryland in fourth round

The Patriots trade up for a kicker in the fourth round.

The New England Patriots traded up in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft on Saturday to select Maryland kicker Chad Ryland with the No. 112 pick.

In what has been a mostly defensive draft for the Patriots, the team has gone with offense with center Jake Andrews and now special teams with Ryland to kick-start Day 3.

Ryland was believed to be the second-best kicker in this year’s draft behind Michigan’s Jake Moody. He made 19 field goals out of 23 attempts with Maryland last season, along with posting a 97.5 extra point percentage.

The Patriots traded a fourth-round (No. 120) and sixth-round pick (No. 184) to the New York Jets to move up and get their kicker for the future.

Ryland should have an opportunity to work his way into the mix early and potentially take the reins from veteran Nick Folk.

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Patriots select Troy C Jake Andrews in fourth round

The Patriots finally took an offensive player in the 2023 NFL draft.

The New England Patriots opened up Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft by selecting Troy center Jake Andrews with the 107th overall pick.

This is the first of nine picks in total for a Patriots team that spent the previous two days focusing on the defensive side of the ball.

Andrews is a versatile offensive lineman with the rare ability to swing between all three interior positions. Sure, he’s listed as a center, but he could easily kick out to guard in a pinch, which is significant for a Patriots team that dealt with injuries along the offensive front throughout the 2022 season.

And that isn’t just talk when it comes to Andrews, who started 15 games at center and 23 at right guard during his run at Troy.

The Patriots spent free agency addressing the depth at offensive tackle, and it appears they are looking to do the same with their interior positions through the draft.

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5 things to know about Bengals fourth-round pick Akeem Davis-Gaither

Here are some fast details to know about new Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither.

Akeem Davis-Gaither going to the Cincinnati Bengals created a splash at the top of the fourth round.

One of the bigger names at linebacker because of his outstanding athleticism, ADG joins Logan Wilson as two guys heavily remaking that room for the Bengals.

Here is a look at five fun, quick facts about the newest Bengals linebacker.

 

He played through injury

We noted in prior pieces that some of the reasons ADG likely fell were over injury concerns.

But as seen in the note above from ESPN’s Ben Baby, some of that might end up classifying as “overblown” in hindsight. ADG told the Cincinnati media right away that the supposed stress fracture wasn’t something that forced him to the sidelines.

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Bengals receive ‘B’ grade for Akeem Davis-Gaither pick

NFL draft grades weighed in on the Cincinnati Bengals taking LB Akeem Davis-Gaither.

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The Cincinnati Bengals dipped into the familiarity well with Appalachian State linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither in the 2020 NFL draft’s fourth round.

And Davis-Gaither is a fun prospect who projects as a more modern linebacker who can play a hybrid role between safety and linebacker.

There’s value in getting such a chess piece for Lou Anarumo’s multiple defense. There’s also a ton of value in this odd offseason to getting a guy they’re familiar with via the Senior Bowl, where the Bengals made him a captain.

But there are a few drawbacks to this pick. For one, ADG comes with a slightly concerning injury history, which features a recent stress fracture in his foot that derailed some of his pre-draft plans.

And two, doubling up on linebacker after Logan Wilson in the third isn’t the best overall value with quality offensive linemen on the board. By passing on an offensive tackle like Ben Bartch or Prince Tega Wanogho, the Bengals are adamant in having a competition with unknowns like Billy Price, Michael Jordan and Fred Johnson, which could prove problematic in front of Joe Burrow. There was always a chance the ADG would’ve kept falling due to injury concerns.

Disclaimer — there is a chance ADG could make this grade look very, very silly, quickly. He’s a superb athlete who fits the modern NFL mold well. But his level of competition, injuries and other available prospects dampen things ever so slightly.

For now, this is a defensive chess piece worth expressing some cautious optimism over as the Bengals continue the defensive overhaul.

Grade: B

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Instant analysis of Bengals’ picking Akeem Davis-Gaither in fourth round

Here’s a quick rundown of Cincinnati Bengals fourth-round pick Akeem Davis-Gaither.

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It wasn’t too much of a surprise to see the Cincinnati Bengals call Appalachian State linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither’s name to start Round 4 of the 2020 NFL draft.

The Bengals coaching staff really liked ADG at the Senior Bowl and met with him at the combine. They also made a point to meet with him at the NFL combine.

ADG immediately projects as a flex/hybrid player in Cincinnati who can come in with certain packages and get downhill jamming up running lanes or applying pressure.

Classified as a “small” linebacker at 6’1″ and 224 pounds, that sort of thought process only applies if the Bengals try to use him as a traditional linebacker.

At the very worst, ADG doesn’t see the field much as a rookie besides special teams. But he’s too versatile and athletic to really hold back from getting on the field, though how he’ll fight with guys like Vonn Bell and others for playing time should prove interesting.

Perhaps the only outright knock on the pick is the injury history. But even then, it’s one of those risks onlookers can’t fault the Bengals for taking too much. He tested and graded incredibly well:

A “modern” linebacker is probably the best way to describe ADG and provided he can stay on the field, he’s going to have an impact.

The Bengals hitting a position of need with a guy they’re very familiar with is hard to knock and an acceptable risk this late.

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Bengals select Appalachian State LB Akeem Davis-Gaither in fourth round

The Bengals took Akeem Davis-Gaither to start the draft’s fourth round.

The Cincinnati Bengals kicked off Day 3 and Round 4 of the 2020 NFL draft by taking Appalachian State linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither.

Davis-Gaither is a smaller linebacker prospect at 6’1″ and 224 pounds who fits the downhill mold the Bengals will probably deploy him in as a weapon in sub-packages.

While there are some injury concerns that caused Davis-Gaither to slip, they’ve liked him enough to meet with him at the combine.

This is the second linebacker in a row for the Bengals and merely follows their board at this point. He projects to fill a hybrid role alongside someone like free-agent add Vonn Bell.

This pick comes on the heels of a well-reviewed first three rounds for the Bengals, which started with Joe Burrow before Clemson wideout Tee Higgins in the second and Wyoming linebacker Logan Wilson in the third.

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