Several New England Patriots fans were pleased with how the organization handled the 2023 draft.
However, NFL.com’s Eric Edholm had a different opinion, when ranking the Patriots as having the 15th best draft class for 2023.
The class was headlined by Oregon corner Christian Gonzalez. New England then decided to focus on the defensive end position by drafting Keion White out of Georgia Tech. Offensive line was also a big point of emphasis for the organization, as they drafted three offensive linemen in this class.
Despite the low ranking, Edholm did have high praise for some of New England’s draft picks, particularly in the later rounds.
He wrote:
There was reason for excitement in Round 6 with the selections of Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas. Both could end up making this team in August. Also keep an eye on Isaiah Bolden, who could be a freaky-traits steal. I thought a tight end might be on the menu, and they were reportedly interested in trading back into Round 1 late; might Dalton Kincaid have been their guy?
Athleticism is undoubtedly a quality that the organization were looking for. Players such as Gonzalez could provide an instant impact. Others such as wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and corner Isaiah Bolden may be late-round steals. Kicker Chad Ryland could make sense from a depth standpoint with Nick Folk getting older.
Overall, New England selected a lot of players with potentially high upside. The middle-of-the-road draft ranking perhaps wasn’t warranted, although time will tell with regards to these draft selections.
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