New England Patriots: Braxton Berrios named biggest steal
New England Patriots sixth-round pick Braxton Berrios was named the biggest steal for New England in the 2018 NFL Draft.
The New England Patriots hit on a number of needs during the 2018 NFL Draft. While some fans are surprised that they didn’t really address their long-term need at quarterback, they have to be happy with the other positions that were improved.
The offensive line needed an infusion of talent after Nate Solder signed with the New York Giants in free agency. With the No. 23 pick, the Patriots selected Georgia offensive lineman, Isaiah Wynn. His teammate, running back Sony Michel, was selected No. 31 in part to help replace Dion Lewis, who signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Joining Lewis in Tennessee will be cornerback, Malcolm Butler. The Patriots traded for Jason McCourty to help replace him, but also landed cornerback, Duke Dawson, in the second round. Dawson will help immediately in the slot.
Another big loss the Patriots suffered in free agency was Danny Amendola. Amendola signed with the Miami Dolphins, leaving a hole in New England’s receiving core. Julian Edelman will be returning to help out, but the Patriots added more help in the sixth round of the draft.
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With the No. 210 overall pick, the Patriots selected Miami (FL) wide receiver, Braxton Berrios. Berrios is a quintessential Patriots receiver that can be a direct replacement for Amendola.
While he is undersized, standing 5’9″, Berrios gets the job done in the middle of the field, doing all of the dirty work.
Over at NFL SpinZone, they released a slideshow of which players were the biggest steals for each team. For New England, Berrios was named the biggest steal.
Here is what they had to say about Berrios.
"Whether Braxton Berrios ends up being one of the next players that Brady makes better, only time will tell for the Miami product. Thanks to his explosiveness and route running ability, Berrios seems like he’s going to fit in just fine being one of the newest members of the Patriots, and could end up being a surprise favorite target for Brady in the passing game if given the opportunity."
Berrios came into his own during the 2017 season with the Hurricanes. He caught 55 passes for 679 yards, scoring nine touchdowns.
Berrios will also earn his keep with New England on special teams. Much like Amendola, Berrios can help out as a punt returner. In his collegiate career, Berrios had 47 returns for 488 yards, scoring one touchdown. He averaged 15.9 yards per punt return last season. New England was middle of the pack in punt returns last season, so Berrios could make his biggest impact this season there to start.
Next: 2018 NFL Draft First Round Grades
The ability to help the team out in multiple facets is something that is important to the Patriots. Berrios will help in different areas and should make an impact right away.