Patriots’ draft failures have resulted in a roster thin on young talent

Patriots’ 2019 NFL Draft class

While it’s entirely too early to judge a draft class after just one year, this crop definitely left more questions than answers.

New England’s decision to go with N’Keal Harry over A.J. Brown, Deebo Samuel, and Mecole Hardman looks very questionable, though the first-rounder dealt with injuries all season.

Needless to say, Harry has a lot of work to do to silence his critics heading into Year 2. He absolutely has to develop into a No. 2 WR at worst to justify his selection.

Second-round defensive back Joejuan Williams played minimal snaps, but that can be chalked up to a deep secondary. However, the physically imposing defender made headlines for the wrong reasons after getting arrested on drug-related charges in January.

Chase Winovich proved to be a high-effort pass-rusher, and he seems poised to become a long-term starter. Jake Bailey was lights-out as a rookie and is a real weapon in the kicking game.

Frustratingly, injuries prevented Damien Harris, Yodny Cajuste, and Hjalte Froholdt from making any impact as rookies. And with a youth movement needed on offense, those three need to step up this offseason and become contributors.

The biggest question, though, is Jarrett Stidham.

The 133rd overall pick out of Auburn flashed intriguing skills in training camp and the preseason. But it’s still entirely too early to determine whether he’s the next Jimmy Garoppolo or another Ryan Mallet. He’s physically talented and throws a beautiful ball, but is he ready to run an offense, make reads at the line of scrimmage, and complete throws under pressure?