New England Patriots: Remaining roster holes after the 2020 NFL Draft
By Peter Panacy
The New England Patriots wrapped up their 2020 NFL Draft class with 10 selections, beefing up good chunks of the roster but leaving others unattended. Let’s explore the remaining needs after the weekend.
2020 remains a massive transitional year for the New England Patriots, and the team’s actions in this year’s NFL Draft highlighted how the roster is going through a notable reconstruction under head coach Bill Belichick and Co.
The Pats entered the draft with more than enough selections, made all the more provocative by trading out of the No. 23 overall pick to accrue some more day-two picks.
In total, New England brought aboard 10 prospect rookies on draft day:
- Round 2: S Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne
- Round 2: EDGE Josh Uche, Michigan
- Round 3: EDGE Anfernee Jennings, Alabama
- Round 3: TE Devin Asiasi, UCLA
- Round 3: TE Dalton Keene, Virginia Tech
- Round 5: K Justin Rohrwasser, Marshall
- Round 6: IOL Michael Onwenu, Michigan
- Round 6: OT Justin Herron, Wake Forest
- Round 6: LB Cassh Muluia, Wyoming
- Round 7: IOL Dustin Woodward, Memphis
While it surely shocked some, the Patriots using their first three picks on defense shouldn’t come to a total surprise. Rebuilding the defense after some notable offseason losses was probably going to be high on Belichick’s priority list despite chatter and speculation the team would use its first pick on a quarterback to replace Tom Brady.
This wasn’t the case, though, as Belichick and Co. did what they do best: go with their own game plan and not follow the all-too-common draft pundits’ routes they believe New England would take.
That said, the Patriots still have some notable roster voids entering offseason programs, which will either need to be filled elsewhere or will remain into the regular season.
Let’s look at three of them.