Patriots 2021 draft class could get stronger as 2 rookies return from injury
By Mike Luciano
The New England Patriots haven’t even seen draftees like Ronnie Perkins, Cameron McGrone, or Joshuah Bledsoe make their 2021 debuts, and this draft class is still one of the best in the entire league.
Mac Jones looks like a franchise quarterback and Christian Barmore is a Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite.
One of the reasons Bill Belichick was able to keep the dynasty alive for so long was his ability to find some gems on Day 3.
On top of potentially finding a starting running back in Rhamondre Stevenson during the fourth round, Belichick snagged a few very promising defenders.
Unfortunately, McGrone and Bledsoe have been on the shelf due to injuries. But that might change ahead of the team’s matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
McGrone and Bledsoe have been activated from the non-football injury list, meaning that there’s a 21-day window in which they can be activated. Based on what we saw in college, fans should be pretty excited about the idea of these two potentially joining the defensive picture.
Patriots’ rookies LB Cameron McGrone and S Joshuah Bledsoe Have Been Activated from NFI
— Mike D'Abate (@mdabateNFL) November 23, 2021
The Pats also signed P Corliss Waitman to their Practice Squad
My break down of Each Players and What It Means For New England #Patriots #ForeverNE https://t.co/ipzAMDqFYw
Cameron McGrone, Joshuah Bledsoe will improve the New England Patriots.
McGrone was flying all over the field during his time at Michigan, as he recorded 65 tackles and nine tackles for loss during his first year as a starter. While he needs to show he can be an explosive player post-ACL tear, his college production and athleticism make him look like an ideal backup linebacker-turned-starter for Belichick.
Bledsoe was a three-year contributor at Missouri who ended up falling down draft boards due to concerns about his ceiling as a coverage guy. At the very least, Bledsoe has some promising athletic traits and some serious tackling power. This could help him slide in as a backup defensive back and special teams ace.
Bill Belichick says Cameron McGrone and Joshuah Bledsoe were "excited" to be back at practice yesterday. They've been in meetings all season, so mentally they're caught up.
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) November 24, 2021
As for if they'll play this season, Belichick said "we'll see how it goes"
After years of poor drafting under Nick Caserio, Belichick has completely turned this ship around in just one offseason. All it took was a handful of picks for him to find a quarterback for the next decade, a star defensive lineman, and a potential game-changer of a running back.
McGrone and Bledsoe may not make such an immediate impact, but considering how the rest of this class has turned out so far, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if they do. If one of them turns into a starter, this could be an all-time good class for New England, and we could get a better idea of how it’ll unfold over the next few weeks.
