The 2023 NFL Draft is just a couple of short weeks away. What are three moves that the New England Patriots must avoid in round one? There are some moves that stick out to me that the Pats cannot, under any circumstances, go forward with.
They have some clear and huge needs on both sides of the ball and simply should not overthink this process. It’s time for Bill Belichick to quit trying to think outside the box so much. Stick to your guns and pick the best players for the Patriots.
3 disastrous moves Patriots must avoid in round one
Potentially passing up on a QB
If the Pats have a chance to draft what they think could be their QB of the future, they need to go forward with that. Mac Jones is not going to be the answer for the team. I think his ceiling is something what we see in Kirk Cousins.
Good, but never great.
The team did shop him this offseason, so that should be reason enough to pursue an upgrade. What if a QB begins to slide down the draft boards a bit and the Pats have a chance to trade up to select him?
Or, the other scenario here is that perhaps someone like Hendon Hooker is someone the Pats like and don’t want to risk losing out on.
Either way, if they have a chance to upgrade the position with a high ceiling player, they need to go forward with it.
3 disastrous moves Patriots must avoid in round one
Drafting a running back in round one or two
There are some reports that indicate the Patriots are intrigued by Texas running back Bijan Robinson. Here’s what Jeff Howe had to say about this:
"“[The Patriots] opted for more explosion in the slot with JuJu Smith-Schuster over Jackobi Meyers, and they traded tight end Jonnu Smith before adding Mike Gesicki,” Howe wrote, via Boston.com. “They’re building the running game around Rhamondre Stevenson and have quietly shown interest in adding another blue-chip back in the draft.”"
Drafting a running back in round one or even round two would be a monumentally silly mistake. The team currently has two 1,000 yard rushers in the backfield with Rhamondre Stevenson and James Robinson. Both running backs can adequately serve as the RB1 of this team and could make one of the best tandems in the NFL in 2023.
Taking a running back this high would be a disaster.
Not using one of their top two picks on a tackle
This might seem a bit naive, but I think the Pats need to use one of their top two picks on an offensive tackle. They lightly addressed the offensive line in free agency, signing Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson.
However, that isn’t enough, and with the uncertainty of Trent Brown, the team needs to use one of their top picks on a high-end OL prospect. Left or right tackle is just fine, in my opinion.
Getting someone like Broderick Jones, Dawand Jones, or a Paris Johnson Jr gives the Pats a very good situation with their tackles.