The New England Patriots’ entire offseason has been like no other.
It’s been surrounded by rumors and speculations of the franchise wanting to move on from starting quarterback Mac Jones. An obvious crack in the foundation between head coach Bill Belichick and Jones has led to a league-wide rumor mill. But at this point, we should all expect Jones to be with New England this season.
There’s also speculation about who has more of a power trip in the Patriots organization.
Is it Belichick or Robert Kraft?
The conversations all offseason have been “he said, she said” between the two. Nevertheless, with the NFL Draft approaching, the entire organization should be able to agree upon one thing, surrounding Jones with talent and upgrading the team overall is a priority now to keep up in the division, let alone the rest of the league. But, nevertheless
In my seven-round mock draft, I focused on bringing in offensive talent regarding linemen and weaponry, but I also focused on cornerback and linebacker. Of course, I also kept in mind how I believe Belichick approaches the draft.
Here’s my mock draft ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft on Apr. 27.
Round1 (No. 14 Overall): Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
The Patriots typically stay away from wide receivers in the first round, as N’Keal Harry (32nd, 2019) is the only wide receiver drafted in the first round under Bill Belichick, and we saw how that turned out.
If the Patriots were to take another shot at a wide receiver in the first round, it should be on Jaxon Smith-Njigba, one of the top wide receivers coming out of the draft this year.
At 6’1” and 196 lbs, Smith-Njigba led Ohio State in 2021 in an amplifying season that put his name on the map, corralling 96 receptions for 1,606 yards and scoring nine touchdowns.
Unfortunately, he missed most of the 2022 season with a hamstring injury, but it’s fair to say he showcased himself enough in 2021 still to be a top prospect in this year’s draft.
The Patriots need a slot receiver after saying a difficult goodbye to Jakobi Meyers, the team’s leading receiver and one of Jones’ go-to guys. The slot position once controlled the offense and set the tone for the Patriots. With Bill O’Brien back in control, there’s a chance of that happening again, but they’ll need a talented receiver to do so.
Smith-Njigba is one of the best slot receivers and playmakers the draft has to offer to the position this year. Therefore, the Patriots should draft him 14th overall, even if it’s against their draft philosophies.
Round 2 (No. 46 Overall): Deonte Banks, CB, Maryland
The Patriots need to bolster their defensive back group, specifically the cornerback position. Jalen Mills is likely returning to safety, leaving Jonathan Jones, Myles Bryant, Marcus Jones, and Jack Jones as the only somewhat proven corners left on the depth chart.
At 6’0” tall, 197 lbs, Deonte Banks is a long and physical cornerback out of Maryland, where he had 83 tackles over four years. He ran the 40-yard dash at the Combine in 4.35 seconds, proving he has the top speed to keep up and defend some of the NFL’s best wide receivers.
His long and strong physique allows him to push and use the sidelines to his advantage, which gives him positioning to intercept and deflect passes.
Banks would immediately upgrade the corner position with the combination of his size and speed. The addition of Banks would also make him the second-tallest defensive back on the team behind Kyle Dugger.
Round 3 (No. 76 Overall): Warren McClendon, OT, Georgia
The Patriots desperately need to bolster their offensive line and solidify that group with their young signal-caller in Mac Jones standing behind them for years to come. There have been too many inconsistencies between Isaiah Wynn and Trent Brown at right tackle over the last few years, and it’s time for the Pats to upgrade the position.
That player could very well be offensive tackle Warren McClendon out of Georgia. At 6’4”, 306 lbs. McClendon is a three-year starter and two-time national champion. He was primarily used as a right tackle, but it’s been said that his high football IQ will allow him to slide along and across the line as needed.
Needless to say, he knows how to play the position, and that’s all that coach Belichick is looking for, as he’ll mold any player into doing what he needs from them.
McClendon had a great outing at the Senior Bowl and turned a lot of heads while there. He’s big and solid and moves exceptionally well for a man of his size. He would be an ideal draft candidate to potentially hold down the right tackle position for years to come.
Round 4 (No. 107 Overall): Emil Ekiyor, OG, Alabama
If there’s one thing that can be agreed on between Bill Belichick and Bill O’Brien is that Emil Ekiyor is the real deal.
At 6’3” tall, 307 lbs, Ekiyor won the starting right guard job in 2020 and earned First Team All-SEC in 2022. He’s wide and fast, has great footwork and pocket technique. However, I’m unsure how Ekiyor was able to drop to the fourth round in the handful of mock drafts that I did.
The only consistent negative I’ve seen about him is that he’s considered undersized at 6’2 ½”. However, Shaq Mason held down the guard position for seven consecutive years and is only 6’1”. So I don’t buy into the narrative of Ekiyor being undersized.
Ekiyor would be a great addition to the line for years to come, working with Mac Jones and Bill O’Brien, two people who also came from Alabama and knew the system he was just in.
Round 4 (117 Overall): Nick Hampton, EDGE, Appalachian State
One of Bill Belichick’s greatest assets is finding defensive talent and manufacturing a high-powered defense. He’s been trying to find the proper outside linebacker duo over the last few seasons. Starting with Chase Winovich (2019) and Josh Uche (2020), but that pair didn’t pan out, eventually parting ways with Winovich.
Then in 2021, the Patriots signed a game changer in Matthew Judon to a 4-year, $54 million contract in free agency. Uche is great off the edge, but I think he can be more valuable in the middle. So perhaps we’ll see Uche slide into the defense and have someone else come off the outside.
Nick Hampton would be a great fit for this role. A 6’2”, 236 lbs. beast of an athlete, Hampton has the strength to stand up offensive linemen and the skill to make tackles around them in the backfield. In addition, he has 4.5 speed which allows him to make plays in coverage throughout the flats and middle of the field.
Hampton is fourth in Appalachian State history with 26.5 career sacks in 49 games with 29 starts. He also finished his career with 133 QB hurries and 82 QB pressures, 40 tackles for loss, and 175 total tackles.
A realistic comparison, given the way he plays, is Chandler Jones. Hampton would be a great addition to the Patriots.
Round 4 (No. 135 Overall): Eric Gray, RB, Oklahoma, or Deuce Vaughn, RB, Kansas State
The Patriots have drafted a running back in every draft since 2017. If history means anything, New England will draft a running back in this year’s draft.
After parting ways with Damien Harris and deciding to lean on Rhamondre Stevenson in his third year, the Pats could revamp the running back position.
In doing so, the Pats acquired veteran workhorse James Robinson, drafted Pierre Strong Jr. in 2022, and they still have veteran Ty Montgomery on the roster as depth behind Stevenson.
Two running backs could prove valuable in the fourth round (or even later) for New England: Eric Gray out of Oklahoma or Deuce Vaughn out of Kansas State.
Eric Gray is 5’9” tall, 206 lbs., and is a three-down power running workhorse. He carried the ball over 500 times in his career for 3,089 rushing yards and scored 21 touchdowns in four years. Although his numbers aren’t eye-popping, he averaged 5.6 yards per attempt for his career. Gray is a chunk runner and is similar in ways to Stevenson.
Deuce Vaughn has a smaller and stockier build than the other running backs currently on the roster but has the potential to be a steal in this year’s draft. He’s a 5’5” tall, 179 lbs. beast of a runner. Vaughn carried the ball 651 times and finished his career with 4,884 all-purpose yards for 43 total touchdowns in his three-year career.
Both Gray and Vaughn would be great additions to this Patriots team.
Round 6 (No. 184 Overall): Jadon Haselwood, WR, Arkansas
The Patriots need more talent at the wide receiver position, it’s no secret, and there will likely be more than one receiver drafted by them this year. However, I expect the Pats to use their first-round pick on a top wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, so at this point in the draft, New England should select a wide receiver, and if Jadon Haselwood is on the board, they should take him.
Haselwood is a 6’2”, 215 lbs. field spacer with an expert knack for finding open windows in defenses. He’s not the fastest guy by any means, but he can run routes and catch passes, averaging 11.9 yards per reception for his career. He transferred from Oklahoma to Arkansas for his senior season. However, he averaged 13.6 yards per reception over his first three seasons at Oklahoma.
What stands out about Haselwood from his film is that he isn’t afraid of defenses and is a high-possession receiver; those 50/50 balls look good going his way. He understands how to run routes properly and is a quick learner, as he finished with 702 receiving yards in his first season with Arkansas. The game clicks for Haselwood at the right time; he reads defenses well and always looks for his quarterback.
Round 6 (No. 187 Overall): Nic Jones, CB, Ball State
The Patriots could use some new faces in their cornerback position. In this mock, I have the Pats selecting Deonte Banks in the second round out of Maryland. The bottom end of the cornerback depth chart is Shaun Wade, Rodney Randle Jr., and Quandre Mosley; needless to say, it’s an unimpressive bunch.
At 6’0” tall, 189 lbs. Nic Jones is a great football player, and it would be an absolute steal for any team to draft him in the sixth round. He has the footwork and skills to mirror his receiver and stay in tune with them.
Jones ran the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds and finished his 20-yard shuttle in 4.34 seconds. He’s solid in press coverage and doesn’t often get beat from the point of attack.
Round 7 (235 Overall): Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan
The Patriots had lacked production at tight end since 2018, when Rob Gronkowski retired from the team. Although, they took a big swing in signing top free agents Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith in 2021, intending to bolster the position and upgrade the offense entirely.
Henry has been great, despite feeling the impacts of an incompetent offensive play-caller last season. Smith looked lost during his time in New England, as he’s no longer with them.
A prototypical Patriots tight end, Luke Schoonmaker out of Michigan is 6’5″ tall, 265 lbs. versatile tight end who can play in any set and just about immediately once drafted. He finished his career making 54 receptions for 637 yards and scored seven touchdowns. He’s patient in the passing game and finds open windows and lanes for himself, averaging 11.8 yards per reception in his career.
With the addition of Mike Gesicki and pairing him with Henry, the Patriots have a versatile duo, the addition of Schoonmaker would give the Patriots a legit three-headed monster of a tight-end group.
Schoonmaker is ready to go from day one and will be able to provide a multitude of services. If he’s still available at this point, he must be taken. He’s definitely a name to remember in the draft.