There aren’t many drafts in recent years that feel as important for the Patriots as the coming up next week.
With so much change within the team, it’s time they completely ace their picks and build a solid team for the future, starting with their most glaring needs heading into the 2023 season.
Along with all they need to do, there’s plenty they should avoid.
There’s a fine line between a great draft and a bad one, particularly if you bomb a selection in the first round. But with new minds in the building, there’s optimism that Bill Belichick will put the Patriots in a good position this year.
As they prepare for night one of the draft in nine days, here are three things they should do and three things they shouldn’t when making their selections.
DO
Draft a wide receiver
This is a tricky one, knowing Belichick’s history with drafting receivers in one of the higher rounds.
But most have expressed their hope we will see the team go with a receiver in the first round, despite their most recent failure when they took N’Keal Harry in 2019. It has also been reported that the Patriots have narrowed their choices in the first round to three positions, with wide receiver being one of them.
The 2023 class is said to not be historically great, with most experts debating who the best of the group is and if there is even a true WR1 amongst the prospects. However, if the Patriots choose to wait past the first round, they will still have some solid options to choose from.
Ideally, they’ll take one in a higher round to ensure they get the best possible player they can, though.
DON’T
Trade out of the first round
Belichick is known for trading back or even trading out of the first round over the years, but this is not the year to do that.
Trading back? Sure, get some more picks. Trading out completely? Not a good idea.
New England has so many holes that must be addressed that trading entirely out of the first round would not be ideal.
Because some of their most significant needs (cornerback and offensive tackle) happen to have some of the best prospects available in the first round, Belichick and co. should take advantage of their prime position at 14 and fill one of them those needs ASAP.
Of course, precedence is put on being a first-round talent, and often it’s not always warranted. So if the Patriots were to take good players in a later round, it doesn’t negate the potential production they could bring to the team, nor does it determine their fitness within the team.
But who doesn’t want to see them get a highly-touted player on night one?
DO
Draft offensive line depth
The offensive line must remain the top priority throughout the weekend, mainly because it is potentially the most crucial position of need entering the draft.
New England did sign a couple of linemen in free agency, Calvin Anderson and Riley Reiff, but with the departure of Isaiah Wynn and the inconsistent performance last season from Trent Brown, bulking up the depth would be vital.
Plus, the offensive line determines how successful the offense could be come game day. Not only are they responsible for protecting the quarterback, but they also help open lanes for running backs and help eliminate immediate roadblocks for wide receivers running to their routes.
Adding more players to the roster would also ensure they could avoid the issues they’ve dealt with in recent years, struggling to fill the line with consistently productive players when a starter is injured. The linemen have dealt with many injuries over the last few seasons, forcing several to play out of position, directly impacting the offense.
DON’T
Cannot overlook special teams additions
The Patriots during the Belichick era have been known for their always noteworthy special teams performances, except for last year.
The unit was historically bad during the 2022 season; from a long list of missed tackles and punt/kick return touchdowns allowed to horrible punting and missed extra points, the once-always-reliable group became a liability that put the team in a lousy position far too often.
With the release of Jake Bailey, prioritizing the punter position is vital.
With Nick Folk turning 39 in the middle of the season this year, succeeding at finding the kicker of the future is also of the utmost importance.
And with Matthew Slater nearing retirement, likely at the end of next season, adding more talent to help make the transition smoother is critical. Although they already appear to have struck gold with Brenden Schooler, it’s time to add some more and get back to being the special teams of old.
DO
If possible, trade back for extra picks
This is something that Belichick probably doesn’t need to be reminded about, but trading back to acquire more picks would be a great move this year.
The most discussed scenario has been that they will trade back in the first round, particularly if the offensive tackle they wanted most is already off the board. That would allow them to still likely get a player they were hoping for while also acquiring more picks to use or trade to move up in the following days.
As it stands, New England is set with 11 total picks this year, which is a good amount to have as they hope to build a better roster. So trading back to get more picks isn’t a complete necessity, but it is rarely a bad idea.
DON’T
No need to draft a quarterback in a high round
Despite the overwhelming demand to replace Mac Jones by a section of Pats Nation, there is no need to draft a quarterback in a high round this year.
It’s possible that Jones isn’t the guy for the future. But it’s also possible he is.
With Bill O’Brien back as the offensive coordinator, Jones should have a real shot at a comeback season with a much-improved performance than we saw in 2022. He will have proper coaching, along with a better understanding and maybe even input in the offense that should allow him to thrive, something he wasn’t afforded last year with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge.
Not to mention, he’s still on his rookie contract. He isn’t costing the Patriots much to keep him around. So moving on from him in just his third season wouldn’t only not make sense, but it would be a bit silly.
Should they take a quarterback in the draft at all? Of course, but not until a later round. There are priorities needing to be dealt with, and the quarterback position is not one of them right now.