The ultimate guide to the Patriots’ 2023 NFL draft
As the 2023 NFL draft is just days away, there will be a lot of discussion regarding what the Patriots will decide to do with their eleven picks. With so many needs to be dealt with in this dire draft for New England, there is a lot of information to keep up with.
In order to keep it simple, this page will be updated throughout the week with the latest news on the draft, the Patriots picks, their biggest needs, and everything in between.
When is the NFL draft?
- Round 1: April 27, 8 p.m. ET
Mike Reiss of ESPN believes the Patriots will make their first round selection around 9:45pm easter, if they stay with their given pick at 14.
"“If the Patriots keep the 14th overall pick, and the draft follows a similar pace as last year, it should be made around 9:45 p.m. ET on Thursday. That’s the time the Ravens turned in their card for Hamilton at No. 14 last year in a first round that lasted 3 hours, 18 minutes. The first round was 3:44 in 2021, 3:54 in 2020 and 3:39 in 2019.”"
A look back at the Patriots’ history with the 14th overall pick – if New England sticks with their original selection in the first round, here’s a look back through history of all the times they had the 14th pick and who they drafted at that spot.
The latest batch of draft rumors could alter the Patriots’ first round pick – there are a lot of rumors circulating regarding the first round in particular, some of which could cause big changes to the Patriots’ plans in round one
- Rounds 2-3: April 28, 7 p.m. ET
- Rounds 4-7: April 29, Noon ET
Patriots.com has an incredibly detailed look at the history of New England’s picks, along with dates and times of post-draft press conferences to hear the latest from the organization.
What are the Patriots’ draft picks this year?
Patriots’ draft picks
- Round 1: pick 14: Christian Gonzalez – CB – Oregon
The Patriots get the steal of round one with their pick
- Round 2: pick 46: Keion White – EDGE – Georgia Tech
- Round 3: pick 76: Marte Mapu – LB – Sacramento
Why the Patriots’ day two picks were actually good
Patriots drafted two linebackers on day two of NFL draft
- Round 4: pick 107: Jake Andrews – C – Troy
- Round 4: pick 112: Chad Ryland – K – Maryland
- Round 4: pick 117: Sidy Sow – G – Eastern Michigan
- Round 4: pick 144: Antonio Mafi – G – UCLA
- Round 6: pick 184
- Round 6: pick 187
- Round 6: pick 192
- Round 6: pick 210
- Round 7: pick 245
Who have the Patriots met with leading up to draft night?
Because the list of interviews, workouts, top-30 visits etc is lengthy, Pats Pulpit has an ongoing list on their site providing all of that information.
Where is the information on all of the players in the draft?
There are several places online that have thorough information on dozens of prospects in all positions readily available.
Some of the more prominent pages are:
Pro Football Focus’ NFL Draft Big Board – here, you will find the latest information on all players, including their college statistics and rankings amongst their positional peers.
ESPN‘s Best Remaining Players list – contains pre-draft analysis of 350 prospects
Fox Sports 100 Best Available Players – information on the top 100 players available to draft
CBS Sports 2023 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings – prospects are listed in ranked order
What do the latest mock drafts say the Patriots will do in round one?
There are far too many mock drafts out there to keep track of them all, but here are a few places to see the latest roundup of what the experts are predicting:
Patriots.com Mock Draft Tracker – updated on April 24th
Musket Fire team’s final mock draft predictions – posted on April 27th
MusketFire.com Mock Draft Roundup – Final Predictions – posted on April 25th
MusketFire.com Mock Draft Roundup – posted on April 16th
What are the Patriots’ biggest needs heading into the draft?
The consensus across the board agrees that the biggest needs are:
Cornerback
- The Patriots dealt with one of their most important re-signings of free agency this year by bringing back trusted veteran Jonathan Jones on a two-year contract. They also re-signed Jalen Mills, a starting corner for the team last year, but it appears the versatile player will be returning to safety due to Devin McCourty’s retirement. So that leaves the secondary up to the Jones’; Jack, Jonathan, and Marcus – not a very deep group, hence the position being atop the list of needs entering the draft.
Offensive tackle
- Among the list of issues the offense dealt with during the 2022 season was a lack of consistency from the offensive line. Because they were a liability more often than not, causing issues for the quarterbacks and the rest of the offense, Belichick did address the position early on in free agency, signing Riley Reiff and Calvin Anderson. However, neither is deemed to be the resolution to the issues, nor were they signed to long-term contracts, meaning the Patriots must prioritize selecting a tackle ASAP.
Wide receiver
- It’s another season, and we’re still discussing the Patriots needing a top wide receiver. Unfortunately, this year’s class isn’t said to be the best, with just a few of the prospects projected to be WR1 on any team in the league. But it is said to be a deep class, full of talented players that can be productive; there’s just not a long list of over-the-top explosive pass-catchers among them. Although New England signed JuJu Smith-Schuster and plan on using Mike Gesicki in more of a receiver role, the pressure of selecting the best receiver of the class is not entirely off the table, but prioritizing the position in an early round would be ideal.
There are also some under-the-radar positions of need that are not being discussed nearly as much as they should be.
With Hunter Henry as the primary tight end returning to the team this year since Jonnu Smith was traded to the Falcons last month, selecting one of the premier tight ends should also be a focus for Belichick.
On the defensive side, although the team has been mostly solid, Matthew Judon will need some help getting to the quarterback far more often. We saw the uprise of Josh Uche in the latter half of the 2022 season, but grabbing an EDGE that can instill more fear in opposing offenses would put them over the top.
Where can I find more information on MusketFire.com about the draft?
You can find all of our latest draft news here, but here are some of the more broad articles regarding the Patriots’ draft:
-4 of the receivers New England can take in round one – Despite Belichick’s failure the last time he drafted a wide receiver in the first round (N’Keal Harry in 2019), they may choose to go that route again just four years later, given the talent that will be available at pick 14.
-10 wide receivers the Patriots can take after the first round – Most hope Belichick will take a receiver in round one, but if they don’t, there are plenty of other options they can choose from.
-5 of the offensive tackles the Patriots can take in the first round – As one of the most crucial needs of this year’s draft, five top tackle prospects could be available to the Patriots in round one.
-The do’s and don’ts of the 2023 draft -This year’s draft is pivotal for New England’s success, not just for next season but beyond, and they’ll need to nail this one to become a competitive team once again.
-3 blockbuster trades the Patriots can make during the draft – We may be well into free agency, but big trades can still occur during the draft.
-The top-five most likely first round draft choices – Because we know the Patriots’ biggest needs, it’s easy to speculate what direction they may go in positionally for pick 14.
-Three players the Patriots should avoid in round one – While knowing what would be best to take in the first round, we also know players they shouldn’t take early on.
-The Patriots’ biggest draft busts of the last five years – It’s no secret that Belichick hasn’t always been the greatest in choosing who to draft, but these five are among the worst of the worst over the last five years.
-UPDATED 4/25-
–How Aaron Rodgers’ trade to the Jets impacts the Patriots – Other than the new added competition to the division, the Jets and Packers’ trade could drastically change the landscape of the first round.