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Who could have the Patriots taken with their first 3 picks?

By Lou Scataglia

Mar 2, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia Tech defensive lineman Keion White (DL48) participates in drills during the NFL combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia Tech defensive lineman Keion White (DL48) participates in drills during the NFL combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New England Patriots went defense with their first three picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. Who instead could they have taken?  It might not be wise to look at things in hindsight, but we’re going to do that.

We won’t know how this draft class pans out until years in the future, but we can still analyze the class based on what we know about the prospects.  However, instead of doing that, let’s take a look at the Patriots first three picks to see who they could have taken instead of their current picks which are:

CB Christian Gonzalez

EDGE Keion White

LB/S Marte Mapu

Who could have the Patriots taken with their first 3 picks?

Old pick: Christian Gonzalez, CB
New pick: Quentin Johnston, WR

Instead of Christian Gonzalez, I’m going to draft WR Quentin Johnston, a big wide receiver out of TCU.  He’s the perfect blend of height/weight and speed and I think has the highest ceiling of any wide receiver in the 2023 class.

This would have given the Patriots another young offensive player that would have paired perfectly with JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kendrick Bourne, if he’d end up staying on the team (he should).

This would also likely allow the team to cut DeVante Parker and save several million dollars against their cap space.

Old pick: Keion White, EDGE
New pick: Cam Smith, CB

See what I’m going to do here?  Instead of Keion White, who I think is a talented EDGE rusher that could some very much in handy come next offseason, taking a cornerback here makes sense too.  I took Cam Smith out of South Carolina, a decent sized CB with blazing speed who has the instincts to close in on passes thrown his way.

He’s not Christian Gonzalez, but by taking a WR in the first round, opting for a decent CB prospect is the most.

Old pick: Marte Mapu, LB/S
New pick: Wayna Morris, OT

OK, maybe I’m getting a bit too ridiculous with drafting for need so much, but Morris would have a chance to be a starting tackle for the Patriots.  He’s got experience playing both left and right tackle and possesses good size with ultra-long 35 1/8″ inch arms.

Well, what do you all think?  Would this have been a better first three picks than their actual picks?  Let’s place them side by side to get a better view:

CB Christian Gonzalez
EDGE Keion White
LB/S Marte Mapu

OR

WR Quentin Johnston
CB Cam Smith
OT Wayna Morris

Which one do you prefer?

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