The NFL Draft is now in the rearview mirror, and the Patriots can look ahead to the rest of the offseason as they hope to prepare for another successful year. Based on their selections over this past weekend, they certainly put the roster in a better position than they were a year ago, so there's no reason to believe they can't accomplish the unexpected once again.
They made sure to continue surrounding Drake Maye with the caliber of talent needed not only to protect him but also the weapons to move the ball down the field with ease.
That didn't stop them from bulking up the defense, though. A few additions to the defensive line, and a new cornerback, Karon Prunty, were the most notable picks. But unfortunately, Prunty didn't receive the same excitement as some of his fellow draftees.
He was immediately deemed a reach, as some experts projected him to go undrafted, and that has resulted in the Patriots receiving overwhelmingly harsh grades for their pick.
Karon Prunty is not a popular pick among Patriots' insiders and analysts
Although it was unsurprising for the Patriots to select a cornerback in a mid-round, considering they had a lack of proper depth in the secondary, analysts were not moved by their choice of the Wake Forest alum.
The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan gave them a C- for the move, citing Prunt's age as the main reason for the unfavorable reaction.
"If the Patriots were chasing traits, like Prunty’s 4.4 speed and plus length, why not target a younger prospect with similar accolades who was still on the board?"
The panel of writers at Pats Pulpit hovered around the same grading, with Pat Lane being the lowest of all by giving the Patriots a D for the pick, but also emphasized his desire to trust the expertise of the staff who must have saw something that others just didn't.
"He was PFF’s 24th-rated cover corner in coverage last year, and he has good size, so maybe there is some upside here, but it sure feels like he would’ve been available later. Corner is definitely a need for the Patriots, so that’s good. I believe there were much better corners on the board, but I’m going to choose to trust that the Patriots know what they’re doing here."
Given the trust in knowing the current Patriots staff did a great job with last year's draft, giving them that leniency this year might be the smartest reaction to anything analysts have said about Prunty's pick.
Many weren't high on Craig Woodson last year, but we saw him quickly rise in the ranks throughout the season, and is projected to be a starter in 2026. The same could happen with Prunty, and all of these harsh grades will look silly in no time.
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