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Day 2 Recap of the 2023 NFL Draft

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(Photo: David Eulitt / Getty Images)

Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books and the Patriots added two more rookies to their class. Because the amount of players taken in the night has doubled, I’ll do a high-level rundown of what occurred last night, mainly focusing on hopeful Patriots picks, and the players who Bill actually drafted.

The night started at pick 32 with a cool, full-circle moment, as CB Joey Porter Jr was drafted by the Steelers, following in his father, Joey Sr’s footsteps who was also drafted by Pittsburgh in 1999.

With pick 33, the Titans traded up to take QB Will Levis, whose fall from a top-10 projection, to first-round obscurity made headlines yesterday. From a Patriots perspective on this pick, there were multiple reports saying the Patriots had no interest in taking Will Levis.

Then came the Great Tight End run that doesn’t involve the Pats (Sorry Clare!) – The Lions, who’ve had a weird draft so far, took Sam LaPorta, whilst Michael Mayer joined old friend Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas, with picks 34 & 35 retrospectively.

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Patriots 2022 Draft Recap

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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Well the 2022 NFL Draft has been and gone, let’s take a look at every pick made by the Patriots!

Round 1 – Pick 29 – C/G Cole Strange (Chattanooga)

Many were surprised (me included) that the Patriots went with Strange, not so much the guard position itself, I just didn’t think the team would go with him in the first round. I think a defensive player such as Trent McDuffie, who was available before the Patriots traded down from 21, would have been a better pick in terms of value.

But, the pick was made and Strange will head into Training Camp with the expectation of being a day 1 starter for the franchise at the guard position.

Mike Reiss’ Bio:

Round 2 – Pick 50 – WR Tyquan Thornton (Baylor)

A speedy WR for the Patriots? YUP! The Pats traded up four spots to land the fastest wideout in the entire draft, taking Tyquan Thornton out of Baylor. I’m intrigued by this pick, Thornton has elite speed but comes with some questions about his catch/route run ability.

With good production last year, Thornton could become the go-to deep threat option, especially with Nelson Agholor’s contract up at the end of the 2022 season.

Mike Reiss’ Bio:

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Patriots Draft Guard Cole Strange In First Round of 2022 NFL Draft

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Wow, somewhat of a stunner by the Patriots as they take a projected Day 2 pick in the first round. Originally the Pats traded down eight spots with Kansas City, and with the likes of Nakobe Dean, Dax Hill, and Anthony Booth Jr still on the board, Bill decided to fill the interior line position.

I won’t lie, I don’t like the pick this high, I think there is more elite talent on the board, however, the team hasn’t been afraid to reach a little for players they really like, I guess we’ll see.

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1519879317064364033?s=20&t=EMj_gJDDXwtpBSr51bEjAQ

Remaining Patriots Picks:

Round 2-54
Round 3-85
Round 3-94
Round 4-121
Round 4-127
Round 5-158
Round 6-183
Round 6-200
Round 6-210
Round 7-245

Patriots Mock Draft Check-In

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(AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

We’re under two weeks away from the 2022 NFL Draft, and I can’t wait! The Patriots currently have 8 picks in the draft, but we’re going to focus on their first pick, number 21 overall in the first round. Let’s take a look at some of the latest projections from the NFL media, and me and Clare!

Mel Kiper – ESPN – LB Devin Lloyd (Utah)

Charlie Neibergall, Associated Press

I thought about a wide receiver and cornerback here, but Lloyd just feels like a Bill Belichick-type player. He’s always around the ball, is a great blitzer from the middle of the defense and makes plays. The Patriots allowed 4.5 yards per carry last season, which ranked 25th in the league. This fills a void with an impact player.

Mel Kiper

Mike Dussault – Patriots.com – G Zion Johnson (Boston College)

Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

With the departure of their two starting guards from 2021, the position has rapidly become an important need even with Michael Onwenu in the mix for one of the spots. Johnson could not only immediately fill the other guard spot, but also offer some tackle position versatility, a big plus with two starting tackles that have battled injuries in the past. Johnson is as much of a sure thing as there is in this draft and checks all the boxes as far as fit in New England.

Mike Dussault

Peter Schrager – Good Morning Football

Johnson’s stock began to soar at the combine, and I’m hearing he’s interviewing incredibly well with teams. He can play center or guard and has a high football IQ. I think the Patriots can go a variety of ways (bold take!), but beefing up their offensive line and getting Mac Jones another protector up front makes sense.

Peter Schrager

Tom Shaw-Mellors – PatsPropaganda

I’m going to join both Mike and Peter with my projection that Johnson will be the Patriots’ pick at number 21. I was lucky to see him in action in his final College game against Wake Forest in November, he’s a big boy, and will for sure fill an important position of need for the Pats.

It might not be a sexy pick for the first round, but you can’t deny a starting guard would be a welcome addition to the offensive front following the departures of Joe Thuney and Shaq Mason in back-to-back off-seasons.

Tom Shaw-Mellors

Lance Zierlein – NFL.com – G Kenyon Green (Texas A&M)

Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Total Patriots pick right here. Green is big (6-4, 325), tough and reliable, with multi-position flexibility if needed. He’s an early starter with Pro Bowl potential.

Lance Zierlein

Todd McShay – ESPN – LB Nakobe Dean (Georgia)

David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

New England could use a spark in the middle of the defense. Dean might not have the measurables that NFL teams seek — he is 5-foot-11 with shorter arms — but his tape might be my favorite in the entire class because of his incredible effort on every play and the way he can impact the run defense, pass defense and pass rush on any given set of downs. I think he’d be a star in coach Bill Belichick’s system.

Todd McShay

Clare Cooper – PatsPropaganda – CB Trent McDuffie (Wisconsin)

Steph Chambers/Getty Images

This draft has me so torn with some great talent and a vast number of holes to plug for the Patriots. I believe they need to get some defensive weapons such as cornerback and even maybe linebacker but the offensive line has me the most nervous. I have a serious internal conflict as I kind of want them to take an olineman such as Bernhard Raimann or Trevor Penning… but at the same time Trent McDuffie of a Washington would be a fantastic addition.

If the top CBs are gone at 21 and one of those o-line guys are around then I would be happy enough especially if they pick up Coby Bryant of Cincinnati later on. But bottom line, 21st pick for the Patriots… a top CB please, McDuffie if he’s still on the menu.

Clare Cooper

Ryan Wilson – CBS

Even though McDuffie balled out on the outside for the Huskies this season, we get Tyrann Matthieu vibes when we watch him. He has the athleticism to line up anywhere — and he told us at the combine that he can do just that at the next level. McDuffie is one of the best cornerbacks in this class and feels like a natural fit in New England.

Ryan Wilson

Josh Edwards – CBS – CB Kaiir Elam (Florida)

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Belichick has always valued bigger cornerbacks that can play on the boundary. They acquired DeVante Parker from Miami so a need at wide receiver has diminished but cornerback still looms. Elam can step in and be counted upon much in the same way as Stephon Gilmore or J.C. Jackson.

Josh Edwards

Anthony Treash – PFF – CB Andrew Booth Jr. (Clemson)

Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Booth doesn’t quite have the lockdown numbers as some of the other top corner prospects in this class, as he allowed 329 yards across 288 coverage snaps in 2021. However, he does have the tools worth taking a swing on in the first round.

The 2019 five-star recruit has exceptional feet, good length and brings the physicality out on the field. Booth also made up for lost time down the stretch of 2021, as he combined for five interceptions and pass breakups in his final three starts.

Andrew Treash

Daniel Jeremiah – NFL.com – WR Jameson Williams (Alabama)

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Patriots need to get more dynamic weapons for Mac Jones. Though he’s currently recovering from a torn ACL, Williams has elite top speed and toughness.

Daniel Jeremiah

Draft Review – Who are the eight new Patriots?

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Picture – OU Athletics

We are only two days removed from an exciting draft, one that saw the Patriots select eight rookies to join their team ahead of the 2021 NFL season. Already the discussion has moved to training camp and what positional battles lay ahead, so, let’s have a quick dive into the new recruits!

QB Mac Jones | Round 1 (15)

After weeks, if not months, of speculation about what the Patriots would do on the first night of the draft, they ended up staying with their given pick at 15, and selecting Mac Jones out of Alabama.

Jones, who originally committed to the University of Kentucky, opted to instead enroll with Alabama and redshirted his first season in 2017. After Tua Tagovailoa got injured in 2018 and eventually declared for the 2020 Draft, Jones took over as the starter for the remainder of his collegiate career in Alabama.

I was intrigued by Jones heading into this year’s Draft, in his final college season, he set the NCAA record for pass accuracy (77.4%) and led the Crimson Tide to the CFB National Championship, you can’t teach winning.

In the days prior to the first round, Jones was considered the 49ers top pick at number three, but, as it turned out, they had other ideas as Trey Lance was selected after Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. Jones’ fall didn’t last past 15 as the Patriots selected a first-round quarterback for the first time since taking Drew Bledsoe in 1993.

Observations:
Accurate – Set the NCAA record for passing accuracy last season, something which is a top priority for signal-callers in the NFL.

Winner – Regardless of the juggernaut team around him, Jones still had to do the business, and he did last year, leading Alabama to Nick Saban’s seventh National Championship.

Competitiveness – Highly competitive and spoke of how he always wants to win in whatever he does. Being competitive in a regime under Nick Saban should translate well to a Belichick regime here in New England.

DT Christian Barmore | Round 2 (38)

Another Crimson Tide alum, Barmore was acquired by the Patriots following a trade with the Bengals to move up in the second round.

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Patriots Draft Blog – Night 1 LIVE

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(AP Photo/Steve Luciano)

Welcome to night one of the PatsPropaganda draft live blogs! I’ll be posting all throughout this evening for all of the drama from the first round. Get involved in the discussion or send me a question to our Twitter @PatsPropaganda!

Hosted by Tom Shaw-Mellors (@ShawMellors)
Please refresh the page for live updates below.

LIVE UPDATES 🠗

23:28- It’s getting towards 5am here in the UK, I’m going to call it a night unless I hear the Patriots fly back into the late first round this evening. Thanks for tuning in! GO PATS!

23:26- Browns select CB Greg Newsome II with Pick 26.

23:22- Jags take RB Travis Etienne with their second pick tonight, Lawrence’s fellow Clemson Tiger is also heading to Jacksonville.

23:16- A Few more picks have been made, the Vikings select OT Christian Darrisaw, the Steelers then took RB Najee Harris from Alabama with the 24th pick.

23:10- Mac Jones on wanting to join the Patriots all along…

23:02- CB Caleb Farley, another top prospect goes to the Titans at Pick 22.

22:53- Colts select DE Kwity Paye, one of the few edge rushers worth taking in the first round now off the board.

22:50- A Mac Jones conference call is coming up….

22:45- A couple more picks to report on, Washington takes LB Jamin Davis & the NY Giants take WR Kadarius Toney which is a slight surprise. I don’t imagine we’ll see the Patriots again this evening.

22:32- DL Jaelan Phillips goes to Miami with Pick 18.

22:28- Lost my way after that pick, LB Zaven Collins went to the Cardinals and OG Alex Leatherwood is heading to Las Vegas.

22:24- Damien Harris is happy!

22:21- Well, we were oh so patient for this, but the Patriots have their potential franchise QB in Mac Jones, and I am all in. – I need a drink.

22:12-

PICK 15 – QB MAC JONES

THE PATRIOTS HAVE A QB – IT IS OFFICIAL

22:08- Jets took G/T Vera-Tucker, a solid pick and support for Wilson on the line.

22:08- THE PATRIOTS ARE FINALLY ON THE CLOCK.

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Are the Patriots hitching a ride to quarterback crazy town this 2021 draft season?

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(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)


And with the 15th pick in the 2021 NFL draft the New England Patriots select….

Ahh the words Patriots fans are longing to hear, with much more concern, wonder, trepidation, and perhaps even downright fear than maybe they have for a long time.

Another thing that has definitely not happened in a long time (possibly ever) is the top four picks in a draft being quarterbacks, online Michigan betting sites such as GambleOnlineMichigan.com feature the best options for bookmakers that give odds on who they might be. You have to go back to 1999 to where quarterbacks were the first three picks in the draft with Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb and Akili Smith. Now if you’re simply talking the first round, then yeah just in the last decade, 2018 and 2020 were both years of four quarterback picks with Baker Mayfield, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold and Lamar Jackson taken in the first 32 of 2018 and Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love wrapping up 2020. But the actual top four picks? Are we heading to crazy town this season?

More ghosts of histories past shows the Patriots first round picks being rather tackle (defensive and offensive) orientated. Not exclusively of course, and you could argue a lot of that was due to the success of Tom Brady at quarterback. A young new talented quarterback was not required early in the draft for quite a while, and the last time the Patriots addressed any quarter back selection in the first two rounds was pick 62 in 2014 with Jimmy Garoppolo.

But how different is 2021, right!?

Cam Newton and Jarett Stidham are still in the fold, but the production for both in 2020 left a lot to be desired. The question is what could they produce in this coming season; many fans are still very skeptical that it will not be much at all, and so fans look to the quarterback draft prospects with crossed fingers (and some of them, toes too!).

The situation is: the top four picking teams, Jacksonville, New York (Jets) San Francisco and Atlanta could all take a quarterback and pretty much could do with taking a quarterback. The next few picks, Cincinnati, Miami, Detroit and Carolina are arguable teams that wouldn’t be in the market for a rookie ball thrower. Selection number nine goes to Denver, the next team on the list potentially requiring a quarterback.

We are already seeing the jump of a previously second round rumoured player Mac Jones being in the choice of those top four (to clarify, some people predict him being taken third by San Francisco); could we see second or third round quarterbacks coming off the board within the first thirty two? Did I say next stop crazy town already?

With ten draft picks this year and a closing window of roster spots it isn’t in the realms of impossibility that the Patriots trade up. This year’s draft class is heavy with talent at certain non quarterback areas and although free agency spend was high there are still a few holes the Patriots could do with filling with some of the fruitful young talent. 

So here we are, single digit days away with so many unheard ofs in this up and coming draft. Fans agonize as we await that loaded sentence and just know there is a seriously good chance the pick will be… a tackle!