And just like that, the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books. Per usual, it was a wild and unexpected ride, starting with all the Round 1 action. Day 2 and Day 3 delivered surprises of their own. Some teams capitalized on the opportunity, while others came up short. Let’s take a look at the 2023 NFL Draft recap, analysis, and grades for the New England Patriots. NFL Draft analysts Andrew Erickson and Thor Nystrom combine to provide their thoughts below.

• NFL Draft Grades for Every Team
• Thor’s Draft Grades (AFC | NFC)
• NFL Draft Day 1 Winners & Losers (Day 2 | Day 3)
• Fitz’s Round 1 NFL Draft Picks: Dynasty Rookie Draft Outlook (Day 2 | Day 3)
• Latest Dynasty Rookie Mock Draft

2023 NFL Draft Recap, Analysis & Grades: New England Patriots

NFL Draft analysts Andrew Erickson and Thor Nystrom combine to provide their thoughts below.

Thor Nystrom’s Overview & Grades

New England Patriots | Draft Grade: B+

Patriots gonna Patriot. The ethos is the same every year. They do not care what you think. They will stay true to their board, and follow their conviction.

Just like every year, roughly half of New England’s picks I saw as steals, while the other half made me scratch my dome. But I’m not sure how you can argue with what they did with the premium picks.

The Pats were particularly slick on Thursday night. They added No. 120 from the Steelers to move down three slots to take the guy they would have taken anyway, CB Christian Gonzalez. I was one of the lowest in the media on Gonzalez. But even I believe New England got strong value there. Can they teach Gonzalez instincts when the ball is in the air? If they can, he’ll be a star.

EDGE Keion White was an awesome value in mid-R2. The NFL itself didn’t anticipate him falling that far – they invited the physical freak to attend the first round. The Pats’ defensive staff will have great fun making use of White’s versatility.

Many were surprised by the OG Sidy Sow pick at No. 117. I loved it. Last year, I was far higher than consensus on the Pats’ first-round pick Cole Strange, and the same is true this year with Sow, my favorite OL sleeper in this class, was No. 140 on my board, and No. 198 on the consensus board. Polish him off in pass-pro and you’ve got an athletic road grader who starts for years.

Andrew Erickson’s Overview & Grades

The Patriots got a 2023 4th Rounder (120th overall) to go down three spots and got arguably the best CB in the draft with Christian Gonzalez. A++ move by Bill Belichick to just go BPA at a premium position (while also screwing over the Jets by taking them out of the offensive tackle range). Gonzo also fills a need, and his versatile skill set will be great in the Patriots defense.

In the second round, New England added a pass-rusher with Keion White, who posted a 2.9% sack rate in 2022 — identical to Alabama’s Will Anderson — while finishing 9th in the class in pressure rate over expectation (4.2%) per Sports Info Solutions. White’s an enticing size/speed specimen at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds with an elite athletic profile. He’s also hardly a finished product after starting his career at Old Dominion as a tight end before switching to defensive end and transferring to Georgia Tech in 2021.

Linebacker Marte Mapu was likely a reach for the Patriots in Round 3, but it wouldn’t be a normal draft night for them if they didn’t do so. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah stands by Mapu as one of his favorite players in the draft. I am not as convinced considering his size at 221 pounds that he can be a Day 1 contributor at linebacker. But with speed (something that has been lacking on the Patriots defense) he can at least add to special teams, which Belichick always values in incoming prospects. It’s also interesting that Thor Nystrom listed Mapu as a safety in his final big-board rankings (105^th overall) comparing him to notorious Patriots killer, Bernard Pollard.

Still, I would have much preferred the Patriots add more bodies on the offensive line instead in Round 3, although the talent pool in that area was dried up by the time they were selecting. And they would more than makeup for it later in the draft.

In Rounds 4 and 5, New England added a plethora of depth to the interior. They have had a lot of success developing Day 3 linemen into legitimate starters.

Jake Andrews is a former wrestling champion with experience at both guard and center. Essentially 2023’s version of long-time Patriots guard, Stephen Neal. Sidy Sow is an above-average athlete at 323 pounds, and stands his ground in the face of rushers. He finished fourth in the lowest overall blown block percentage (1.1%) per Sports Info Solutions. Sow also has a ton of experience starting 55 career games at Eastern Michigan. Mafi finished with the lowest blocking percentage (0.7%) among all guards in the class. They all won’t hit, but NE just needs one to pan out for it to be a success.

After monopolizing the interior offensive line market, the Patriots finally drafted a skill position on the offensive side of the ball in the 6^th round with LSU’s Kayshon Boutte. It’s the ultimate boom-or-bust pick that I love teams to take chances on in the later rounds.

In 2020, Boutte led LSU with 76 targets, converting his volume into a 22% dominator rating at age 18. In his last game played, he caught 14 balls for 308 receiving yards and three TDs. Terrace Marshall Jr. would enter the NFL the following year, cementing Boutte’s status as the team’s alpha WR1 in 2021 when he posted another 22% dominator rating in just six games played. When you consider the games that Boutte was healthy in, his dominator rating skyrockets to 41%.

But the ankle injury he suffered seriously took its toll on Boutte, who failed to show the same elite playmaking ability he did his first two seasons at LSU in 2022. Although he tied a bow on his college career strong against Georgia, commanding a season-high 11 targets for 107 yards and one touchdown.

If Boutte is finally back to 100% health as an NFL rookie, he will undoubtedly be a steal when we look back at this class. The 5-foot-11 and 195-pound wide receiver will not even be 21 years old by the time he is drafted. However, his poor testing brings major concerns about work habitats and his attitude. He finished last in the vertical jump (2nd percentile) and second to last in the broad jump (30th percentile) at the NFL Combine. The former Tiger also underwhelmed with a 4.50 40-time at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds. His massive fall since his freshman season is the reason, he was available in Round 6.

New England had needs at both kicker/punter and got arguably the best at each position. Chad Ryland has a booming leg – 80% hit rate on attempts over 40 yards (60% on 50-yarders). Punter Bryce Balinger led the nation in yards per punt (49.0) and net yards per punt (45.7).

FINAL DRAFT GRADE: A-

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