The hay is in the barn. Or rather, the players are on the team — 12 of them, to be precise, as the Patriots welcomed a dozen new football players via the 2023 NFL Draft (with undrafted free agents still folding into the mix). The reaction locally seems to be mostly positive from media to fanbase alike. And that’s not just people looking for a sports distraction on the heels of the Bruins’ disaster.
Though it’s difficult to truly grade a draft immediately, as we won’t know each player’s fit, impact and ability to thrive on the pro level for quite some time, everybody’s gotta have a take or a grade these days, right? Maybe Day 3 sixth-round receiver Kayshon Boutte will be the biggest steal, or maybe the biggest bust? Time will tell! The Pats loaded up on defense (with a focus on secondary), plus guards and specialists. Hardly sexy, but very Patriots.
So, let’s see what the people with the biggest platforms and national voices have to say. You know, the so-called “experts.” Let’s take a peek:
ESPN: B+
Esteemed draft guru, and pumpkin pie lover, Mel Kiper led the charge of voices and analysts who loved the Christian Gonzalez pick in the first round, to such an extent that it may have influenced his overall grade, or so he admits. “This grade might be clouded a bit by the first two selections, both of which I loved; but overall, it's tough to downgrade this class too much.”
NFL.com: A-
Chad Reuter of NFL.com gave the Gonzalez pick a straight up A, then the Day 2 picks of Keion White and Marte Tapu garnered an A-, followed by the plethora of Pats on Day 3 earning a B, thus the overall A- mark (only six teams received higher grades).
CBS Sports: C+
Pete Prisco believes the Pats peaked with Gonzalez, then selected with diminishing returns. “They had seven picks in the first five rounds, but I am not sure they used them very well. First-round corner Christian Gonzalez will be a star. The kicker made no sense.”
Fox Sports: B+
Henry McKenna, who formerly covered the Pats for USA Today, loved the Gonzalez pick (get in line), liked the overall depth approach and in summation added, “They took three cornerbacks, one defensive lineman, one inside linebacker, two receivers, three interior offensive linemen, one kicker and one punter. What they didn't take? A tackle. That's the lone need they didn't fill.”
Bleacher Report: B+
Count the folks at BR among those who believe the Pats needed to address elite weaponry at WR and TE a bit earlier. “The Patriots did a solid job of addressing needs throughout the draft and got incredible value early. However, while they took late fliers on Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas, they could have done more to support quarterback Mac Jones.”
Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh did say about the Pats not drafting a tight end in what was considered a rich class, “The process was those guys went really fast, and they just kept coming off. You've gotta still trust your board and not just draft a guy so you can say 'you drafted a tight end.’”
Pro Football Focus (PFF): A-
Each day and layer was individually rated and graded via the PFF formula. To no one’s surprise, Gonzalez was the biggest hit.
Sporting News: C-
On the national level, the ol’ standby of The Sporting News was perhaps the least favorable in grading the Pats picks after Gonzalez, noting, “But then it was the typical ‘why?’ and ‘who?’ that's been the case of late under Bill Belichick, including too many offensive linemen, a kicker and a punter.”
Walter Football: B-
One of the better NFL draft guides and talent evaluation sites loved the Day 1 and 2 picks most, then believed the results again were diminishing when compared to the value of Gonzalez and White. “I loved the Patriots' initial two selections, as Keion White provided value as a skilled pass rusher in the middle of the second round. That, however, was the beginning of the end of the Patriots' positives.”
DraftKings: B+
Count local sportsbook and fantasy favorite DraftKings among those who actually feel like the Pats may have found some of their best value with the later round fliers. “We’ve seen Belichick find diamonds in the rough through later rounds, so it wouldn’t be a shock if someone like Douglas or Bolden ended up being important contributors for the organization.”