Bill Belichick and the Patriots continued to add young defensive talent in the 2021 NFL Draft, using the fourth pick of the sixth round (No. 188 overall) on Missouri safety Joshuah Bledsoe.
Bledsoe joins Alabama DT Christian Barmore, Oklahoma Edge Ronnie Perkins and Michigan linebacker Cameron McGrone as defensive members of the New England draft class.
Bledsoe is a 5-11, 204-pound native of Houston, Texas
Here are three quick thoughts on the pick.
--According to his NFL.com player profile, Bledsoe’s mother added the “h” to his first name so that it would have seven letters like everyone else in the family.
--Bledsoe was durable in his Missouri career, playing 46 games over four years, including starting all 22 games he played over the last two seasons. He led the Tigers in passes defensed over each of the last two seasons, with 19 total in the 22 games, though he only had one career interception.
--Bledsoe has some versatility, having begun his career at Missouri with some time as linebacker back in 2013 before moving to defensive back. He was also a quarterback in high school. He would seem to make sense as a special teams option, at worst, as he transitions to the NFL in New England. A muscular player who was a free safety type at Missouri, The Athletic draft guide projects Bledsoe as a nickel safety in the NFL.