The New England Patriots entered the 2023 NFL draft with 11 picks and came out with 12 players. It could be seen as a situation of coach Bill Belichick throwing as many darts at the board as possible just to see what sticks.
But make no mistake, these weren’t aimless throws.
In a draft that was heavy on the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots opened up by taking three defenders that could be foundational playmakers of the future for the team. They also addressed the offensive line by adding three interior enforcers, along with taking a flier on two promising receivers for the skilled positions.
They even came away with a kicker and punter in this year’s draft. Belichick checked every box and didn’t let a single pick go to waste. We’ll see if it pays off in the 2023 season.
Today, we’re looking at every Patriots rookie’s Relative Athletic Score (RAS), which is a tool created by Kent Lee Platte that measures a player’s athletic testing to their size, while also taking history into account. The Patriots came away with at least four players with a 9.00 score or higher.
Here’s how the entire 2023 rookie class scored:
Christian Gonzalez, OT, Oregon
Keion White, DT, Georgia Tech
Marte Mapu, LB, Sacramento State
Jake Andrews, OC, Troy
Chad Ryland, PK, Maryland
Sidy Sow, G, Eastern Michigan
Atonio Mafi, G, UCLA
Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU
Bryce Baringer, PK, Michigan State
Demario Douglas, WR, Liberty
Ameer Speed, CB, Michigan State
Isaiah Bolden, CB, Jackson State
