With the NFL Scouting Combine in the rearview, it’s time to check back in with the our latest, seven-round mock draft.
The Patriots have utilized an approach to find more explosive athletes in the draft, as they added Cole Strange, Tyquan Thornton, and Pierre Strong Jr., who all scored over a 8.5 RAS (relative athletic score) in 2022. Marcus Jones, although explosive, did not have an RAS score as he did not participate during the combine.
In this mock draft, like the others, we will be focusing on what the Patriots will likely do, rather than what I would do.
Without further hesitation, let’s get into the Patriots’ latest 2023 mock draft haul.
Round 1, Pick No. 14: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, otherwise known as “JSN,” showed off at the combine. Although he didn’t run the 40-yard dash, his three-cone and agility drills were through the roof in playing into his strengths on tape. A 3.93 shuttle, and a 6.57 three-cone drill all point to this.
Smith-Njigba has been linked to the Patriots since the fall, and he is my wide receiver No. 1. An RAS score of 9.39 is enticing enough for one of the better wideouts in the class.
With four quarterbacks likely going in the top-10, along with many defensive players, it should push some tackles and receivers down the board. Those two positions are currently the biggest needs for the Patriots when selecting overall at No. 14.
JSN is the better fit, and with Bill O’Brien in the fold, the Patriots should be able to unlock his full potential. He is a shifty slot receiver that can get open and be Mac Jones’ binky. In this offense, he could easily put up 100-plus catches per year.
Round 2, Pick No. 46: Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
Darnell Wright was still sitting here at No. 46, despite the Patriots passing on tackle earlier. But they can’t pass on him in the second round.
Wright is an easy selection to address a big need. He was my No. 4 tackle in the class before the combine, and I still have him in the same exact spot after.
He is 6-foot-5 and 333 pounds with 33.75-inch arms and a 9.45 RAS, which are all things the Patriots seem to love from their tackle prospects. Wright would be a force from day one at right tackle beside Michael Onwenu, moving anyone and everyone on that side of the ball. He has the upside to flip with Trent Brown and play some left tackle as well, if the team wishes to give offensive line coach Adrian Klemm his first real project.
Even more fun, Klemm was selected at No. 46 overall by the Patriots in 2000. So maybe a little righting some wrongs are needed in the universe with that connection.
Round 3, Pick No. 76: Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama
Ricks is from an Alabama program the Patriots love to select defensive players from. Checking in at 6-foot-2 and 188 pounds, with long arms at the combine, Ricks has the build the Patriots have been looking for in their outside corner search.
Along with his frame and where he went to school, he plays explosively on film but is a project for the Patriots coaching staff, due to his play style sometimes being overly aggressive. Still, he’s one of the more intriguing corners on the board, and the Patriots handle their top three needs in the first three picks.
Round 4, Pick No. 107: Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion
Kuntz scored a perfect 10.00 RAS score and has a frame of 6-foot-7, 255 pounds. He also ran a 4.55 40-yard dash.
Kuntz originally went to Penn State but then transferred to Old Dominion to get more playing time. He’s a freakish athlete, similar to Darnell Washington. The only reason he’s still on the board at this point is due to limited playing time at a smaller school.
There are concerns with his release package, but he has great hands and can stretch the field. Why not give offensive coaches Will Lawing and Bill O’Brien a freakish athlete to develop behind Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith?
Round 4, Pick No. 117: Colby Wooden, DL, Auburn
With a 9.01 RAS and the versatility to play inside and outside, the Patriots will likely find the value in a day three player who can initially provide depth with Carl Davis and Daniel Ekuale as free agents. The Patriots need to get younger on the defensive line regardless, and Wooden gives them some immediate versatility in a relatively athletic profile and frame.
Round 4, Pick No. 135: Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia
Bryce Ford-Wheaton exemplifies the Patriots’ recent draft philosophy to get more athletic with a 9.96 RAS score.
Standing at 6-foot-4, 221 pounds, with a 4.38 40-yard run is a good foundation. However, there is some serious raw potential with this pick.
Looking at Ford-Wheaton’s pro tape, he has all the makings of an elite No. 1 receiver with great hands and a good release with separation through the route, as well as his ability to run clean, precise routes.
His 6.97 three-cone isn’t amazing, with it being slightly above average. So he will likely be a more vertical threat than more of a YAC receiver.
Round 6, Pick No. 184: Mohamoud Diabate, LB, Utah
Diabate wasn’t invited to the combine, but the Patriots have certainly been linked, and not so secretly love the prospect. The Patriots have a need for some depth linebackers, and Diabate can play as an off ball linebacker, as well as an edge in a defense that surely loves to confuse opponents with disguised looks.
Diabate can also play special teams at a high level. He will need to make his mark there in Year 1, while earning his stripes as a backup linebacker. He originally went to Florida. So with the SEC pedigree from a Utah transfer, the Patriots may be salivating on landing a nice depth piece they can mold in the late stages.
Round 6, Pick No. 187: Charlie Thomas, LB, Georgia Tech
In back-to-back picks, the Patriots essentially replace Mack Wilson Sr. and Raekwon McMillan with two linebacker prospects that play similar roles. Thomas is 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds. So he isn’t as small as the other linebackers Patriots fans have been looking for in previous years. But he has good pop to him on tape. He also scored a 8.14 RAS to back up his athleticism
At this point in the draft, the talent is all about fit, and Thomas is someone who can come in immediately pegged as a depth player with hope to develop into a larger role.
In 2023, wideout, tackle, and corner are larger needs than linebacker, as the Patriots have two capable starters and will likely utilize Kyle Dugger and Adrian Phillips in that pseudo-linebacker role. Jabrill Peppers may even be back as well. So opting to address the position late is totally realistic here.
Round 6, Pick No. 192: Trey Dean III, S, Florida
The Patriots love Dean and have met with him multiple times. After a poor combine showing due to some nagging injuries, Dean scored an average 7.04 RAS. Measuring in at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Dean’s tape is full of hard-hitting and run-stuffing prowess, which is something the Patriots can never get enough of. His 25 bench reps were the most of all safeties. So his play strength is in full force.
With Phillips getting up there in age, even if Peppers is back, the Patriots will likely want to find someone they can groom into the role of hybrid LB/S. Dean is a perfect athlete for them to mold, and his poor combine showing for what many thought would be better allowed him to slip to the Patriots in the sixth round.
Round 6, Pick No. 210: Jake Moody, K, Michigan
The Patriots desperately need a kicker, and Moody is the best. With Moody on the board in this mock draft, the Patriots take the plunge in the sixth-round. Moody also has experience as a kickoff specialist, which could solve two birds with one stone.
Round 7, Pick No. 258: Alex Forsyth, C, Oregon
Forsyth didn’t have a crazy good combine, and he avoided some of the tests, But he has versatility to play all five positions across the line and translates to the Ted Karras role. The Patriots will also get some insight from Adrian Klemm and can value taking a project player that Klemm has worked with at Oregon.
