The 2023 NFL draft is two weeks away, and it’s hard to contain the excitement, fear, anxiety or any other feelings that come up when trying to manifest a good draft for such an unpredictable team like the New England Patriots.
New England still holds the No. 14 overall pick, but in this “what they would do” mock draft, that changes with a big first-round trade. Who knows? Maybe the same is the case when the time actually comes for the Patriots to turn in their first player card on April 27.
Let’s get into this full 7-round mock draft.
TRADE: Patriots move back
Patriots get: Pick No. 21 and Pick No. 54
Chargers get: Pick No. 14
The Patriots swing a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for the No. 14 overall pick of the draft. In return, they get the No. 21 overall pick and another second-rounder (No. 54).
Round 1, Pick No. 21: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
Mayer is one of the best pass-catchers in the entire class. He is also a leader and great blocker, which would give the Patriots the next true tight end with Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry playing into the final year of their contracts.
In a normal year, I would not think the Patriots should grab a tight end in the first round, but this is one of the best tight end classes we have seen in over 10 years. If you need any evidence of that, look no further than the below average contracts free agent tight ends have received in the offseason.
Teams know how deep this draft class is at the position.
In this class, Mayer is probably the second-best pass-catcher in the class behind Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. There is real value in this pick. It would be considered a real shock, but it would ultimately make the offense better.
TRADE: Patriots move up in the second round
Patriots get: Pick No. 38
Raiders get: Picks No. 46, No. 107, and No. 117
New England makes a second trade in the draft by shipping their second-round pick (No. 46) and two fourth-rounders (No. 107 and No. 117) to the Las Vegas Raiders for the No. 38 overall pick in the second round.
Round 2, Pick No. 38: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
The Patriots move up in the second round like they have for the last four straight years to grab Ohio State’s Dawand Jones, who fills an immediate need at right tackle.
With the Patriots getting aggressive early, it’s hard to not get excited about a six-man offensive line in some schemes where Jones, Mike Onwenu, Trent Brown and Michael Mayer are all blocking for Rhamondre Stevenson in those weird jumbo power sets.
Regardless, Jones would start day one at right tackle, even though he is a project, and the Patriots would have two of the largest tackles and good movers at each end.
If things don’t work out with Jones right away, they can still have him get on the field as the extra lineman while he develops and polishes his game with Adrian Klemm. Jones also gives the Patriots the flexibility to move on from Trent Brown, if they feel like they can patch together left tackle for a year with the veterans they brought in.
Round 2, Pick No. 54: Julius Brents, CB, Kansas State
With the pick from trading back, the Patriots attack the corner position with one of my favorites in the class. Brents is a big, tall and lengthy corner with great athletic traits. He’s a freak athlete, but he can really cover.
The Patriots desperately need someone with some size to match up against the game’s taller receivers.
TRADE: Patriots trade up again
Patriots get: Pick No. 67
Broncos get: Picks No. 76, No. 184, No. 245 and future 6th
The New England Patriots make another splash in the draft by sending a third-rounder, sixth-rounder, seventh-rounder and future sixth-rounder for the Denver Broncos’ No. 67 overall pick in the third round.
Round 3, Pick No. 67: Siaki Ika, DT Bayor
Ika is the best true nose tackle in the class but has some sneaky good pass-rushing moves that I think would translate well to the Patriots’ defensive front. He’d give the Patriots an immediate force at nose tackle
Although the Patriots have a solid defense, the nose tackle position is seen as a need, especially with some of the aging defensive lineman on the roster. He is a mean, tough defender that is hard to move off the line. His presence alone should free up the linebackers to play a little more loosely.
Round 4, Pick No. 135: Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, WVU
The Patriots need a true X receiver in waiting with DeVante Parker aging and coming up on the end of his contract. Ford-Wheaton is ripe for the taking at No. 135 in the draft.
He had an excellent combine and scored similarly to Calvin Johnson Jr. There has been some consistency issues, and he still needs to work on his overall route-running at the next level. But he has solid hands, can separate and has the frame and explosiveness to be a fun, moldable project for the Patriots.
They feel comfortable with their wide receiver room at least for one more year. The Patriots could kick the can down the road on taking sure talent early. At this point in the draft, there is a drop-off, as a lot of the receivers worth taking are long gone, and Ford-Wheaton is hard to pass on here.
Round 6, Pick No. 187: Trey Dean III, S, Florida
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire here with the Patriots’ interest in Florida safety Trey Dean, who the team has met with multiple times.
Dean is right around the range he will probably go in, and the Patriots would love to add a box safety with special teams upside as Adrian Phillips is getting up there in age, Kyle Dugger is in a contract year and Jabrill Peppers is everything but a sure thing.
Round 6, Pick No. 192: Jaren Hall, QB, BYU
With this pick, the Patriots take a chance on the raw talent of Jaren Hall. There are some concerns with injuries, age, and some sloppy tendencies, but Hall’s arm talent is worth it alone.
There is no reason that the Patriots shouldn’t take a shot at a quarterback with the No. 192 overall pick, especially with Hall’s upside. With Bailey Zappe as the clear No. 2, they could look to add to a quarterback room that just added veteran Trace McSorley.
Round 6, Pick No. 210: Jake Moody, K, Michigan
The Patriots need to get younger at the kicker position.
Moody is the best kicker in this class and should have a long career in the NFL. Nick Folk has been good, but the Patriots get someone that can be the franchise kicker for the next 10 years.
