Patriots Mock Draft 7.0: Tackle, Back Headline 10-Player Haul
Welcome to draft day.
Before the 2023 NFL Draft gets underway Thursday night in Kansas City, here is NESN.com’s final attempt at predicting which players the New England Patriots will select.
Previous mock drafts: 1.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 6.0
(Advanced stats via Pro Football Focus and The Athletic draft guides.)
TRADE: Nos. 14 and 187 to Seattle for Nos. 20, 83 and 123
First round, 20th overall: OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee
If the Patriots are willing to stray from their traditional Round 1 approach, Broderick Jones could be the pick here. The Georgia tackle oozes upside and athleticism but, as a redshirt sophomore with just 19 collegiate starts, would be the least experienced first-round pick of Bill Belichick’s tenure. Cornerback and wideout are obvious possibilities, too, given the Patriots’ needs at those positions. We also wouldn’t rule out New England taking a Day 1 edge rusher, either, or taking a big swing on Texas running back Bijan Robinson if he slides this far.
But we settled on the same blueprint we followed in nearly half of our mock drafts: trade down and take Wright, who, with his 42 games of starting experience at three different O-line positions, profiles as one of the best Patriots fits in this entire class and would fill a clear need. The 6-foot-5, 333-pounder is a bully in the run game, did not allow a sack last season, starred at the Senior Bowl and impressed against the best when he faced Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson, who’s likely to come off the board within the top five picks.
TRADE: Nos. 46 and 117 to Las Vegas for No. 38
Second round, 38th overall: RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
There’s been draft-week buzz about Gibbs potentially going late in Round 1, so this might be too late to land the former Alabama standout. But if he is available early on Day 2, he’d be a potentially game-changing addition to New England’s backfield and a dynamite running mate for Rhamondre Stevenson. Gibbs played under new Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien with the Crimson Tide last season and, on top of rushing for 926 yards and 6.1 per carry, was a weapon in the passing game (44 catches, 444 yards), with sure hands and the ability to make plays out of the slot. He lacks ideal size at 5-foot-9 and 199 pounds but would bring a new, explosive element to the Patriots’ offense. The Patriots traded up in the second round in each of the last five drafts, so this would be an on-brand move.
Third round, 76th overall: TE Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
We mulled another move up the board for Iowa’s Sam LaPorta but opted to stay put and grab a different member of this year’s banner tight end class. Schoonmaker instantly would become the Patriots’ best blocking tight end and has the skills and athletic ability to be a more productive NFL pass-catcher than he was in college. New England has a brewing need at the position with Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki both on expiring contracts, and Belichick loves drafting Michigan products. Schoonmaker would be his sixth in the last five years.
Third round, 83rd overall: S Jartavius Martin, Illinois
If the Patriots are looking for a Devin McCourty replacement in this year’s draft, there’s plenty to like about Martin, who played all over the secondary in his 55 appearances (36 starts) for Bret Bielema’s Illini. Martin is a skilled tackler who can lay the wood in run defense, and he intercepted three passes and broke up 11 more in coverage last season. He checks the leadership box, too, as a senior captain, and scouting reports rave about his football IQ. Add in that he had arguably the best combine workout of any safety — with position-best marks in the vertical jump, broad jump and 10-yard split — and Martin would be a natural addition to New England’s stable of versatile defensive backs.
Fourth round, 107th overall: CB Cory Trice, Purdue
Speaking of defensive backs, the 6-foot-3, 202-pound Trice would address the lack of height and length that hindered the Patriots’ cornerback group last season. He missed most of the 2021 season with an injury but returned to start every game and disrupt 12 passes in ’22, including a pair of interceptions. Trice isn’t just big, either. He’s explosive and quick, too, with a broad jump that ranked in the 93rd percentile for corners and a 6.7-second three-cone time at his pro day that was elite for his a player his size.
Fourth round, 123rd overall: WR Michael Wilson, Stanford
Wilson would be a definite gamble, as injuries caused him to miss 16 games over the last three seasons and limited him to 64 total catches during that span. But in the fourth round, he’s a risk worth taking. Wilson looked excellent at the Senior Bowl, showed great burst and explosiveness at the combine — despite his lackluster 4.58-second 40-yard dash — and, at 6-foot-2, 213, is one of the fewer bigger-bodied wideouts in a class filled with undersized playmakers.
Fourth round, 135th overall: EDGE Viliami Fehoko, San Jose State
Here’s the “earlier than expected” pick you see in nearly every Patriots draft. Fehoko is a bit of a tweener at 6-foot-4, 276 pounds and isn’t an elite athlete, but he was a frequent backfield resident in college. He bagged 22 sacks and 44 tackles for loss over the last three seasons, including nine sacks and 19 TFLs in 2022. Praised for his relentless motor, Fehoko would give the Patriots another disruptive presence on the edge entering the final year of Josh Uche’s rookie contract.
TRADE: Nos. 184 and 245 to Arizona for No. 168
Fifth round, 168th overall: P Adam Korsak, Rutgers
A clean sweep for Korsak, the only player to appear in all seven of our Patriots mocks. His résumé, as a refresher: played at Rutgers under Belichick’s friend Greg Schiano, won the Ray Guy Award as college football’s best punter, set multiple NCAA punting records, allowed minus-11 return yards last season, was a three-time captain and played in the Senior Bowl. An ideal candidate to compete with newcomer Corliss Waitman for Jake Bailey’s old job. The fifth round also is where Belichick typically targets specialists, hence the trade-up.
Sixth round, 192nd overall: QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
You can bet this Patriots draft class will include at least one member of the team they coached in the East-West Shrine Bowl, and Thompson-Robinson acquitted himself well at that college all-star showcase. His ball security doesn’t meet New England’s usual standards, but he was a five-year starter, completed just under 70% of his passes last season and would add some dual-threat ability to the Patriots’ QB room.
Sixth round, 210th overall: LB Isaiah Moore, North Carolina State
Another Shrine Bowler, Moore looked like a Patriots fit throughout the pre-draft process. New England’s coaches reportedly “couldn’t stop raving” about the undersized ‘backer after working with him in Las Vegas, and his scouting report screams “Patriots target”: five-year starter, three-year captain, tenacious run defender, coach-on-the-field type. This also is around where the Patriots typically look for second-level depth. They drafted a linebacker in Round 5 or 6 in 2021, 2020, 2018 (twice), 2016 (twice) and 2015.
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