Why NFL Exec Believes Patriots' 2023 Draft Was 'Classic' Bill Belichick
The New England Patriots’ biggest problem last season was their offense, with quarterback Mac Jones failing to make a second-year jump thanks in large to shoddy play-calling and a lackluster supporting cast.
So, what did Bill Belichick and company do about it in the 2023 NFL Draft? Select defensive players in the first three rounds, of course.
“They are saying it was never a personnel problem around the quarterback,” an NFL executive told Mike Sando in a piece published Friday on The Athletic. “It is classic Bill, building strength on strength, so he just brings in top players on defense.”
The Patriots’ draft class is headlined by cornerback Christian Gonzalez, whom they selected out of Oregon at No. 17 overall in Round 1 after trading back from No. 14. Gonzalez was viewed a potential top-10 pick by many draft experts, so his selection seems like a slam dunk for New England, especially when you consider the Patriots might have simultaneously hurt the New York Jets by moving back three spots.
New England then selected edge rusher Keion White out of Georgia Tech and linebacker Marte Mapu out of Sacramento State in Rounds 2 and 3, respectively, before finally addressing the offense. The Patriots picked three interior offensive linemen (Jake Andrews, Sidy Sow and Atonio Mafi), plus a kicker (Chad Ryland), in Rounds 4 and 5. They nabbed a pair of wideouts (Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas) in the sixth round as part of their 12-player draft class.
One certainly could argue the Patriots haven’t done enough this offseason to bolster the group around Jones (assuming he, not Bailey Zappe or someone else, is New England’s starting QB come Week 1). It appears Belichick is putting a lot of faith, for better or worse, in returning offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien to fix that side of the ball.
Source: NESN
