Top Three New England Patriot Draft Picks Will Be Difference Makers In 2023-24

The New England Patriots were not shy about their plans during the 2023 NFL Draft earlier this year. The team focused on defense at the top of the draft because they keyed in on a few spots where they saw players who could be contributors immediately. The top three selections for the Patriots were cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive end Keion White, and the most interesting of all the New England Patriots selections was linebacker Marte Mapu.

All three of these players fill a specific role that the Patriots intend on using them at. All three should be either starters or key role players for the Patriots defense. All three of these players will make drastic improvements to this Patriots’ defense.

Christian Gonzalez

Many looked at Christian Gonzalez as the top cornerback in this draft, and rightfully so. Gonzalez was considered the top corner based purely on his athletic ability alone. His frame and athleticism set him apart. He has great size for a cornerback at 6’1″ with 32″ arms which is solid for an NFL cornerback. His ability to move, though, is something to behold. He has “fluid hips” and has shown that in spades during OTAs for the New England Patriots.

Gonzalez will be a starter from day one when the Patriots take the field week one, but there is a little bit to ponder over, though he has not signed yet with the New England Patriots. This is no cause for concern as the two parties, Gonzalez and the Patriots, have some wiggle room where the contract should be slated. Gonzalez will make around $15 million with around eight million guaranteed, but there is still the chance of a possible holdout if Gonzalez chooses to do so. That is still expensive, as $15 million would make him the eighth highest-paid corner. Regardless of monetary issues, Gonzalez should be one of the top corners in the league moving forward.

Keion White

Keion White looks to be the counterpart to Matthew Judon moving forward after he was selected in the second round. For someone 6’5″ and 280 pounds, he was one of the more athletic defensive linemen in the draft. He just bullied a lineman in the ACC last season as a grad transfer at Georgia Tech. He graded out at 6.43 in his nfl.com draft profile, putting him in the “will be a plus starter” category, which is true after seeing him in person at Patriots’ OTAs.

Based on his size and speed alone, he will be a difference-maker. He may not be an every-down player just yet, but he easily will be a third-down pass rusher for the New England Patriots paired with Judon on the other side this year. This tandem looks special, and Patriots fans are already foaming at the mouth to see White play.

Marte Mapu

As mentioned before, the most interesting of the Patriots rookies is Marte Mapu. Mapu, so far, has played almost every position. During OTAs earlier this summer, Mapu was lined up outside the numbers in coverage, on edge as a pass rusher, inside the box at linebacker, and has been on special teams. He looks like someone the Patriots don’t know exactly how to utilize right away, but his extended looks all around the field show that Bill Belichick has a plan for him.

If there is one thing everyone can agree on with Marte Mapu, he loves contact. He is as physically a player as they come, which for an undersized linebacker is an advantage. With the way the Patriots have played defense over the last two years, where they stack the box with undersized linebackers and their safeties, Mapu fits that scheme. He’s athletic enough to move into coverage but physical enough to step up and stuff the run. He is rated as a special teams player based on his draft profile, but a few years later, he will be considered one of the steals of the NFL draft.