Patriots Mock Draft

With the 2023 NFL Draft just days away now, Patriots fans are curious to see what direction the Patriots will go with their fourteenth overall selection. There are many positional needs that New England has, but the fourteenth pick will likely be used on the offensive side of the ball. The Patriots have selected an offensive player with every first-round pick dating back to the 2018 draft.  

  • 1st Round: Trade Back Early to Mid ’20s, Zay Flowers WR (Boston College)  
  • 2nd Round: 46th Overall, Cody Mauch OT (North Dakota State)  
  • 3rd Round: 76th Overall, Garrett Williams CB (Syracuse)  
  • 4th Round: 107th Overall, Karl Brooks ED (Bowling Green)  
  • 4th Round: 117th Overall, Parker Washington WR (Penn State)  
  • 4th Round: 135th Overall, Kobie Turner DL (Wake Forest)  
  • 6th Round: 184th Overall, Anthony Johnson Jr. (Iowa State)  
  • 6th Round: 187th Overall, Viliami Fehoko ED (San Jose State)  
  • 6th Round: 192nd Overall, Clayton Tune QB (Houston)  

 

Zay Flowers

I have the Patriots trading back in the first round to acquire a future pick or two to draft Zay Flowers later in the first round.

Flowers is a unique receiver as he is on the smaller side, but he is impossible to stop when he gets the ball in his hands. He would be a perfect fit for this offense as he does run the route tree very well, but he dominates at running short and intermediate routes.

For New England, they could use him similarly to how they used Marcus Jones this year, but Flowers is far more diverse of a receiver than Jones. Flowers’ ability in the open field is truly something special. He is the most elusive receiver out there and was the only bright spot for a poor BC team in 2022. He finished as BC’s all-time leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.   

He is a projected first-round pick and maybe a stretch at 14, but he would fit in seamlessly in this offense. As a team who struggled to move the ball this season in the passing game, Flowers’ ability to make plays would have an immediate impact. The only question mark is his size, but he already showed he could play against elite talent at the college level.

Flowers was coached by the Patriots coaching staff in Las Vegas at the Shiners Bowl, where they spoke very highly of each other, and played his college ball just a few miles down the road at Boston College, so this fit just makes too much sense.

 

Cody Mauch  

When you think of the word grit, that should be synonymous with the name Cody Mauch. Mauch is a physically gifted run blocker who has the demeanor of a rabid animal. His 6.36 grade at the NFL combine was good enough for fortieth out of all participants and eighth out of all offensive linemen, which projects as a plus starter, according to his NFL Draft profile.   

Senior Bowl Recap

North Dakota State OL Cody Mauch (70) – Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Mauch overview on the NFL’s website says all you need to know about him.  

“Mauch’s two front teeth are missing (they were knocked out during a junior high basketball game), and he wears a big mop of shoulder-length red hair, so you get the sense you are about to watch a hockey player on turf when you turn on the game tape. As expected, Mauch is a rugged player with an attacking demeanor who does his most consistent work as a drive blocker in the run game. Inconsistent footwork in pass protection and below-average arm length could foreshadow a move inside to guard, where he is capable of competing for a starting job as a scheme-versatile tough guy.”  

When looking at Mauch’s strengths and weaknesses, it is quite simple. He excels in run blocking, and his pass blocking could use a little bit of work. His size projects him as an interior lineman, much similar to a former New England Patriots draft pick.  

If you look at all of Mauch’s measurables from the combine, he is an almost carbon copy of Joe Thuney, who was drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft. It is quite scary how close in relation these two are in all of their measurables. Thuney also moved from tackle to guard when he came into the NFL.  

Mauch being drafted could mean a few things. He is projected as a day two pick right now, more than likely early on day two, and could be drafted as to play tackle or a depth for the interior line. With Michael Onwenu in the last year of his deal, the Patriots could see this as a security selection, as the Patriots could plug and play Mauch if Onwenu chooses to leave the Patriots. If they choose to use him at tackle, although he may be a little undersized, he could develop into a solid tackle, but only time will tell.  

  

Garrett Williams  

Williams is one of the top cornerbacks, and in this draft and out of the many PFF Mock Drafts that I ran, Williams was the selection in about 80% of the mock drafts I ran. He is one of the more talented shutdown corners in the draft when it comes to mobility and would have been a first-round pick more than likely if he did not tear his ACL this past season against Notre Dame.   

Up until his injury this year, he was the top man on man corner in all of college football and defended the entire route tree, which was something he improved on each season. With the Patriots having Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones, Marcus Jones, and Myles Bryant on the depth chart right now, Williams could come in and ease himself back into game shape with the cornerbacks ahead of him. One thing that isn’t an issue with this pick is that you cannot have too many good players in one position.  

 

Karl Brooks  

Karl Brooks may have the potential to be one of the steals of this draft. Brooks, in all of my simulations, was available at the 107th spot and would be a perfect fit in New England opposite Matthew Judon. Brooks’s 12 sacks in 2022 were good enough for second in FBS, and Brooks is one of the more underrated players in the draft. He improved every season at Bowling Green. This past year he led all edge rushers with a 93 rating on PFF while being in the top 50 interior or edge rushers in snaps played. So, durability and execution are not major issues.   

The only question marks surrounding Brooks are his consistency and his position. At 6’4” and 300 pounds, he looks more like an interior defensive lineman instead of an edge rusher, so maybe he could slide inside and play but outside more his speed. The other issue with him is his consistency. He recorded twelve sacks this past season, but he was very streaky. He would have two or three sacks, then go a game or two without recording a hit on the quarterback. So, finding constancy is the only thing that could truly hold him back. Granted, not many players can achieve double-digit stats at the FBS level, so he truly can be the steal of the draft.   

 

Parker Washington  

It is not strange for the Patriots to draft multiple players for the same position in a draft but at wide receiver, it is. This is arguably the biggest issue facing the Patriots’ offense outside of their tackles and they need to provide Mac Jones with reliable talent if the Patriots are to consider making Jones their guy moving forward.   

Washington was among the top receivers in the country when it came to possession, as he caught 70% of balls thrown his way last season. He played the majority of his snaps inside the numbers at Penn State, but his effectiveness was what allowed him to prove himself.   

At 5’10” and 205 pounds, he led the NCAA in broken tackles for a wide receiver and is arguably the most pro-ready receiver when it comes to his willingness to be physical and run through the middle of the field.   

I think if the Patriots were to select him, we would be a plug-and-play guy right away, as his talents will carry over to the next level for sure.  

Washington had the eighth-highest PFF rating out of all draft-eligible receivers in 2022.  

  

Kobie Turner  

Turner is a player who does not limit his size. As an interior defensive lineman, he is the smaller size at 6’2” and 285 pounds. Although he is of a smaller size, his speed is what separates him. His ability to get off the ball quickly is his biggest asset which is what made him effective at Wake Forest after he transferred from Richmond as a graduate student. One thing that Bill Belichick loves is a player who is cerebral and motivated, and Turner is just that.   

He not only understands how to get leverage as a player on the smaller side with his supreme athleticism, but he also can read the play as it is happening. He forced more fumbles at Wake Forest than anyone else in the ACC, which is attributed to his ability to make use of his mind when he plays.  He knows where to get to allow his linebackers to make plays if he is not able to himself, and he would be a perfect fit upfront for how the Patriots play defense. Turner would be a great fit on this Patriots’ defensive front.   

  

Anthony Johnson Jr.  

He is a player who is perfectly made for Bill Belichick—a fifth-year senior who played multiple positions in college and could come in and be a rover defensively. With the departure of Devin McCourty, the Patriots resigned Jalen Mills back to his natural position at safety, but the Patriots truly only have one safety who only plays safety, and that is Adrian Phillips.  

 

If you look at how the Patriots use their safety, they move them all over the field. They use them in man coverage and put them on an island, they move them up into the box as an extra linebacker almost at times, and they use them on special teams. The Patriots’ safeties are the most utilized players on the roster, and they’re pretty good at it too.   

Johnson could be another cog in the machine when it comes to the depth at the position. He is someone who was a five-year starter who has played every secondary position on the field and has decent size at 6’0” and 210 pounds. Johnson Jr would be another plug-and-play player for the Patriots.  

 

Viliami Fehoko  

Fehoko would be a project pick for the Patriots. He is more of a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme, but he has the potential to be a dominant player if he can add more weight. Out of all the draft-eligible defensive linemen, his forty-time and three-come drill are above average.  

He has the overall size and speed to be a solid player at the next level he is his lateral pursuit is what he must improve on. He lacks setting the edge on larger players than him, but his high motor is something that always keeps him in the play. As a late-round pick, there is no downside to taking a swing on him.   

 

Clayton Tune  

Just as the Patriots did in the last two drafts, the Patriots should surlily take a quarterback in the 2023 draft again. Although they don’t have a shot at getting one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, there are plenty of underrated guys who could be difference-makers at the next level, and Clayton Tune, I believe, can be that guy.  

Tune could be the most underrated offensive player in this draft. Outside of Stroud and Young, I think Tune is the most pro-ready quarterback.  

Tune is the total package for the modern NFL. He has the size and mobility to make and extend plays but also has the arm and mind to make great decisions while throwing the ball. Although there are quarterbacks who may have better athleticism and better arms there is no one who has a more complete package. He is well worth the sixth-round pick, especially with the Patriots making it seem like they have no idea what is going on at quarterback moving forward.  

I think he will be more successful than Will Levis and Anthony Richardson.