The Pats Propaganda Draft Off!

It’s that crazy time of year again! Big boards, mock drafts, draft stock movements, all to be finalised in just over a week!

Yes, you lovely lot, soon we will be put out of our misery and we will know who the Patriots take 14th overall… if they do of course. Until then, mock drafts are a-flyin’, player drafts stocks are risin’ and a-fallin’ and draft crushes are formin’!

And so to add to the mania, the fantabulous Tom Shaw-Mellors and myself have done… drum roll please… a mock draft off!

The first ever, (possibly the last, it depends how it goes) Pats Propaganda draft off. And so, not only will you get to see how Tom and I draft, but you will also be able to vote, on Twitter for your favourite mock draft!!

Tom’s draft selection (@ShawMellors)

Ok, so these four picks are players that I would be happy with if the Patriots chose them in the upcoming draft.

Round 1 – (14) – WR Zay Flowers (Boston College)

Zay Flowers could be the answer for the Pats. I saw Zay play for BC in 2021 during a trip to Boston and he was a cut above anyone else on the field in terms of athleticism and IQ as a wideout.

There has been a lot of hype around him due to his local connections at BC, and I also nod that his college career wasn’t plated at the highest level, still, I think he could be a star in this league and would gladly take him at 14.

Round 2 – (46) – CB Julius Brents (Kansas State)

Back-to-back positions of need are being filled in my draft-off selections here!

He has everything I like in a corner, good size at 6″3 which immediately makes me think of all of those mismatches poor Marcus and Jack Jones had last season.

Height is a big factor (reminds me a bit of Tariq Woolen, who I wanted last year) – Brents also has decent speed and would be a solid addition, and perhaps a BB guy too with his build.

Brents also had a decent outing at the Senior Bowl, leading me to think he could follow in the footsteps of a number of current Patriots who took part in that competition. (Cole Strange (2022), Mac Jones (2021), Rhamondre Stevenson (2021), Kyle Dugger (2020)

Round 3 – (76) – TE Tucker Kraft (South Dakota State)

This one’s for your Clare!

It’s been a long time since a Patriots TE draftee actually materialized into anything exciting, but aside from his namesake to our beloved owner, Tucker Kraft could be that man!

Has the size at 6″5/250 lbs to really lend assistance in the run game, he’s also a physical specimen with strong athletic testing performances at the combine.

Alongside Gesicki and Hunter Henry, Kraft would make a healthy addition to the offensive room under Billy O.

Round 4 – (107) – CB Riley Moss (Iowa)

Shoutout to Evan Lazar and Mike Dussault from http://Patriots.com for bringing me around on this final pick.

After watching some of Moss’ tape, I can see why they both are really high on him to be the fourth player added to the Patriots’ 2023 draft class.

At 6″1 he has decent size and has been a strong tackler during his collegiate career which spanned 2,606 snaps over five seasons (per PFF).

I agree that Moss probably wouldn’t come in and settle as an out-and-out traditional CB, perhaps with his size he could transition to safety, but it just screams a cliche Bill Belichick pick.

Clare’s draft selection (@clazzyclare)

I fell down the rabbit hole of mock drafts for almost a day for this. The problem is, I was never quite sure of which position I really wanted to prioritise as there are several important ones this year, and then a random guy would fall and be too good to miss! Not to mention, how it’s ever so annoying when the guys you want keep going just ahead of your pick (am I right?!). But to that end, curtesy of the PFF draft simulator, I produced a draft I think I would be happy with if the Patriots copied it. Whilst I know it’s not going to give everyone tingles, I put on my GM cap and did (to the best of my ability!) what I thought would be best for the team not only for 2023 but going forward too. I may have overdrafted a little, taken a guy a little earlier than he is expected to go, but it depends upon what you read. When I did the simulator it changed significantly, so I have been as realistic as possible. Here goes!

Round 1 – (14) – T Broderick Jones (Georgia)

At this pick I was increasingly torn as to which position to take, but I just couldn’t ignore the high end offensive line guys. To be honest Jones is an easy switch out for me with Peter Skoronski of Northwestern, both are early to mid first rounders off the board and for me one or the other would be awesome. I chose Jones over Skoronski just because of the edge he seems to have. To be honest there isn’t much in it, with Jones measuring at 6’5″ and 311, and Skoronski 6’4″ and 313. Even though he is lacking in experience, Jones threw a coach out of the club at a skill drill in the combine, and has sheer explosiveness I would love to see on the Patriots offensive line.

Round 2 – (46) – TE Sam Laporta (Iowa)

I couldn’t help myself, the talent in the tight end class is so delicious I had to draft one of the higher class guys. By 46 the top wide receivers are long gone so I decided to utilise the offensive weapon skill set over on my favourite position. LaPorta has been one of my favourites for a while now and whilst he didn’t hold the official title of “draft crush” he came darn close. LaPorta is a solid framed, 6’ 3.5” versatile pass catcher with a powerful looking lower body. Electric after the catch LaPorta has many strengths but there is a little work to be done with his contested catches. Definitely a good choice for the Patriots as a rookie starter behind two experienced tight ends in Henry and Gesicki, and stocking the cupboard for a TE1 of the future.

Round 3 – (76) – CB Riley Moss (Iowa)

Cornerback is definitely a position that I hope the Patriots address this draft and, whilst it’s not possible to take the top tackle, wide receiver AND cornerback, I did what I could with the board that I was dealt. After I did my mock I read Tom’s and realised he has also taken Moss but with the 107 pick, so I may have played it a little safe and selected the cornerback I wanted, but some mocks have him going in round three and that’s when I scooped him up. Moss is productive, experienced and an elite athlete with great coverage instincts, worth the 76th selection in my humble opinion.

Round 4 – (107) – TE Luke Schoonmaker (Michigan)

I had to do it, all my other positional preferences had gone by 107 and so I had to grab some more future tight endage. A lovely blend of size, athleticism and blocking ability Schoonmaker is a tall, lean built, inline Y tight end with the room to add weight. He is good in the run game, and whilst not necessarily dynamic, he shouldn’t be overlooked as playmaker.

Don’t forget to chose your favourite draft selection in the Pats Propaganda twitter poll!