New England Patriots NFL Draft Recap – NFL Preview & Prediction
The New England Patriots are one team that has always looked good heading into the draft, but now the Patriots lost their starting quarterback, some of the receivers, but also some defensive needs as well. Now, the draft was loaded with a lot of prospects that could fill the bill for the Patriots, but did the Patriots really address those needs? Well, the quick answer is the Patriots may have to rely on the free agent market to get the majority of their needs filled.
Round 1 – No Draft Pick
Round 2 (5) Kyle Dugger, S, 6’1” 217 pounds
Dugger could be more of an insurance type of pick. Dugger has a lot of speed and power, but also can cover decent as well. Not to mention if the linebackers get blocked Kyle Dugger is one safety that is able to tackle in the open field. At the same time, though, Dugger is going to be playing second fiddle as the starting safeties on the Patriots roster are both pushing their careers to new levels as they are both 33.
Round 2 (28) Josh Uche, DE, 6’1” 245 pounds
Uche is definitely undersized for the NFL defensive end position. However, this size actually helped Uche out at Michigan where he showed that he had the speed to get a step on most of the blockers. The NFL, though, is a completely different and while Uche does have quite a bit of speed that could really hurt his chances because the speed is at a different level and even with good hand fighting he could be pancaked at times.
Round 3 (23) Anfernee Jennings, OLD, 6’2” 256 pounds
Jennings is coming out of Alabama and he has been impressive at times during his career. However, getting a defender that can protect the edge is very important for the Patriots as the team allowed way to many running backs to get the edge and that will be the hole that Jennings is going to have to fill is to keep the runners from getting the corner. The downside is with this size if the Patriots were looking for a strong edge rusher they may have to look elsewhere.
Round 3 (27) Devin Asiasi, TE, 6’3” 257 pounds
Asiasi will have some big shoes to fill and while Devin is able to run the routes good, at least at UCLA he could, his hands are not near the level of a Ben Watson or Gronk style of catching. However, he will be one pick that could make the starting rotation for what could be a questionable offense for the Patriots this year as the team is going to need to fill a void left and potentially need to fill it right away.
Round 3 (37) Dalton Keene, TE, 6’4” 253 pounds
Keene is one player that should be a little bit of a surprise pick. Yes, the Patriots are desperate for tight end help. However, the Patriots are also one team that had the pick of the tight ends here and took the one who is versatile enough here that he could end up lining up in the slot if needed. So this was a solid pick for the Patriots and one that should pan out with a versatile player.
Round 5 (14) Justin Rohrwas, PK, 6’3” 234 pounds
A kicker may have seemed like an odd choice in the fifth round, but the Patriots are providing some decent shoring up of a position. The good news for the Patriots is they managed to snag Rohrwas who in 2019 was the special teams player of the year in Conference USA. Not to mention with his big leg, Rohrwas should be able to boom some large kicks for the Patriots.
Round 6 (3) Michael Onwenu, G, 6’3” 344 pounds
A massive powerhouse is what the Patriots picked up here in the 6th round. However, the raw size and power will not bode well against the smaller interior speed rushers that the NFL has. The good news, though, is if Onwenu gets his hands on them the interior rushers will not be able to get past him as his power and size will dominate most defenders.
Round 6 (16) Justin Herron, T, 6’4” 308 pounds
Herron will take some development for him to reach the level that the Patriots need. Yes, Herron was a 4-year starter, but he played at Wake Forest which is a good school, but is not really seen as a football powerhouse and that definitely show here. What else could be a major issue is the fact that Herron is not that fast on his feet and not really able to move quickly to the side.
Round 6 (25) Cassh Maluia, ILB, 6’0” 248 pounds
Now, a lot of pundits are calling Cassh undersized for his position. However, looking at some of the other greats at this position Maluia looks like he is the perfect size. On the downside, he was only a 3-year starter from Wyoming which is a somewhat big school, but not a great football school. What Maluia does have is the ability to read the quarterback and that could definitely help him out quite a bit and help land him a spot on the Patriots.
Round 7(16) Dustin Woodard, C, 6’1” 295 pounds
Now, the Patriots managed to pick up a center in the last pick of the draft for the Patriots. Coming from Memphis could be a good thing for the Patriots as well as Woodard is a 4 year starter. What else helps the Patriots is Woodard bounced around to all the interior line positions and that will definitely help the Patriots in adding depth, but for some of the interior line positions Woodard may be considered a little bit undersized.
