The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books for the New England Patriots. In all, Bill Belichick and company made 12 selections, which primarily centered around bringing in some youth and high-end talent on the defensive side of the ball.
New England's first selection this year was initially at No. 14 overall, which would have been the highest the organization has picked dating back to 2008 when they owned the No. 10 overall pick and took linebacker -- and current assistant coach -- Jerod Mayo. However, they team traded down with the Pittsburgh Steelers to No. 17 overall to collect another fourth-rounder.
With that top pick New England elected to address the secondary by bringing aboard arguably the top corner in this class in Oregon's Christian Gonzalez, who is looked at as one of the biggest steals of the entire draft. On Day 2, the Pats came away with two more defensive players: edge rusher Keion White and safety Marte Mapu. And that was just the tip of the iceberg during what was a very busy draft in Foxborough.
Here is every single selection the Patriots made at the 2023 NFL Draft and a breakdown of each player below.
| Round | Overall Pick | Player |
|---|---|---|
1 | 17 | Christian Gonzalez, CB (Oregon) |
2 | 46 | Keion White, EDGE (Georgia Tech) |
3 | 76 | Marte Mapu, S (Sacramento State) |
4 | 107 | Jake Andrews, C (Troy) |
4 | 112 | Chad Ryland, K (Maryland) |
4 | 117 | Sidy Sow, G (Eastern Michigan) |
| 5 | 144 | Atonio Mafi, IOL (UCLA) |
6 | 187 | Kayshon Boutte, WR (LSU) |
6 | 192 | Bryce Baringer, P (Michigan State) |
6 | 210 | Demario Douglas, WR (Liberty) |
| 6 | 214 | Ameer Speed, CB (Michigan State) |
7 | 245 | Isaiah Bolden, CB (Jackson State) |
Patriots select Christian Gonzalez at No. 17
The Patriots traded back with the Pittsburgh Steelers from No. 14 to No. 17 while picking up at 2023 fourth-rounder. Gonzalez ended up still being on the board for New England when they were on the clock again and and it didn't take long for Bill Belichick's team to swoop in and take the Oregon product. This is quite the coup for the Patriots as Gonzalez was looked at as arguably the top cornerback in this class. He was CBS Sports' No. 1 ranked corner and the No. 7 overall prospect. While offensive tackle was a popular position to address for the Patriots throughout the pre-draft process, the corner spot was also a sneaky big need. Beyond Jonathan Jones -- who re-signed in free agency -- and second-year corner Jack Jones, there wasn't much depth at the position, so not only does Gonzalez bring depth, but also has top-tier talent.
Grade: A -- "I had him ranked as the top corner in this draft. For him to fall this far is amazing to me. The Patriots traded down and still filled a major position of need. Nice job." -- Pete Prisco
What's they're saying: "I mean a little bit," Gonzalez said when asked if he was surprised he fell to No. 17. "But it all happens for a reason. God has a plan. So I am trusting his plan. I'm very excited to play under him. You can't really get a better coach than that. So I'm just excited to learn, go in there and just compete."
Patriots select Keion White at No. 46
New England has beefed up its pass rush by selecting Georgia Tech edge rusher Keion White with the No. 46 overall pick. White is CBS Sports' No. 6-ranked edge rushing prospect and the No. 42-ranked player in this class overall. He's coming off a senior season where he totaled 7.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss in 12 games played. The 6-foot-5, 285 pounder has a strong combination of size and athleticism and should be able to give the defensive line some versatility by kicking inside on top of coming off the edge. He joins a pass rushing group that consists of Matthew Judon, Josh Uche, and Deatrich Wise.
Grade: C- -- "Patriots EDGE all the way. Huge, thick, powerful hands. Tested well but doesn't play to that level on the field. Can be slippery getting upfield or stiff and stagnant when he takes on blocks. Can he win fast enough in the NFL? No offense?" -- Chris Trapasso
What's they're saying: "They're getting somebody that's willing to improve their game and I feel like that's all I can ask for, for myself, is somebody who's constantly wanting to get better every day," White said when asked what the Patriots are getting. "Whether it be practice, whether it be film, whether it be taking notes, getting better than that. So I just want to get better in every aspect of the game and just become more knowledgeable in every way possible."
Patriots select Marte Mapu at No. 76
Bill Belichick is using the first two days of the NFL Draft solidify the defense side of the ball. In the third round, the club elected to bring aboard Sacramento State safety Marte Mapu with the No. 76 overall pick. New England did lose Devin McCourty to retirement this offseason, but Mapu projects more as a box safety/hybrid linebacker, giving more depth at that position. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Sky Conference last season and finished with 76 tackles and two interceptions.
Grade: B- -- "Safety who'll play LB in the NFL. Found the football often in coverage too. Big hitter with range. Plus athlete. A little redundant with Kyle Dugger on that defense. And still no offense?" -- Chris Trapasso
What's they're saying: "I'd say I would describe my game by just having the fundamentals. I feel like I can run, cover, hit and make plays," Mapu when asked about his position and playing style. "I have good instincts. So I feel like that's just how it is for me. The position I'm going to play, you're going to see in the fall. I don't really know how that's going to fall into place. That's going to be to be determined, but wherever I am, I'm going to work to be the best at it."
Patriots select Jake Andrews at No. 107
The Patriots were one of the last teams at the NFL Draft to take an offensive player and broke that streak with the No. 107 pick by taking Troy center Jake Andrews. Andrews is CBS Sports' No. 17 overall interior lineman in this class and has 37 games under his belt. He also brings position versatility as he has experience at guard as well as center. While he may initially get work as a guard, Andrews could also be looked at as a potential heir apparent to longtime starting center David Andrews, who will be 31 years old at the start of next season and has two more years left on his contract.
Grade: B -- "Andrews is a mean battler at center with some burst. Understands angles/leverage very well, particularly for the ground game. Low center of gravity. Played guard before his final season. Must add sand in his pants in pass pro to deal with bull rushers. A little early but a very Patriots pick." -- Chris Trapasso
What's they're saying: "I was always a swing guy," Andrews said of his versatility to play center and guard. "When I got [to Troy], I always had to know center even when I had two years as guard, I had to know how to play center, just in case. And then this past year, obviously playing center for the whole entire season, it was really good transition and was something that I wanted to do to show that I was versatile, to show that I could snap the ball and make calls and identify defenses so it was a pretty smooth transition for me, especially with the help of coach Popovich. Like I said, I can't give enough credit to him. He really helped me out a lot."
Patriots trade up for Chad Ryland at No. 112
Two rarities occurred early in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Not only did New England trade up, but Bill Belichick's club made a rare trade with the New York Jets to do so. The Patriots gave up No. 120 and No. 184 overall to select Maryland kicker Chad Ryland at No. 112 overall. Ryland is CBS Sports' No. 2-ranked kicker in this class. He is coming off a senior season at Maryland where he connected on 82.6% of his field goal attempts and 97.5% of his extra point attempts. Ryland also has experience on kickoffs.
Grade: F -- "Accurate kicker but doesn't have a big leg. I get kickers can be drafted but trading up for a kicker in the fourth round?" -- Chris Trapasso
What's they're saying: "I think when you look at cold weather like that, obviously not the most ideal conditions to kick a football and not a lot of people want to kick in that, but I do," Ryland said of kicking in colder weather like he will in New England. "I'm a cold weather guy. I like the cold. I like the wind. For me, it's that challenge of bring it on. Obviously, there's a lot that goes into kicking in those conditions. So the challenge of doing that happened to really develop in terms of ball striking, understanding conditions and just everything that comes with it. I love it. Like I don't shy away from it. It certainly has helped me develop into the kicker I am today. So long story short, I guess I'm thankful for adverse conditions like that."
Patriots select Sidy Sow at No. 117
New England has used two of its first three picks on Day 3 to address the interior along the offensive line. The latest came at No. 117 with the Patriots selecting Eastern Michigan guard Sidy Sow. The 6-foot-5, 323 pounder is CBS Sports No. 10-ranked interior lineman. He had an impressive showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, registering a 32-inch vertical and a 9-foot-2 board jump. He also rank a 5.07-second 40-yard dash, which is quick for a player of his size.
Grade: A --"Ultra-experienced, big, balanced, athleticism specimen at guard who's rarely out of position or off balanced. Combo-blocking machine. Hand work is good. Hard to find a flaw to his game. Bit surprised no offense weapon has been added yet" -- Chris Trapasso
What's they're saying: "My whole journey in high school, middle school and before going to college, was being a defensive lineman," Sow said of his journey to the NFL coming from Canada. "The thing is that there's basically no college coaches coming into Quebec to recruit, especially during my time. I could have gone to a Canadian College, that was never an issue, but I had my eyes on the NFL and knew that was the path for me. So, in the summers when I was 16, I hopped on the bus and did camp every single day for two weeks straight. We went all the way down the coast to Virginia and tried to get as many opportunities as we could. The biggest camp of the tour was Ohio State and I went to that camp and I knew there was going to be a lot of eyes from coaches on us, so I came in during the one-on-one period and I was like, you know what, I want to try to do something.
"So fortunately, the o-line coach at Eastern at the time was over there. He liked me enough that he was like okay, we want to offer you a scholarship but can you come to one of our camps in a couple of weeks? So I did that and did some work on the offensive line. And you know, that day I got an offer on the spot and the only offer or interest I had and now I am here."
Patriots select Atonio Mafi at No. 144
The Patriots traded their final pick in the fourth round (No. 135) to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for No. 144 and No. 214. With that 144th pick, New England continued to deepen the interior of its offensive line by bringing aboard UCLA lineman Atonio Mafi. The Patriots worked with Mafi at the Shrine Bowl, so they have a solid amount of familiarity with him. The 6-foot-2, 329 pounder has experience playing both left and right guard for the Bruins, and is CBS Sports' No. 16-ranked interior lineman prospect.
Grade: C- -- "Enormous, phone-booth blocker and will devastate smaller rushers at the next level. Only problem is he doesn't have lateral quickness whatsoever and his balance needs work." -- Chris Trapasso
What's they're saying: "Just the way my playing time was going at UCLA, I'm the kind of guy that just wants to help the team," Mafi said of his position change from defense to offense. "I saw my role on the d-line was diminishing, so I just went and asked if there was any way I could play o-line and then if that would help me to see the field quicker. Things kind of worked out in the best way for me. I'm here now and I'm just really happy that I actually made that call after a few years, like three years ago."
Patriots select Kayshon Boutte at No. 187
The Patriots largely punted on the wide receiver position during the draft, but have come away with LSU's Kayshon Boutte with the No. 187 overall pick in the sixth round. The 5-foot-11, 195 pounder caught 48 passes for the Tigers last season for 538 yards and two touchdown. Boutte was once looked at as a possible first-round talent during his early days at LSU, but seemed to plateau as his tenure went along. It will be interesting to see if the Patriots can tap into that potential.
Grade: B+ -- "Boutte's testing numbers were bad, which is likely why he sunk this far. After the catch, he combines balance with plus cutting skill to knife through the defense. Not a major separator. Low-risk, possibly high-reward WR for Patriots who works best underneath." -- Chris Trapasso
What they're saying: "Personally, my college career was good, but it could have been better. That's how I feel about it," Boutte said when asked to describe his college career.
Patriots select Bryce Baringer at No. 192 overall
We got a punter! With the No. 192 overall pick, New England took Michigan State punter Bryce Baringer. The Patriots become the first team since the 2000 Raiders to pick a kicker and a punter in the same draft. Baringer is CBS Sports' No. 1 ranked punter in this class and does fill a sneaky need. The Patriots had one of the worst punting units in the NFL last season and the 32nd-ranked special teams in DVOA, so this is a worthwhile endeavor to get the top-ranked punter at this stage of the draft.
Grade: B+ -- "Arguably the best punting prospect in the class. Big, booming leg, which occasionally leads to him outkicking his coverage. Lacks touch on shorter kicks." -- Chris Trapasso.
What they're saying: "Thankfully, just being from the Midwest and from Michigan, I've been able to have the chance to play in some snow games," Baringer on kicking in cold weather. "We did last year, or two years ago, excuse me against Penn State, some really windy game. So hopefully I'll be able to bring that knowledge out to Foxborough."
Patriots select Demario Douglas at No. 210 overall
New England has used Day 3 of the draft to bring aboard some wide receivers. With the No. 210 overall selection, the Patriots picked Liberty wideout Demario Douglas. The 5-foot-8, 179 pounder is CBS Sports' No. 18 wide receiver prospect is coming off a strong final season at Liberty in 2022. In 13 games, he caught 79 passes for 993 yards and six touchdowns. He also rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Grade: A- -- "Small, decently compact slot WR who runs good, not amazing routes. Explosive after the catch. Very touch to corral. Flashes a bigger catch radius than his size would indicate. Very Patriots pick." -- Chris Trapasso.
Patriots select Ameer Speed at No. 214 overall
The Patriots used their final pick in the sixth round to bring in Michigan State cornerback Ameer Speed at No. 214 overall. As you may expect given his last name, Speed is fast. He ran a 4.33 40-yard dash and had 62 tackles and five pass breakups last season. Could be a factor on special teams.
Grade: D+ -- "Oversized outside CB who wins with physicality at the line. Decent explosiveness. Long speed is an issue."-- Chris Trapasso.
Patriots select Isaiah Bolden at No. 245 overall
New England ended its draft the way it began it -- in the secondary. With the No. 245 overall selection the Patriots brought in Jackson State cornerback Isaiah Bolden. The 6-foot-2, 205 pounder ran a 4.31 40-yard dash during his pro day and registered a 38-inch vertical and a 10-foot-9-inch board jump. He played in the slot at Jackson State and also has experience as a kick returner.
Grade: C+ -- "Jackson State had a lot of talent at cornerback, which forced Bolden to play out of the slot quite a bit. He has great length and speed to transition to a more traditional boundary role for a player with his traits." -- Josh Edwards.
