Grading The New England Patriots 2021 Draft Picks

The Patriots have had by far the busiest offseason that they have ever had. In free agency, they went on a wild spending spree and signed top tier players to upgrade nearly every position of need. At tight end, Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry look to create one of the best groups in the league at the position. Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, and Raekwon McMillan have bolstered the linebacking core. Lastly, wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne created a new top 2 on the team. Not mentioning resignings and many other notable players, clearly the Patriots were looking to change things around.

Post free agency, it was an all out sprint to the draft. Teams were swapping picks left and right, and every NFL analyst was making a new mock draft everyday trying to figure out what exactly would take place on April 29th. With so many rumors, supposed “leaked” trade ideas, and people hyping up what would happen, you can imagine that Patriots fans were anxiously waiting for the number 15 pick. In my previous mock draft article, I had said that the patriots would select Micah Parsons. However, I did note that they could take a certain quarterback. Though it wasn’t the quarterback that I had picked, they did decide to go that way for the 15th overall pick.

I will now rank the top 5 Patriots draft picks and give an overall draft grade.

1. Christian Barmore- DT Alabama

ROUND 2- Pick #38

Barmore was one of the most physically intriguing options going into day two of the draft. After a tremendous season, Barmore went on to win Defensive MVP of the 2021 National Championship Game. At 6 foot 4, 310 pounds, he is a massive and disruptive interior force. He should fit right in with the core of Lawrence Guy, Deatrich Wise, and newly signed Davon Godchaux. In my view, Barmore has complete game-breaking ability.

2. Mac Jones- QB Alabama

ROUND 1- Pick #15

The Bill Belichick-Nick Saban connection provided two picks in this draft. At 15, the patriots had their potential heir to the throne in Jones. 2020-21 was a historic season for Jones, as he won four different awards as well as being first-team all-SEC and a consensus All-American. Cam Newton will most likely get the start, but it seems to be clear that the Patriots think they may have found their quarterback of the future. It will be interesting to see how Mac can pan out in New England.

3. Ronnie Perkins- DE Oklahoma

ROUND 3- Pick 96

After a failed drug test in 2020, Perkins was only allowed six games on the field. However, he played extremely well and led some analysts to rank him as high as the 40th best player in the draft. At 96, the value was the main reason for the pick and Perkins was certainly the right one. The 6 foot 3, 247 pounder runs very well and is skilled on the pass rush. He will join new-comer Matt Judon, Kyle Van Noy, and Chase Winovich among others.

4. Cameron McGrone- LB Michigan

ROUND 5- Pick 177

Mcgrone would be the third consecutive Michigan defender, behind Josh Uche and Chase Winovich. After tearing his ACL early in the 2020-21 season, it is unlikely that he sees the field in the upcoming season, according to Belichick. McGrone will hopefully come back in 2022 and be able to learn from the already packed linebacker core. Matt Judon, Dont’a Hightower, and Raekwon McMillan will provide a serious veteran presence for the youngster.

5. Rhamondre Stevenson- RB Oklahoma

ROUND 4- Pick 120

When I look at Stevenson, I see LeGarrette Blount 2.0. At 5 foot 11, 227 pounds, the power back certainly offers the physical traits to be a dominant ground-and-pound force. With the recent departure of Sony Michel, Stevenson enters a fairly packed running back core. However, with no true stars other than the hopeful Damien Harris, he should get in plenty of work and will be allowed solid opportunities to show he can play.

The Patriots draft was full of tremendous value and they got some really good building blocks for the future. They added too many positions that they didn’t necessarily need, but getting a quarterback of the future and some very useful depth players is a better drafting job that the Patriots have done in years. In addition to the five picks stated above, the Patriots also drafted safety Joshua Bledsoe, offensive lineman William Sherman, and wide receiver Tre Nixon. I was very impressed in the Patriots picks especially after so much pressure had been put on the team to right the ship. Had they taken a receiver earlier, or at least earlier than the seventh round, this probably would have been a perfect draft. Overall, this was a very good 2021 NFL draft for the Patriots.

Draft Grade: A-