The entered the 2022 looking to carry the momentum from what was a productive draft a season ago, which was headlined by the addition of quarterback . Now that they have their franchise signal-caller under the tent, this draft's main goal was to find young talent that continues to build around Jones so that New England can take the next step and play deep into the playoffs.As the '22 draft unfolded, it was your cla sic Belichick draft -- he traded down in the first round, took an interior offensive lineman out of Chattanooga at No. 29 overall, and made sure he came away with the nation's top kick returner. Oh, and he also took a quarterback out of Western Kentucky in the fourth.So, does Belichick zigging while most of the league thought he may zag and addre s other areas of need on the roster mean the Patriots are back? We'll find out once these prospects actually hit the field, but it was certainly an interesting cla s that is making its way
Alvin Kamara Jersey to Foxborough. Below, you'll find the Patriots' 2022 draft cla s, along with a couple of moves they didn't make over the course of the weekend and one addition that they definitely got right. Round (Pick)PlayersPositionSchool1 (29)Cole StrangeIOLUT-Chattanooga2 (50)WRBaylor3 (85)CBHouston4 (121)CBArizona State4 (127)Pierre StrongRBSouth Dakota State4 (137)QBWestern Kentucky6 (183)RBSouth Carolina6 (200)DTNW Mi souri State University6 (210)CLSU7 (245)OTMichiganOne of the more surprising moves that the Patriots didn't make over the course of the draft was that they selected zero linebackers. While corner was a high-profile need on defense, linebacker is pretty thin as well with and still unsigned. The team did trade for former linebacker this offseason and re-signed , but there is a lot of inexperience beyond that with and making up the depth chart. That's why a lot of the mock drafts heading into the first round pegged New England as a po sible landing spot for the likes of or . Both of those players were still on the board when the Patriots were initially on the
Nick Vannett Jersey clock at No. 21 overall before trading back. By the time their new pick got back around at 29, Lloyd and Walker were both selected and they opted to addre s the O-line with Cole Strange.While the Patriots may not have wanted to take a linebacker at 21, it was a bit eyebrow-raising that they didn't take a single player at that position over the three days. They may think highly of Jennings (third round, 2020) and McGrone (fifth round,
Taysom Hill Jersey 2021) enough that they don't see this as big of a need. That said, it was interesting to see them even stray away from Georiga's as his sunken draft stock due to a rumored injury that made the once first-round prospect into a third-round pick. That seemed like the type of value a Belichick front office would typically pounce on.The biggest hit New England's roster took this offseason was the departure of All-Pro corner J.C. Jackson in free agency. While this isn't the first time the Patriots have lost their No. 1 corner, they've historically had someone in-house to ascend to that role. Most recently, it was Jackson who became the team's top corner following exit and Gilmore was the in-house replacement when the team moved on from following the 2017 season. Now, there isn't that clear figure in the secondary that can realistically step up into that role, which is why many believed the Patriots would use their top pick to addre s that glaring need.Of course, it was unrealistic to expect the likes of Derek Stingley or Ahmad Garnder -- two corners that went inside the top five -- to be on the board when New England was on the clock at No. 21, but there were options for them at that spot, including Washington's or out of Florida. Instead, they traded back with Kansas City, who decided to pluck McDuffie to help their defense.The Patriots did end up taking two corners in this draft in Marcus Jones (third round) and Jack Jones (fourth round), but it seems unrealistic to expect them to come in out of the gate as a starter compared to what a first-rounder can do on Day 1. Marcus Jones will likely make more of an impact in the return game from the jump, while Jack Jones works to find
New Orleans Saints Jersey his spot in the rotation. It's certainly po sible that one or both of these players becomes that No. 1 corner at some point, but it would seem unlikely that it happens in 2022, which means there's still a big hole in this secondary.While you can question how the Patriots got there, there's no denying that there was a big need for this offense to get faster. The front office seemed to recognize that and were able to bring in the fastest wide receiver and running back in this cla s in Tyquan Thornton and Pierre Strong. The Patriots traded up in the second round to land Thornton, who turned in a 4.28 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine, which was not only the fastest among all receivers but the fourth-fastest by a wideout dating back to
Tony Jones Jr. Jersey 2006. Some NFL Draft prognosticators have dubbed this a reach as Thornton was projected to po sibly be a third-round pick, but there's no denying that he brings a much-needed trait to this offense. The just grabbed the fastest WR in the Draft. 's Tyquan Thornton, who ran a 4.28 40. NFL (@NFL) The same can be said for Strong, who ran a 4.37 40 at the combine. Although, it may be a while before he makes an impact in what is a crowded Patriots backfield currently headlined by , , and .
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