Where the Patriots are slated to pick in first round of 2023 NFL Draft
BOSTON -- The offseason has arrived for the New England Patriots, whose season came to a merciful end Sunday afternoon with a 35-23 loss to the Bills in Buffalo. The Patriots will be postseason spectators for the second time in the last three years, giving Bill Belichick and company ample time to retool for 2023.
There should be some changes to the roster with a number of free agents, and there should be even bigger changes on the coaching staff given the season-long struggles of the offense and special teams. But those are just assumptions, based on everything we saw over the last five-plus months.
What we do know at this very moment is where the Patriots will pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Or, rather, where the Patriots are scheduled to pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. (That Belichick guy does tend to trade out of the first round, you may have noticed over the last two decades.)
With the Pats finishing the 2022 season at 8-9, they have "earned" the 14th overall pick in the upcoming draft. New England was slotted into the 15th overall pick after their loss to the Bills, but with the Commanders beating the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon, the Patriots moved up a spot.
If Belichick keeps and uses the selection, it will be the team's highest pick since drafting Jerod Mayo at 10th overall in 2008. The Patriots last picked in the teens in 2021, when they drafted Mac Jones at 15th overall.
New England had the 21st pick in last year's draft, but traded down to 29th and drafted guard Cole Strange. He had an up and down season, as did most of the offensive line. But New England got some solid contributions from third-round pick Marcus Jones and fourth-round pick Jack Jones (prior to his injury), and some good fill-in play from fourth-round quarterback Bailey Zappe when Mac Jones was out with an ankle injury.
The Patriots should be able to get a good player in that slot, with offensive tackle, defensive line, defensive back, and wide receiver some of the positions they could address.
The 2023 NFL Draft will take place from April 27-29 in Kansas City.