Three potential first-round targets for New England Patriots in the NFL Draft
The post-Tom Brady era hasn't been kind to the New England Patriots, who have missed the playoffs twice in the past three seasons.
The AFC East has become arguably the toughest division in football, and the Patriots are in danger of finishing last in the standings. New England has made several underrated moves this offseason, but restoring order in Foxborough can only begin with a strong draft class.
Barring a trade, the Patriots' 14th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft will be the highest it has selected since 2008. With a multitude of options to consider on Thursday, here are three potential first-round options for New England:
Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College
Height: 5-foot-9 | Weight: 182 pounds
Quarterback Mac Jones' performance will be the biggest storyline for the Patriots this season, and the organization is working tirelessly to provide him with the resources for a proper evaluation
While free-agent pickups wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki will be key contributors in 2023, Jones needs another weapon. Flowers could immediately assume the bulk of the workload. The two-time first-team All-ACC honoree is the Eagles' all-time leader in receptions (200), receiving yards (3,056) and touchdowns (29).
The development could be an indication that Flowers is the team's preference. 98.5 The Sports Hub's Alex Barth mentioned that the Patriots did the same for Arizona State's N'Keal Harry, their eventual first-round pick in 2019.
Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 173 pounds
Just as Flowers would be a solid fit for New England, Addison is an excellent candidate at 14 and might be the better overall prospect. Former scout Daniel Jeremiah ranks the 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner as his WR1 in the class.
"[Addison] is a very smooth, polished route runner, routinely changing tempo and efficiently getting in/out of the breakpoint," Jeremiah wrote in his updated top 150 prospects rankings."Overall, Addison should become a high-volume pass catcher very early in his pro career."
Addison transferred from Pitt to USC last offseason, where he didn't match his 2021 output but was still productive. In 11 games last season, Addison recorded 59 receptions for 875 yards and eight touchdowns, all team highs.
New England has also made Addison a priority during the pre-draft process. During an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" last month, Addison revealed that New England would be his first stop on his top 30 visits.
Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia
Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 311 pounds
As a team, the Patriots were in the middle of the pack in sacks allowed last season (41), ranking 15th, but it was the most they had surrendered since 2008. Jones would be an ideal addition for the Patriots as he didn't allow a single sack last season and gave up just two throughout his collegiate career.
Jones is perhaps the most athletic tackle in the draft and has impressive footwork, a testament to his basketball background. He clocked the fastest 40-yard dash time (4.97 secs) at the combine for an offensive lineman and the fifth-fastest 10-yard split time in the position group (1.74 secs).
In addition to filling a need for New England, selecting Jones would likely undermine the rival Jets' draft strategy.
As part of Monday's Aaron Rodgers trade, New York swapped first-rounders with Green Bay and now holds the 15th pick. The Jets don't have too many holes on the roster, so their logical first-round selection would be an offensive lineman to protect their 39-year-old signal-caller.
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