I am not a draft expert nor do I do enough research to put together mock drafts like some of the other bloggers here at The 300s, but hindsight is more fun anyways. With that being said, I have a pretty wait and see type attitude on the draft because it’s impossible to grade a draft before anyone even laces up their Nikes. Anyone who says they know otherwise is lying to you.

1st Round: Patriots trade the No. 22 pick to the Charges for two 3rd rounders, No. 37 and No. 71

Least surprising (non) pick of the draft, which doesn’t make it any less frustrating for everyone waiting for the Patriots to pick for 3 hours before they traded out. Schefter also said the Pats could still get the guy they wanted at No. 37 instead of picking him at No. 22. Well I guess give them credit for not reaching on their first pick THIS far, but maybe that says more about overvaluing a guy a bit much? Remains to be seen.

2nd Round No. 37: Lenoir-Rhyne S – Kyle Dugger (6’2″ 220 lbs):

Their first pick of the night was a safety from a Division II school I’ve never even heard of. At first glance this seems like an absolutely bananas reach, but most mock drafts didn’t have Dugger too much lower than where the Pats took him. From all the reports I’ve read he seems to be a freak athlete with the ability to float around position-wise on the field plus he returns punts, which the Pats desperately need someone besides Edelman to do well. All things that Belichick loves. At 6’2″ he adds another big body at corner for the Pats next to 6’1″ Stephon Gilmore and 6’3″ Joejuan Williams. Projects to be an eventual replacement for Patrick Chung and could likely drop down to cover tight ends like Chung.

Going back to S Kyle Dugger to the #Patriots…

Has the traits to play multiple roles in the NE system at 6-foot-1, 217.

Range in the post, roll down as a “robber” safety, match to TEs… pic.twitter.com/vFpgbmtApI

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) April 25, 2020

Also, Scott Zolak shamed anyone for shitting on a Division II player because of his experience playing with a DII player himself.

You can all sit there and laugh at D2 kids. I played with Ben Coates. One of the greatest TEs of all time. Stud, went to Livingstone College. It’s now defunct. We laughed at him til he took that pass in fiat 55 yards vs Bills. It’s football

— Scott Zolak (@scottzolak) April 25, 2020

2nd Round No. 60: Michigan LB Josh Uche (6’3″ 226 lbs):

Uche is an undersized edge guy who didn’t start a game at Michigan until his senior year, which doesn’t sound great, but is a high ceiling freak athlete who excelled at the Senior Bowl against other top competition. He also has the positional flexibility to play LB or on the line, which the Pats love.

Josh Uche can play linebacker or as a pass rusher in the Patriots' defense. Think Kyle Van Noy or Jamie Collins. Super athletic. He can fill multiple roles in the Patriots' defense. Shorter but super long arms.

— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) April 25, 2020

3rd Round No. 87: Alabama DE Anfernee Jennings (6’3″ 259 lbs):

First Team All-SEC at Bama so I’m good with this one. Seems like the Pats may have a role in mind for Jennings already.

It's almost like Anfernee Jennings (run D, read and react) and Josh Uche (sub rusher) are a combo package.

— Greg A. Bedard (@GregABedard) April 25, 2020

3rd Round No. 91: UCLA TE Devin Asiasi (6’3″ 279 lbs):

This team is BARREN at tight end so I expect Asiasi to compete for the starting role Day 1 if he can pick up the playbook.

Oh hell yeah, Belichick. #Patriots draft Devin Asiasi, one of my favorite tight ends in the draft. Burst and speed to get vertical up the seam and change of direction. Pass-catcher. https://t.co/GH7iPEnAKo

— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) April 25, 2020

3rd Round No. 101: Virginia Tech TE Dalton Keene (6’4″ 253 lbs):

Dalton “The Cooler” Keene. Dalton “Pain Don’t Hurt” Keene. This kid better have seen Roadhouse because I am not referring to him as anything other than Swayze references from here on out. People complained the Patriots did nothing to plan for life after Gronk last year so this year they went ahead and drafted two tight ends back to back in the 3rd. Seems aggressive, but the Pats got next to nothing out of the position last year and had one of the worst tight end groups in the league (37 catches, 2 TDs). The Pats haven’t taken two tight ends in the same draft, let alone back to back, since the Gronk/Hernandez draft in 2010.

Another tight end for the #Patriots: Dalton Keene was the best tester at tight end at the combine this year. https://t.co/7b52viqz2x

— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) April 25, 2020

5th Round No. 159: Marshall K Justin Rohrwasser (6’3″ 230 lbs):

Kicker was a big need for the Pats after the debacle last season and cutting Gostkowski this offseason. Taking a kicker in the fifth round though is questionable. Taking a kicker that wasn’t really on anyone’s board also isn’t ideal. Oh and apparently there wasn’t even much game film of him except for a few YouTube clips. Sweet! Before the next pick was even in though the internet had descended on Rohrwasser for a tattoo on his arm that apparently symbolizes some right wing gun nut group the 3 Percenters. Jemelle Hill wasted no time in labeling his a white supremacist. Rohrwasser quickly denied that he supported the group saying he didn’t understand what the tat meant and he’d be getting it covered up. A bad look for the kid out of the gate, but not entirely unbelievable. He also had a questionable IG post about a controversial public speaker. Not a great start, but maybe we give the kid more than five minutes in the public eye before collectively deciding to #cancel him.

6th Round No. 182: Michigan OG Mike Onwenu (6’3″ 350 lbs):

New Patriots guard Michael Onwenu allowed two sacks in 1,198 pass-blocking snaps at Michigan, per @pff. Zero last season.

— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) April 25, 2020

Patriots just got the OL steal of the draft imo. Michael Onwenu is a stud. Late 3rd rd grade from me. People overvalue traits a little bit at guard, plenty of guards that aren't elite athletes but physically and technically do just fine. That's him

— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) April 25, 2020

6th Round No. 195: Wake Forest OL Justin Herron (6’5″ 305 lbs):

Herron was a four year starter and a team captain at Wake Forest last year.

The Patriots select Wake Forest OT Justin Herron with their next sixth-round pick, No. 195. The 6-foot-5, 290-pound Herron was a team captain last year, when he was a grad student at the school.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) April 25, 2020

6th Round No. 204: Wyoming LB Cassh Maluia (6′ 248 lbs):

Absolute MONEY name. Mike Reiss projects him as a special teamer.

The Patriots select Wyoming LB Cassh Maluia with their next sixth-round pick (No. 204). He is 5-foot-11 and 231 pounds, and ran a 4.53 in the 40. Could be eyed with core special teams contributions in mind.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) April 25, 2020

7th Round No. 230: Memphis C Dustin Woodard (6’2″ 291 lbs):

Numbers lie, but the numbers around Woodward are pretty damn great if you believe Pro Football Focus.

With what is likely their final pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select Dustin Woodard – C Memphis!

Woodard was the best run blocking center in all of college football with an elite 90.1 Run Blocking Grade!

— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) April 25, 2020

My biggest gripe with this draft was that the Patriots didn’t take a single WR in a loaded receiver class or a single QB even as guys like Jake Fromm continued to slide. It seems like Bill is pretty comfortable with Stidham throwing to the current depth chart of Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Mohamed Sanu, and Jacoby Meyers. Not terrible, but it also wasn’t enough last year with Tom Brady throwing to them. So hopefully the combination of a young QB actually throwing to fellow young players, the addition of a couple tight ends, Sanu getting healthy, oh and the addition (for now) of WR Marquise Lee is a serviceable receiver core.

Almost as if he could hear all of our bitching from his place on Nantucket, Bill then signed two quarterbacks, four receivers, and another pair of tight ends (not including Thaddeus Moss) immediately following the draft. All four receivers are 5’11” or shorter though as the team may be looking to plan for the future at slot.

Undrafted free agents signed by the Patriots (via Patriots.com)

• QB Brian Lewerke, Michigan State (6’2″, 213 lbs)
• QB J’Mar Smith, Louisiana Tech (6′, 228 lbs)
• WR Will Hastings, Auburn (5’10”, 175 lbs)
  • This one intrigues me the most as Hastings was Jarret Stidham’s go to slot receiver at Auburn.
• WR Sean Riley, Syracuse (5’8″, 178 lbs)
• WR Isaiah Zuber, Mississippi State (5’11”, 184 lbs)
• WR Jeff Thomas, Miami (5’9″, 170 lbs)
• TE Rashod Berry, Ohio State (6’3″, 263 lbs)
• TE Jake Burt, Boston College (6’3″, 260 lbs)
  • Hey a guy I’ve actually seen play in person before! He also got a pretty big signing bonus so the Pats clearly see something.

Boston College TE Jake Burt, an undrafted free agent, is signing with the New England Patriots and is receiving $80,000 guaranteed to do it, one of the larger guarantees for undrafted TEs, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 26, 2020

• RB J.J. Taylor, Arizona (5’5″, 185 lbs)
  • As a fellow short, I love this pickup. The little wrecking ball racked up over 3,000 rushing yards in college so he’s not just a third down guy.
• DT Bill Murray, William & Mary (6’4″, 280 lbs)
  
• DE Nick Coe, Auburn (6’4″, 280 lbs)
• DE Trevon Hill, Miami (6’3″, 248 lbs)
• LB Kyahva Tezino, San Diego State (6′, 235 lbs)
• LB De’Jon Harris, Arkansas (5’11”, 234 lbs)
  • “Per NESN, the Patriots gave Harris a significant deal to join the team, perhaps illustrating how high his chances are to make the team as an Elandon Roberts, early-down linebacker replacement.”
• CB Myles Bryant, Washington (5’7″, 183 lbs)