It's been quite a hectic time for Boston sports fans recently. With the Boston Bruins crushing our hearts with their shocking first-round playoff exit, and the Boston Celtics laboring through the early stages of the postseason, fans haven't had much time to focus elsewhere. That meant, for the most part, the 2023 NFL Draft for the New England Patriots flew under the radar.

The Patriots needed to have a big draft after a somewhat confusing free agency period, and it was clear they had some big holes that needed shoring up. New England opted to spend the first two days of the draft infusing their defense with some more top-end talent, before finally picking up some offensive depth and special teamers on Day 3.

With the Bruins and Celtics mired in chaos in the playoffs, there hasn't been a ton of time to truly analyze their draft class and make our first judgments. So while this is certainly a bit behind the clock, let's take a look at the Patriots selections and offer three late thoughts on their 2023 draft class.

3. Patriots missed opportunity to get Mac Jones more help on offense

After a disappointing sophomore campaign for Mac Jones, the Patriots needed to make it a priority to get him some more help on offense this offseason. With the two main events when it comes to adding players in free agency and the draft now in the rearview mirror, it's tough to say whether or not New England has actually gotten better on offense this offseason.

The Patriots were armed with 11 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, and while many of them came on Day 3, they had ample opportunity to land a key player to come in and help out the offense. Instead, Bill Belichick didn't draft an offensive player until the fourth round, and it doesn't seem like any of the players New England picked up on that side of the ball will be able to contribute right away in 2023.

This isn't to say that the players the Pats picked up are bad, but it feels like a missed opportunity to address what was easily the team's biggest weakness last season. Maybe New England feels they already have all the pieces in place they need to succeed on offense, but looking at their depth chart, it's tough to truly believe that.

2. Patriots Day 3 picks not overly encouraging

There wasn't a ton of top end talent in the 2023 draft class, but there was certainly a lot of depth, which is why many Patriots fans were more excited than normal for their Day 3 picks. There was still a lot of talent available on the board, and it felt like the Pats could probably add another impact player or two, particularly in the fourth round.

Instead, the Pats put together a fairly strange day of work on Day 3. They reached on their first pick of the fourth round in Jake Andrews, and then traded up to draft a kicker in Chad Ryland. New England needed a kicker, but trading up to draft Ryland certainly felt like a less than desirable outcome for the Pats.

New England also opted to completely ignore the offensive tackle position, drafting a pair of guards in addition to Andrews at center, even though the massive Dawand Jones was still on the board early in the fourth round. Not to mention, Belichick continued to add cornerbacks throughout Day 3, despite the fact there were other areas in need of more help. You can't put too much stock into Day 3 picks, but the Pats' work on the final day of the draft wasn't all that encouraging.

1. Patriots got the steal of the draft in Christian Gonzalez

Of course, what's more important is that you hit on your picks early in the draft, and it looks like the Patriots did just that. While Marte Mapu was a bit of a confusing pick in the third round, Keion White looks like a steal in the second round. But arguably the steal of the draft came in the first round for New England when they landed Christian Gonzalez with the 17th overall pick.

Gonzalez was one of the top cornerbacks available in this draft class, and was really neck-and-neck with Devon Witherspoon as the consensus top player at his position. Witherspoon ended up going to the Seattle Seahawks as the fifth overall pick, with Gonzalez sliding down the board. Not only did New England manage to land a top corner, but they also traded down the board, adding a fourth-rounder in the process, and still managed to land Gonzalez.

There's a lot to consider with this pick, but pretty much all of it is positive. New England shored up one of their top positions of need at cornerback with Gonzalez, picked up another pick in the process, and blocked off the New York Jets (who picked at number 15 behind the Pats initial number 14 pick) from getting the last remaining top offensive tackle in Broderick Jones. But beyond all the other draft maneuvering, Gonzalez looks like a Week 1 starter, and he may just end up being the biggest steal of the entire draft for the Pats.