The New England Patriots had a busy weekend at the 2023 NFL Draft, making among the most picks in the league with 12. They entered the draft with needs at cornerback, offensive line, and wide receiver, and addressed those holes and more.
Without further ado, let's meet New England's 2023 draft class.
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1st Round, No. 17 Overall: Christian Gonzalez, CB – Oregon
A former four-star cornerback from The Colony, Texas, Gonzalez was one of the top corners in this class. He started his career with two seasons at Colorado, recording 78 tackles and 10 passes defended. He then transferred to Oregon for the 2022 season and shined with 51 tackles, seven passes defended, and four interceptions. The 6-2, 201-pound cornerback garnered a ton of hype leading up to the draft, and the Patriots may have gotten a steal by landing him at No. 17 overall.
2nd Round, No. 46 Overall: Keion White, EDGE – Georgia Tech
Hailing from Garner, N.C., White began his college career as a tight end at Old Dominion. He transitioned to defensive end in 2019, posting 62 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks while earning second-team All-Conference USA honors. After sitting out the 2020 season due to the pandemic, he transferred to Georgia Tech but only played four games due to injury. In 2022, though, he excelled with 54 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks.
3rd Round, No. 76 Overall: Marte Mapu, LB – Sacramento State
Originally from Hawthorne, Calif., Mapu has become a star at the FCS level. In 41 career games at Sacramento State, Mapu recorded 164 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 22 passes defended, and seven interceptions. He was an FCS All-American in 2022.
4th Round, No. 107 Overall: Jake Andrews, C – Troy
Andrews is a former three-star recruit from Millbrook, Ala., He was the Trojans' starting right guard in 2020 and 2021, but moved to center in 2022. Last season, he was a first-team All-Sun Belt selection and helped the Trojans finish No. 19 in the final AP rankings. Andrews allowed just six sacks in 1,653 career pass-blocking snaps.
4th Round, No. 112 Overall: Chad Ryland, K – Maryland
A five-star kicker from Lebanon, Pa., Ryland began his college career at Eastern Michigan. In four seasons with the Eagles, he went 56-for-74 on field goals with a long of 55 yards and went 141-for-145 on extra points. He also set the school record for points in a season with 104 in 2021. In his lone season at Maryland, Ryland went 19-for-23 on field goals and 39-for-40 on extra points. He was the second kicker taken in the 2023 draft, following Michigan's Jake Moody at No. 99 to the San Francisco 49ers.
4th Round, No. 117 Overall: Sidy Sow, G – Eastern Michigan
Sow is originally from Canada, hailing from Bromont, Quebec. He started 49 consecutive games to end his career, and is the Eagles all-time leader in games started with 55. The right guard only had one holding penalty in 2022 and was a first-team All-Mac selection in 2021 and 2022. A solid pick for the Patriots.
5th Round, No. 144 Overall: Atonio Mafi, G – UCLA
A former three-star recruit Shoreview, Calif., Mafi committed to play for UCLA over Cal and others. He started occasionally early on in his career but emerged as the Bruins' full-time starter at left guard in 2022. The second-team All-Pac-12 selection helped the Bruins lead the conference in rushing with 238.2 yards per game.
6th Round, No. 187 Overall: Kayshon Boutte, WR – LSU
Hailing from New Iberia, La., Boutte was a five-star recruit out of high school and the best in his state. He started his career very well, catching 45 passes for 735 yards and five touchdowns in 2020. He had a great start to the 2021 season with 38 receptions for 509 yards and nine touchdowns, but injury cut his season short after just six games. Once he returned in 2022, he took a noticeable step back with 48 receptions for 538 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Now, Boutte hopes to find his groove again as a late-round pick with the Patriots.
6th Round, No. 192 Overall: Bryce Baringer, P – Michigan State
Hailing from Waterford, Mich., Baringer began his career at Illinois before transferring to Michigan State in 2018. Over his time with the Spartans, he averaged 46 yards per punt on 161 attempts. He was a consensus All-American in 2022. Baringer was also the first punter off the board in the 2023 draft.
6th Round, No. 210 Overall: Demario Douglas, WR – Liberty
Originally from Jacksonville, Fla., Douglas committed to Liberty over Florida Atlantic, UAB, and others. In four seasons with the Flames, the 5-8, 170-pound receiver posted 172 receptions for 2,193 yards and 16 touchdowns.
6th Round, No. 214 Overall: Ameer Speed, DB – Michigan State
A former three-star recruit and another Jacksonville native, Speed began his career at Georgia. However, he rarely saw the field in five seasons with the Bulldogs and transferred to Michigan State ahead of the 2022 season. He finally broke out with the Spartans, posting 63 tackles and five passes defended.
7th Round, No. 245 Overall: Isaiah Bolden, CB – Jackson State
Bolden, a former four-star recruit from Tampa, Fla., was the Patriots' final selection of the 2023 draft. He began his career at Florida State but transferred to Jackson State after two seasons. In 2022, the senior recorded 44 tackles and seven passes defended. Notably, he was the only HBCU player selected this year, something his former coach Deion Sanders took exception to.
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