Patriots 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Roundup of B/R Staff, Kiper and Expert Picks
The New England Patriots have a clear set of needs going into the 2023 NFL draft.
The Patriots need to upgrade at cornerback and find help for Mac Jones at offensive tackle and wide receiver.
New England sits in the perfect spot at No. 14 to address one of those needs on April 27.
The son of a former NFL linebacker could be available to address their cornerback depth, as could a few of the other top corner prospects depending on how the first 13 selections shake out.
Bill Belichick's team could also go after an offensive tackle at No. 14. That player probably has to feel comfortable playing at right tackle for a year before the Patriots look to move on from Trent Brown.
Wide receiver will not be out of the conversation for the Patriots in the first round, but if the premier prospects at corner and offensive tackle are around, which many experts believe they will be, they can't pass up the opportunity to take a player at either position.
Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
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Bleacher Report's NFL scouting department predicted that Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. would be the Patriots' first-round pick.
Belichick would probably love the opportunity to land the son of former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter.
The Patriots head coach would have little concern about the preparedness of the Penn State product for the professional level because of his pedigree.
The B/R staff pointed out that Porter Jr. possesses different physical qualities than the current corners on the Patriots roster:
"None of their top four corners are listed over 5'11" or 190 pounds. While they have plenty of talent, the Patriots can add a big, long and physical corner to their ranks and really give the defense some variety to deploy in their coverage plans.
"Penn State's Joey Porter Jr. is certainly built differently. He's a 6'2½" cornerback with 34-inch arms and an 80⅞-inch wingspan. He's also a premium athlete at that size with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, 35-inch vertical and 10'9" broad jump."
New England has some depth on the outside with Jonathan Jones, Marcus Jones and Myles Bryant, but it could use a top-tier shutdown corner who can be physical with the likes of Stefon Diggs, Garrett Wilson and Jaylen Waddle in AFC East play.
If Porter Jr. is not available, the Patriots could look to one of the other top corner prospects at No. 14.
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon
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Christian Gonzalez owns the same physical advantage compared to the current Patriots corners as Porter Jr. does.
The 6'1" Oregon product was projected to land with the Patriots in last week's mock draft from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.
Kiper broke down what the decision-making process could look like for the Patriots with their first pick:
"I see corner or wideout as the position to target here. Cornerback, though, is a position of strength in this class, and Gonzalez has a chance to go in the top 10. The 6-1 defender picked off four passes for the Ducks last season."
Gonzalez, Porter and Illinois' Devon Witherspoon are the best corner prospects in the draft class, and their availability at No. 14 will depend on how active the franchises with the opening 13 picks are at the position.
As many as four quarterbacks could be chosen in the top 13. Will Anderson, Tyree Wilson and Jalen Carter should go off the board before the Patriots, as could an offensive tackle or two.
The Patriots have to hope for the run on quarterbacks to happen early, and for premier prospects, like Anderson, to drop a bit, thus forcing the corners down the draft board.
There is a scenario in which Porter, Gonzalez and Witherspoon, or at least two of them, are available for New England to pick at No. 14. That would be the team's ideal scenario.
Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
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The Patriots also need to have eyes on the availability of the top offensive tackles.
ESPN.com's Todd McShay projected that Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr. would land at No. 14 in his three-round mock draft with Kiper.
McShay noted that he considered Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid at that spot, but he ultimately went with Johnson:
"Man, I thought about tight end Dalton Kincaid here. Patriots coach Bill Belichick loves two-TE sets, and Kincaid would be great with Hunter Henry. But quarterback Mac Jones also needs protection after struggles under pressure last season, and Johnson has the size, power and awareness to hold down left tackle."
Any early-round offensive tackle selection would likely compete with free-agent signing Riley Reiff for snaps at right tackle.
Brown is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2023 season, so Johnson, or any other prospect, could shift over to the left for the 2024 campaign.
New England is a bit thin at offensive tackle, even after it replaced Isaiah Wynn with Reiff at the start of the offseason.
Brown and Reiff are both older pass protectors, and the Patriots could have an eye on the future if they go after Johnson, or another offensive tackle, at No. 14.
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