Patriots Rookies Who Will Make Instant Impact in 2023 Season

The New England Patriots need their top 2023 NFL draft pick to be an immediate success.

Cornerback Christian Gonzalez was selected three days after the Aaron Rodgers trade to the New York Jets was officially announced.

New England needs its defense to turn in some fantastic performances against the Jets, the rest of the AFC East and some of its other opponents in 2023.

Gonzalez will be tested right away, as the Patriots face the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, the Jets and Dallas Cowboys in the first four weeks.

Other rookies will make an impact throughout the 2023 campaign, but the 20-year-old is the one with the most pressure on him because of his draft status and the gauntlet the Patriots will face in September.

Christian Gonzalez

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EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 12: Defensive back Christian Gonzalez #0 of the Oregon Ducks stands on the field against the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium on November 12, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

The No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft must make an instant impact on the Patriots secondary.

Gonzalez comes to the NFL as a shutdown corner from his time at Oregon, where he had to deal with the likes of fellow first-round pick Jordan Addison at USC and other pass-heavy offenses.

New England is counting on the former Ducks star and the rest of its young secondary to be a strength of the defense in a division where covering the pass is imperative.

Gonzalez will be tested by the pairing of A.J. Brown-DeVonta Smith in Week 1, and he will face Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in Week 2.

The matchups don't get easier with Garrett Wilson and the Jets in Week 3 and CeeDee Lamb and the Cowboys in Week 4.

We will find out instantly if Gonzalez's coverage skills will translate quickly to the NFL, or if he needs a period to adjust to the next level.

The Patriots hope the former situation unfolds as they try to get off to a decent start.

Keion White

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MOBILE, AL - FEBRUARY 01: National defensive lineman Keion White of Georgia Tech (6) during the Reese's Senior Bowl National team practice session on February 1, 2023 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It's easy to pick Keion White out as a draft pick who will make an instant impact because of his second-round status.

The 24-year-old carries a similar importance to the New England defense as Gonzalez early in the 2023 season because of the opponents on the docket.

White will be tasked with helping to disrupt Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott in the first four weeks.

The Patriots need a strong and deep pass rush to counter whatever those opposing offenses put out.

They are not going to stop those quarterbacks on every play, but if they contain their production and make them shift in the pocket, it could play to the team's advantage.

White had 14 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in his final collegiate season at Georgia Tech.

The Patriots need some of that pass-rushing ability to translate to the NFL so they can put the AFC East on notice as an improved contender.

Chad Ryland

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BLOOMINGTON, IN - OCTOBER 15: Maryland K Chad Ryland (38) prepares to kick during a college football game between the Maryland Terrapins and Indiana Hoosiers on October 15, 2022 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

If a team takes a kicker in the fourth round, he needs to make some sort of immediate impact.

Chad Ryland was a surprise selection by the Patriots because they already have Nick Folk on the roster and they could have used the No. 112 overall pick to fill another need.

However, Ryland went 39-for-40 on extra points and 19-for-23 on field goals last season at Maryland. He produced a 97.3 conversion rate on extra points in five collegiate seasons with Eastern Michigan and Maryland. He made over 80 percent of his field goals in the last three seasons.

Ryland's accuracy is not an issue, and if he performs well in training camp, he should beat out Folk for the starting kicker job.

Folk went 32-for-35 on extra points and 32-for-37 on field goals in 2022. He did have some trouble outside of 40 yards, though, going 14-for-19 on attempts of 40 yards or longer.

Ryland needs to beat Folk in the distance competitions to earn the kicker job, and that must translate to the regular season, especially if the Patriots offense fails to get going right away behind Mac Jones.