Patriots position of need was picked too ‘fast’ for New England to draft one
The New England Patriots liked the 2023 NFL Draft tight end class. They just didn’t like it as much as the rest of the league. The Patriots don’t have a tight end signed for the 2024 season, and this year’s crop of tight ends was considered uniquely deep. So, it would have made sense for […]
The New England Patriots liked the 2023 NFL Draft tight end class. They just didn’t like it as much as the rest of the league.
The Patriots don’t have a tight end signed for the 2024 season, and this year’s crop of tight ends was considered uniquely deep. So, it would have made sense for New England to come away with a tight end this weekend. They didn’t, and director of player personnel Matt Groh gave a good reason why.
“Thought process was those guys went really fast and they just kept coming off,” Groh said. “You know, so that was just the way the Draft unfolded. There were some guys up top. There were some good depth in the middle of the Draft and those players came off really, really fast, I don't know all the history of the position in the drafts. You know, but sometimes a guy goes just like I mentioned before, a guy goes and then it's like an avalanche and that position just kind of keeps falling and falling and falling and so you've got to still trust your board and you want to not just draft a guy to say, hey, we drafted a tight end. Well, if he's not the right fit, if he's not what you're looking for, then you don't want to waste a draft just to say, okay, well, now we feel good we drafted a tight end. We had a couple guys that we really liked. They just went and that's just kind of the way it's going to go at any position in the draft. Just got to kind of take them as they come.”
Between taking cornerback Christian Gonzalez at No. 17 overall and defensive lineman Keion White 46th, four tight ends — Dalton Kincaid, Sam LaPorta, Michael Mayer and Luke Musgrave — were drafted. Then Luke Schoonmaker and Brenton Strange were taken before the Patriots took linebacker Marte Mapu at No. 76 overall. Tucker Kraft, Darnell Washington and Cameron Latu were selected before New England’s fourth-round picks.
We’re guessing that stretch of Kincaid, LaPorta, Mayer and Musgrave is the run Groh was talking about. If any of them were available at No. 46 overall or even within range of trading up from No. 76 overall, then maybe they’re Patriots today. But they went “really fast and they just kept coming off,” so New England pivoted. And it might not be the worst decision since tight ends generally take a while to develop, and veteran options have been increasingly cheap in recent offseasons. The Patriots signed Mike Gesicki for $4.5 million this offseason. It might just make more sense to sign veteran tight ends until their salaries catch up with other positions around the NFL.
Featured image via Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
