The New England Patriots bookended the 2023 NFL Draft by drafting cornerbacks.

The Patriots used their final pick, No. 245 overall, on Jackson State cornerback Isaiah Bolden. Bolden was the first player from a HBCU to be drafted this year.

Bolden, played for head coach Deion Sanders at Jackson State after transferring from Coach Prime's alma mater, Florida State. The 6-foot-2, 201-pound cornerback ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash with a 38-inch vertical leap, 10-feet, 9-inch broad jump and 4.63-second short shuttle at his pro day in March.

The Patriots hosted Bolden on a pre-draft visit this spring. He allowed just 28 catches on 55 targets for 252 yards with two touchdowns this season while primarily playing in the slot.

Here's what A to Z Sports' Tyler Browning wrote about Bolden in his draft guide:

Man Coverage: Tall, lengthy corner with vines for arms. Patient feet in press man. Has vines for arms but his technique in press is poor. Allows defenders to get off the LOS quite easily. Can lose track of his man keeping his eyes in the backfield watching eye candy. Does his best work when he is able to get hands on the receiver during the stem and feel them going through their breaks. Does not anticipate breaks when in off man the best. Can get boxed out at the catch point. Isn’t consistent about getting hands on receivers. 

Zone Coverage: Has good spatial awareness when in zone. Has the length to sit in zone and disrupt routes as they come across. Passes off concepts and picks up new routes well. 

The Patriots selected Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez with their first-round pick at No. 17 overall. They also selected Michigan State cornerback Ameer Speed in the sixth round.

Featured image via Jackson State University Athletics