The New England Patriots’ 2020 NFL Draft class sent a few signals about their plans for the coming year and years.
They made 10 selections with a safety, a kicker, one inside linebacker, two outside linebackers, two tight ends, two guards and a center. New England invested its first three picks defense before addressing their glaring hole at tight end with a pair of third-round picks (and back-to-back selections). Coach and general manager Bill Belichick is clearly building for life without Tom Brady, and the Patriots will do so without investing in more quarterback or receiver talent (at least in the draft).
Here are eight quick-hit takeaways from New England’s draft class.
1. Jarrett Stidham is a big winner
The Patriots didn’t draft a quarterback. Maybe Stidham hasn’t won the starting job yet. But he’s the only young prospect who will have the coach’s attention. Sure, the Patriots added two UDFAs. But Stidham is the developmental quarterback for New England. He may also be the franchise quarterback, if given enough time to develop properly this offseason.
2. Brian Hoyer had the most to gain
When the Patriots went through the first two rounds without drafting a quarterback, Hoyer could breath a sign of relief. If the Patriots drafted a quarterback in those rounds, they would have likely expected him to be the starter. If the coronavirus pandemic shortens the offseason programs, the Patriots may have to turn to Hoyer, largely because of his experience and knowledge of the offense. New England won’t have as much time to teach their playbook if they don’t have OTAs (which seems inevitable) or training camp (which is beginning to feel likely).
3. The Patriots took a home run swing and a conservative cut at tight end, linebacker and guard
The Patriots doubled up a tight end, outside linebacker and guard. But they didn’t make those selections redundant, per se. Each player seemed to compliment the other, with one pick seeming conservative and another being more of a risk. Here’s how we figure…
Michigan EDGE Josh Uche: Home run swing — He played roughly 50% of the snaps for the Wolverines, and yet had 8.5 sacks. Why didn’t he play more? What happens if the Patriots play him more? Surely, he’ll start on third downs as a situations pass-rusher.
Alabama EDGE Anfernee Jennings: Conservative swing — He was an every down linebacker for the Crimson Tide, and could be an immediate contributor on early downs for the Patriots as a run defender. His upside as a pass rusher seems limited, however.
UCLA TE Devin Asiasi: Conservative swing — His game translates clearly to the NFL as a seam-stretching tight end, even if he has too much of a lumbering playing style.
Virginia Tech TE Dalton Keene: Home run swing — Many of his receptions came out of the backfield from the fullback or h-back position. How will he fare running downfield routes as a tight end? His athleticism speaks to high upside, but he’s got to prove he can separate on routes from the slot.
Michigan OG Michael Onwenu: Conservative swing — These picks are both sixth-rounders, so it’s possible neither makes the team. But Ownenu has good fundamentals, particularly as a pass-protector, even if his athleticism is limited.
Wake Forrest OG Justin Herron: Home run swing — He has good athleticism but will have to transition from tackle to guard, if he’s going to stick in the NFL.
For the most part, both players can succeed at their respective positions. It’s just that they’ll start out complimenting each other.
4. They seem happy to see what they’ve got at receiver
They drafted zero receivers after spending a first-round pick on N’Keal Harry in 2019 and a second round pick (2020) in a trade for Mohamed Sanu. Belchick is set to see how those investments pay out before he goes back to buy more stock at the position. Maybe the future is uncertain at the position with Julian Edelman and Sanu both on deals that expire within the next two years. For now, it’ll do.
5. Dalton Keene is a project that Patriots coaches are probably excited about
He is truly a unique prospect. He may be a tight end, but many of his best pass-catching plays came from the fullback or h-back position. He didn’t exactly put up big numbers when running downfield routes. But his measurables show a player who should be able to run routes well, if coached to do so properly. He has the speed, agility and size to be a George Kittle-type threat. It may just take a year or two to put it together while they experiment with him at all the positions he can play. That experimentation may also get complicated if the Patriots don’t have time to tinker this offseason amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
6. Kyle Dugger is an equally fascinating prospect
He may put things together fairly quickly, even after coming from Division II. In early conversations with his coaches and teammates, he has wowed the Lenior-Rhyne program on and off the field. He’s an elite athlete, a hard worker and a heady player. He spent most of his time at free safety in college, and could immediately step in as the replacement for Duron Harmon, who the Patriots traded to the Lions this offseason, in 3-safety sets.
Though there’s some concern about the jump from DII to the pros, his strong work at the Senior Bowl (a college All-Star game) seems to have persuaded Belichick that Dugger can make the leap.
7. The Patriots are going to run the ball a lot in 2020
They’re making major investments in their ground game with draft capital. They took a first-round running back in 2018 in Sony Michel and third-round running back in Damien Harris. New England took a tackle in the first round in 2018 (Isaiah Wynn) and third round (Yodny Cajuste) in 2019. They took a guard in the in the fourth round in 2019 (Hjalte Froholdt) and two guards in the sixth round in 2020 (Michael Onwenu and Justin Herron). Their first-round receiver in 2019, N’Keal Harry, was probably the best run blocker in his draft class. And their two tight ends in 2020, Devin Asiasi and Michael Onwenu, are both capable run-blockers. Considering their quarterback situation is in a state of flux, they’re going to lean heavily on their run game.
8. And that means Joe Thuney is likely sticking around in 2020
Speaking of investments in their offensive line, the Patriots placed the franchise tag on Thuney. They seemed to do so with the intention of trading or extending him. But to this point, neither thing has happened. Considering how much Michel and Stidham (or Hoyer) will need good offensive line play, I wouldn’t be surprised if Thuney played on his franchise tag in 2020. Of course, the Patriots may be leading us to believe that because they intend to trade him and they’re trying to rebuild leverage.
9. If the Patriots’ 2020 plans go awry, the 2021 quarterback class should be pretty darn good
I put together a 2021 mock draft on Monday and immediately regretted omitting Trey Lance from the first round. Who? He’s the North Dakota State quarterback, a rising redshirt sophomore who threw for 28 touchdowns and zero interceptions. If he declares for the draft, he’s likely to be the third-best quarterback behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, a draft prospect in the same league as Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning coming out of college, and Ohio State’s Justin Fields, another elite prospect. The Patriots will probably also keep an eye on George’s Jamie Newman, who transferred from Wake Forest and has a nice mix of touch passes and arm strength, even if his completion percentage needs to jump with the Bulldogs.
New England is interested in testing what they have at quarterback, but of course, that could change in April 2021.
