With The 14th Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft the New England Patriots Select….

New England Patriots, NFL

With The 14th Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft the New England Patriots Select….

Anthony Perkins

April 24, 2023

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With the 14^th Pick of the 2023 NFL Draft the New England Patriots select….

Written by: KeepingUpWithTheJoneses

The New England Patriots have the 14^th pick in this weekend’s NFL draft. With this season marking the entrance of Bill O’Brien as Offensive Coordinator, most experts say this is Mac Jones’ last shot to prove he is an Elite NFL QB before Belichick pulls the plug on him.

Do the Patriots draft a stud wide receiver for Mac to throw to? Do they draft a stud OT to protect Mac’s blind side and give him time in the pocket to pick apart the defenses? Or do they go completely off the wall and select a kicker from the Big Y Supermarket in downtown Brockton? Honestly, with Belichick in charge who knows.

Quite a few names have been predicted to be going 14^th, some are reaches and some are steals. Here are what I think are the top 4, a couple depend on if they fall that far. Whoever Belichick and company select in the first round this year, they will need to make an impact as a rookie. The fans are getting restless of not making the playoffs. Me? I suffered through 10 years of pre-Belichick era; I’m not going to be smashing that panic button quite yet.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, JR WR, Ohio State

6’1” 200lbs

2021 Stats Rec: 95 Yds: 1606 YPC: 16.9 Long: 75yds TD: 9

Smith-Njigba is arguably the best slot receiver in the 2023 draft. His draft stock took a hit having been injured for most of the 2022 season. Smith-Njigba would make a great fit in the Patriots offensive scheme. Belichick loves using the slot receiver as his WR1 ala Julian Edelman, Wes Welker. Smith-Njigba is my “dream pick”, the pick that I would love to see happen but likely won’t.

Paris Johnson Jr., SR OT, Ohio State

6’6” 313lbs

2022 Stats Snaps: 827 Pass: 449 Run: 378 Sacks: 2 Hits: 0 Hurries: 12

The Patriots could use some help protecting Mac Jones. Enter Paris Johnson. Johnson is the best pass protector in the 2023 NFL Draft. He has size and agility that makes it difficult for the edge rushers to escape his blocks. Giving Mac Jones more time with ball would really give him the chance to show what he’s capable of throwing.

Devon Witherspoon, JR CB, Illinois

6’1” 180lbs

2022 Stats Tackles: 42 Solo: 33 INT: 3

Witherspoon is a top tier talent on the defensive side of the ball that *should* go somewhere in the first eight picks, but should he fall to 14, look for Belichick to snap him up. Witherspoon hits hard, has excellent speed and can match most of the receivers he faced in 2022. Picking him up at 14^th could help suppress the sting of Devin McCourty retiring. How fitting would that be? Devon 2.0? If it comes down to Njigba or Witherspoon either would pay off in dividends by the end of the season.

Bijan Robinson, JR RB, Texas

6’0” 220lbs

2022 Stats Carries: 258 Yds: 1580 YPC: 6.1 TD: 18 Rec: 19 YDS: 348 YPR: 16.5 TD: 2

Remember when I said a Kicker from the Big Y in Brockton? Yeah, that was a joke, but we all know Belichick doesn’t think like other franchises and picking Robinson at 14^th overall to pair him with Rhamondre Stevenson would be classic Bill. Adding Robinson would give the Patriots one of the best backfields in the NFL. Robinson is a workhorse averaging 6.1 yards per carry. The most valuable part about Robinson is the fact that in his whole college career he never lost a fumble. Man has glue for hands.