In typical Bill Belichick fashion, the New England Patriots pulled off yet another productive draft. The Patriots entered the draft with an all-time low five draft picks but ended up drafting seven players by the end. While the Patriots primarily focused on adding defensive help, the story of the 2013 New England draft is the pair of wide receivers selected in the second and fourth round, Aaron Dobson and Josh Boyce.
The 2013 Patriots will have a completely revamped wide receiving corp. Adding a pair of picks at the same position is nothing new for the Patriots. They did this with the tight ends in 2010 adding Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez and again in 2011 with running backs when they selected Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen. The Patriots hope to have similar results with the wide receivers this year.
New England counting on the 2013 Rutgers-centric draft class to contribute immediately. The Patriots did not come into the draft with many needs. The plan was to add depth to an already strong roster. Let’s take a peak at the projected depth chart.
Quarterback
1. Tom Brady
2. Ryan Mallett
3. Mike Kafka
Analysis: Can Brady repeat last season’s offensive success with a totally new group of receivers? Brady is not getting any younger and will need the young group to learn quickly. The Patriots were wise not to deal Mallett. An experienced backup is vital at this position. An injury to Brady could spell disaster if you have a rookie still learning on the job. The plan to trade Mallett may have been a pre-draft smokescreen by the Patriots all along.
Running Back
1. Stevan Ridley
2. Shane Vereen
3. Brandon Bolden
4. Leon Washington
5. LeGarrette Blount
6. James Develin
7. Tony Fiammetta
Analysis: The Patriots picked up Tampa Bay running back Blount in exchange for Jeff Demps over the weekend. Demps was on the chopping block and most likely would have been cut prior to the start of the season. The Patriots running back by committee approach lists Ridley as the starter but the other backs will see plenty of action throughout the season. The Patriots will in all likelihood not carry that many backs into the season and will trim the position down during final cuts.
Wide Receiver
1. Danny Amendola
2. Aaron Dobson
3. Josh Boyce
4. Julian Edelman
5. Donald Jones
6. Michael Jenkins
7. Matthew Slater
8. Jeremy Ebert
9. Kamar Aiken
10. Andre Holmes
Analysis: This will be an intriguing position to watch during training camp. The Patriots picked up rookies Dobson and Boyce to compete with veterans Jones and Jenkins. The Patriots run a complex offense that makes it difficult for the rookies to play early in the season but eventually talent trumps experience. Unlike other positions, wide receivers can take more time to develop. The wild card may be Edelman. If the rookies don’t play right away Edelman may see an expanded role in the offense.
Tight End
1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Aaron Hernandez
3. Jake Ballard
4. Michael Hoomanawanui
5. Daniel Fells
6. Brad Herman
Analysis: Injuries have been a problem at this position for the last couple of seasons. When healthy the duo of Gronkowski and Hernandez is best in the league, but the two never seem to be healthy at the same time. Ballard gives New England an insurance policy if Gronkowski or Hernandez goes down. Ballard is not the same receiving threat as Hernandez or Gronkowski but his blocking skills are more than adequate to get the job done.
Left Tackle
1. Nate Solder
2. Will Svitek
Analysis: Solder did extremely well making the switch to left tackle and should continue to be the Patriots' best lineman. Svitek was acquired from the Atlanta Falcons this offseason to add depth to the position. The Patriots may have been looking to pick up a player in the draft but opted not to. Perhaps the player they were targeting was already off the board.
Left Guard
1. Logan Mankins
2. Nick McDonald
Analysis: Mankins is a solid starter and McDonald has flashed at times but needs to get more consistent. The Patriots would like to add depth before the start of the regular season, either by signing undrafted rookies or through free agency.
Center
1. Ryan Wendell
2. Nick McDonald
Analysis: Wendell did well in his first season as starting center for New England. The Patriots hope he can continue to get better at the position. McDonald is slated as the backup center. McDonald is a versatile player, which makes him a valuable commodity but at the same time; this also exposes the lack of depth on the offensive line for the Patriots.
Right Guard
1. Dan Connolly
2. Nick McDonald
Analysis: Connolly is no game changer but he was a solid starter for the Patriots last season. The reoccurring theme in regard to the offensive line is lack of depth. The Patriots are one injury away from McDonald becoming a starter and two injuries away from making life rough for Brady.
Right Tackle
1. Sebastian Vollmer
2. Marcus Cannon
3. Mark Zusevics
Analysis: The Patriots were smart to resign Vollmer. He is a proven tackle and is vital to the success of the offensive line. The Patriots have been pondering the idea of moving Cannon inside to guard, the move would promote Zusevics to second-string tackle and give a little bit more depth to the guard position. The offensive line is still a work in progress and may look entirely different in August.
Defensive End
1. Chandler Jones
2. Rob Ninkovich
3. Jermaine Cunningham
4. Jamie Collins
5. Michael Buchanan
6. Justin Francis
7. Jake Bequette
8. Jason Vega
9. Marcus Benard
Analysis: Jones is a one of the best young defensive players on the roster and Ninkovich is a solid contributor to the defensive line. Both players should see the majority of playing time for New England in base formations.
The rest will be competing for time. Ninkovich is in the final year of his contract and may not be around next season. Cunningham, Collins, Buchanan, Francis, Bequette, Buchanan, Vega and Benard will all be fighting for playing time. Collins’ athleticism will make him a factor in situational passing downs. The Patriots hope Collins will eventually take over Ninkovich’s position opposite of Jones.
Defensive Tackle
1. Vince Wilfork
2. Tommy Kelly
3. Kyle Love
4. Brandon Deaderick
5. Armond Armstead
6. Marcus Forston
7. Tracy Robertson
Analysis: Wilfork is a mountain in the middle. His presence holds the defensive line together. Wilfork plays a lot of snaps and the Patriots want to keep him off the injured list. Kelly will take over some of his snaps and should lighten the load for Wilfork. The Patriots signed a couple players from the CFL including Armstead and are hoping they will make an impact.
Outside Linebacker
1. Jerod Mayo
2. Dont'a Hightower
3. Niko Koutouvides
4. Jeff Tarpinian
Analysis: Mayo is the Patriots' best linebacker and Hightower had a solid rookie year. Hightower got better later in the season, it’s only a matter of time until he takes over the starting inside spot. The combo of Mayo and Hightower on the inside and outside linebacker positions bode well for the Patriots; although, Mayo can be a liability at times in pass coverage.
Inside Linebacker
1. Brandon Spikes
2. Dane Fletcher
3. Steven Beauharnais
4. Mike Rivera
Analysis: Spikes may be playing for a contract this season but likely for another team. The Patriots are grooming Hightower to take over the inside linebacker position. If this is true, Spikes may be inline for a breakout season.
Fletcher is better in pass coverage but he is coming off an ACL injury that sidelined him for the 2012 season. Don’t be surprised if Beauharnais sees some playing time. He is an underrated player with pretty good cover skills.
Corner Back
1. Aqib Talib
2. Alfonzo Dennard
3. Kyle Arrington
4. Ras-I Dowling
5. Logan Ryan
6. Marquice Cole
7. Malcolm Williams
Analysis: The Patriots gave up a lot of yards through the air last season but the addition of Talib midseason helped the struggling defense. Talib and Dennard return as starters and for the second year in a row the Patriots drafted a majority of defensive players.
Ryan should contribute on a limited basis in dime packages and compete with Arrington for playing time. Dowling has not impressed thus far in his career and the addition of Ryan only exposes the lack of confidence the Patriots have in their secondary.
Safety
1. Devin McCourty
2. Tavon Wilson
3. Adrian Wilson
4. Duron Harmon
5. Steve Gregory
6. Nate Ebner
Analysis: Aside from McCourty this is a position that is still up in the air. The Patriots are hoping Tavon Wilson will take control and earn a starting spot and free agent Adrian Wilson was signed in the offseason to compete for a job. The Patriots were exposed in the playoffs last season and with an obvious need at the position, they drafted Harmon. We will have to wait and see who emerges once the dust settles and the season begins.
Special Teams
K: Stephen Gostkowski
P: Zoltan Mesko
LS: Danny Aiken
PR: Julian Edelman, Leon Washington
KR: Leon Washington
Analysis: The Patriots have built a solid group of special teams players. Gostkowski is a reliable kicker and Mesko has proved to be one of the better punters in the league. Edelman is Mr. Reliable on punt return duties and the addition of Washington added an element of explosiveness to kickoffs returns.