{"id":64489,"date":"2019-04-27T20:32:25","date_gmt":"2019-04-28T00:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=64489"},"modified":"2019-04-27T20:32:59","modified_gmt":"2019-04-28T00:32:59","slug":"new-england-patriots-2019-nfl-draft-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/04\/27\/new-england-patriots-2019-nfl-draft-review\/","title":{"rendered":"New England Patriots 2019 NFL Draft Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/nfl-teams\/patriots\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New England Patriots<\/a> 2019 NFL Draft class has officially been decided, as <strong>Bill Belichick<\/strong> and company looked to add some talent to continue this unparalleled streak of sporting dominance. As is custom, New England traded all over the board and ended up making 10 picks<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>First round, 32<sup>nd<\/sup> overall: <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/03\/02\/nkeal-harry-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>N\u2019Keal Harry<\/strong><\/a>, wide receiver, Arizona State<\/li>\n<li>Second round, 45<sup>th<\/sup> overall:<a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/04\/20\/joejuan-williams-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <strong>Joejuan Williams<\/strong><\/a>, cornerback, Vanderbilt<\/li>\n<li>Third round, 77<sup>th<\/sup> overall: <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/04\/05\/chase-winovich-2019-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Chase Winovich<\/strong><\/a>, linebacker, Michigan<\/li>\n<li>Third round, 87<sup>th<\/sup> overall: <a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/02\/28\/damien-harris-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Damien Harris<\/strong><\/a>, running back, Alabama<\/li>\n<li>Third round, 101<sup>st<\/sup> overall:<a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/01\/28\/2019-nfl-draft-prospect-yodny-cajuste\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <strong>Yodny Cajuste<\/strong><\/a>, offensive tackle, West Virginia<\/li>\n<li>Fourth round, 118<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0overall:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/2019\/04\/07\/hjalte-froholdt-2019-nfl-draft-profile\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Hjalte Froholdt<\/strong><\/a>, guard, Arkansas<\/li>\n<li>Fourth round, 133<sup>rd<\/sup>\u00a0overall:\u00a0<strong>Jarrett Stidham<\/strong>, quarterback, Auburn<\/li>\n<li>Fifth round, 159<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0overall:\u00a0<strong>Byron Cowart<\/strong>, defensive lineman, Maryland<\/li>\n<li>Fifth round, 163<sup>rd<\/sup>\u00a0overall:\u00a0<strong>Jake Bailey<\/strong>, punter, Stanford<\/li>\n<li>Seventh round, 252<sup>nd<\/sup> overall:\u00a0<strong>Ken Webster<\/strong>, cornerback, Ole Miss<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>New England Patriots 2019 NFL Draft Grade: 9.1\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong>New England Patriots 2019 NFL Draft Review<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3>The Best Player: N\u2019Keal Harry<\/h3>\n<p>Bill Belichick does not believe in selecting wide receivers in the first round. Since becoming head coach back in 2000, the Patriots are the only team to not use a first-round selection on a pass-catcher. However, Belichick makes exceptions for special players, and N&#8217;Keal Harry is a special player.<\/p>\n<p>Need played a role in this selection, but there\u2019s no denying Harry\u2019s game-breaking ability. The Arizona State product is a physical player capable of lining up all across the formation. He\u2019s a master at winning contested catches and is a dangerous tackle-breaking open field threat. He\u2019s never truly covered and has the ability to make a game-breaking play every time he touches the ball.<\/p>\n<p>Harry\u2019s not the fastest player in the draft, but he doesn\u2019t need to be. Harry will probably serve as the teams\u2019 primary perimeter receiver but can also align as a \u201cbig slot\u201d in the middle. He\u2019s basically a hybrid between <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BoldAn00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anquan Boldin<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GollKe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kenny Golladay<\/a><\/strong>, and his presence will be a welcome addition in New England.<\/p>\n<p>Oh, and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BradTo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong> seems excited to have him in town.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Glad to have you N\u2019Keal. Big things ahead, excited to work with you. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5npgwhRDS5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/5npgwhRDS5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Tom Brady (@TomBrady) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TomBrady\/status\/1121771131189571584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 26, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>The Head-Scratcher: Jake Bailey<\/h3>\n<p>The Patriots traded up to draft a right-footed punter in the fifth round. That is all sorts of weird for a wide variety of reasons. For one, the Patriots tend to trade back and only move up if they really believe in a player. Jake Bailey probably wasn&#8217;t going anywhere. Also, Bill Belichick has never employed a right-footed punter as head coach of the Patriots. Lastly, the Patriots typically don&#8217;t make picks in the fifth round, as they typically trade out of the round.<\/p>\n<p>The Patriots already have a good punter in\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/A\/AlleRy01.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ryan Allen<\/a><\/strong>, but investing a fifth-round pick implies that New England thinks Bailey can be a sizable upgrade. Either Jake Bailey is the second coming of\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GuyxRa20.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ray Guy<\/a><\/strong> or this was a massive reach.<\/p>\n<h3>The Surprise: Damien Harris<\/h3>\n<p>Damien Harris is a good player deserving of a third-round selection. What is surprising is that New England is the team who selected him. The Patriot already have an abundance of running backs in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/MichSo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sony Michel<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BurkRe00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rex Burkhead<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=WhitJa02,WhitJa20&amp;search=James+White&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">James White<\/a><\/strong>. Michel was a first-round pick last year and figured to be the lead back with White coming in on pass-catching downs and Burkhead serving as a change-of-pace back.<\/p>\n<p>Harris doesn\u2019t bring much to the passing game, so he\u2019ll probably serve as Michel\u2019s primary backup. He\u2019s not a bad player, but they could have gotten a serviceable backup in the later rounds and used the 87<sup>th<\/sup> pick to select a rotational player at a more important position.<\/p>\n<h3>The Steal: Chase Winovich<\/h3>\n<p>Chase Winovich is not the steal of the Patriots draft, but was one of the biggest steals in the entire 2019 NFL Draft. Winovich was the best player on a Michigan defense which also featured 12<sup>th<\/sup> overall pick <strong>Rashan Gary<\/strong>. While Gary is the superior athlete, Winovich is a superior football player.<\/p>\n<p>Winovich is a perfect fit in this defense. Per Pro Football Focus, Winovich\u2019s 109 quarterback pressures since 2017 was the fourth-most in college football. Additionally, he has the awareness and strength to play contain against the run. He\u2019s not the flashiest player in the world, but he\u2019s a pure technician capable of doing anything asked of him. New England has found their long-awaited heir to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/N\/NinkRo20.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Rob Ninkovich<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3>Most Likely to Turn Heads During Training Camp: Jarrett Stidham<\/h3>\n<p>Using N&#8217;Keal Harry again is boring, so let&#8217;s look at the newest heir to Brady&#8217;s throne. Jarrett Stidham entered the 2018 season as one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation but torpedoed his value with a subpar season. New England is hoping that Stidham can bounce back from his underwhelming campaign and develop into the quarterback of the future.<\/p>\n<p>Stidham&#8217;s best-case scenario is 2019 is to usurp\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/H\/HoyeBr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brian Hoyer<\/a><\/strong> for the backup role, but that&#8217;s still a long shot. Tom Brady should play for another three years, so New England has time to evaluate what they have in the fourth-round passer. One way or another, all eyes will be glued on the former Auburn quarterback.<\/p>\n<h3>The Rest<\/h3>\n<p>Adding a second-round cornerback might seem odd considering the depth at the position, but Joejuan Williams is a perfect fit for the defense. Williams is a massive cornerback set to thrive in a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/B\/BrowBr00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brandon Browner<\/a><\/strong> or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/C\/ChunPa99.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patrick Chung<\/a><\/strong> role. There\u2019s no such thing as too many good cornerbacks, and the starting quartet of Williams, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/G\/GilmSt00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stephon Gilmore<\/a><\/strong>, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/J\/JackJ.00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">J.C. Jackson<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/M\/McCoJa99.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jason McCourty<\/a><\/strong> ranks up against any in the league. Gilmore is the unquestioned starter, but the other three will split time based on matchup.<\/p>\n<p>Yodny Cajuste would have been the steal if it weren\u2019t for the Winovich selection. New England needed a tackle behind <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/C\/CannMa00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marcus Cannon<\/a><\/strong> and <strong>Isaiah Wynn<\/strong>, and Cajuste is a perfect fit for the job. Cajuste has the footwork and hand usage to justify a second-round pick. He\u2019s a road grader in the run game and can easily hold his own as a pass protector. There are a few technique flaws with Cajuste, but it\u2019s nothing <strong>Dante Scarnecchia<\/strong> cannot fix. Cajuste fell down the draft board due to knee and quad injuries, but he can immediately contribute as New England\u2019s third tackle if he can stay healthy.<\/p>\n<p>Hjalte Froholdt has one of the most interesting stories in the NFL. Initially from Denmark, Frohodt spent the previous three seasons as Arkansas&#8217; starting guard. With\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/players\/T\/ThunJo00.htm?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Thuney<\/a><\/strong> hitting free agency at the end of the season, Froholdt should have the inside path to being 2020&#8217;s starting left guard.<\/p>\n<p>Maryland defensive lineman\u00a0<strong>Bryon Cowart<\/strong> is a versatile lineman capable of playing any spot along the defensive line. While he&#8217;s best suited for interior work, he played as both an end and a tackle in college. The fifth-round pick should battle for one of the final depth spots along the interior.<\/p>\n<p>From an athletic standpoint, Ken Webster is a perfect fit for the New England Patriots. His 5&#8217;11&#8221; height fits New England&#8217;s standards while his broad jump and vertical jump numbers tested in the 96th and 98th percentile, respectively. Webster&#8217;s on-field production doesn&#8217;t match his athleticism, but he stands a shot to make the roster as a special teamer.<\/p>\n<p>Main photo:<br \/>\n<a id=\"3-DFp4a3RjJHLnv87UqykA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1145148871\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'3-DFp4a3RjJHLnv87UqykA',sig:'XdW6shJCQVqS2oR9AeGkucsWblNMGsSkS79Zj0qp2uY=',w:'594px',h:'371px',items:'1145148871',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New England Patriots 2019 NFL Draft Review: How did the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots do in the 2019 NFL Draft?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2376,"featured_media":64491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54,2,5],"tags":[4070,61,4195,38,40],"class_list":["post-64489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorials","category-featured","category-patriots","tag-2019-nfl-draft","tag-football","tag-nkeal-harry","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-nfl"],"modified_by":"David Latham, Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2376"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64489"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64489\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}