Who Did the Patriots Pick in the NFL Draft?
The New England Patriots made a few picks in the NFL Draft this year. Who did they choose and what does that mean for the team’s future?
First Round
The New England Patriots have selected N’Keal Harry in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Harry is a wide receiver from Arizona State University.
Pick 32: N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona State
With the 32nd pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots have selected wide receiver N’Keal Harry out of Arizona State.
Harry is a big, physical receiver at 6’4″ and 214 pounds. He’s a great red-zone threat with his size and leaping ability, and he has the potential to be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL. Harry is a great route-runner and has good hands, but he will need to improve his strength and speed to reach his full potential.
Pick 37: Joejuan Williams, CB, Vanderbilt
The New England Patriots didn’t have a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but they made a big splash in the second round. With the 37th pick, the Pats selected Vanderbilt cornerback Joejuan Williams.
Williams is a big corner at 6’4” and 211 pounds. He ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which was good for eighth among all cornerbacks. He also racked up 19 reps on the bench press and posted a vertical jump of 33 inches.
Williams was widely considered to be one of the best cornerbacks in this year’s draft class, and he should have no trouble seeing significant playing time as a rookie. He’ll likely be asked to contribute immediately as a key piece in New England’s secondary.
Second Round
With their first pick in the second round of the NFL draft, the New England Patriots selected running back Sony Michel out of the University of Georgia.
Pick 45: Chase Winovich, DE, Michigan
The New England Patriots took defensive end Chase Winovich with the No. 77 overall selection in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Winovich was a three-year starter at Michigan, totaling 172 tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss and 18 sacks in that span. As a senior in 2018, he was named first-team All-Big Ten after compiling 8.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss.
Pick 47: Damien Harris, RB, Alabama
The New England Patriots selected Damien Harris with the 47th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Harris is a running back from Alabama. He played four seasons with the Crimson Tide, compiling 3,076 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on 554 attempts.
Third Round
The New England Patriots made their first pick in the third round of the NFL Draft when they selected wide receiver Damiere Byrd out of South Carolina. With the pick, the Patriots add a playmaker to their offense who can stretch the field and make plays in the passing game.
Pick 77: Yodny Cajuste, OT, West Virginia
With their third pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots selected offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste out of West Virginia.
Cajuste was a four-year starter at tackle for the Mountaineers, and was named first-team All-Big 12 in both his junior and senior seasons. He participated in the Senior Bowl and was ranked as the No. 3 tackle in this year’s draft class by NFL Network’s Mike Mayock.
At 6-foot-5 and 312 pounds, Cajuste has the size and strength to be a good run blocker at the NFL level. He also has the quickness and agility to hold his own as a pass blocker, which should make him a valuable asset for an offensive line that needs to protect quarterback Tom Brady.
Pick 87: Jarrett Stidham, QB, Auburn
With their third-round pick (No. 87 overall), the Patriots drafted Jarrett Stidham, a quarterback out of Auburn.
The 6-foot-3, 218-pound Stidham was widely considered a potential first-round talent after throwing for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns with just six interceptions last season. He opted to return to school for his senior year, but his production dipped slightly as he threw for 2,794 yards and 18 touchdowns with five interceptions.
A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Stidham originally enrolled at Baylor before transferring to Auburn following the Bears’ sexual assault scandal. He sat out the 2017 season due to NCAA transfer rules before taking over as the Tigers’ starter last year.
Fourth Round
The New England Patriots made 10 selections in the NFL Draft. In the fourth round, they picked linebacker Josh Uche out of Michigan.
Pick 101: Hjalte Froholdt, OL, Arkansas
With their first of three picks in the fourth round, the Patriots took another offensive lineman, selecting Hjalte Froholdt out of Arkansas.
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Froholdt was a three-year starter at left guard for the Razorbacks. He was named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches as a senior in 2018.
Froholdt is the second offensive lineman the Patriots have drafted this year, joining first-round pick N’Keal Harry. He is also the third player from Arkansas drafted by New England in the last two years, joining running back Sony Michel (first round, 2018) and linebacker De’Jon Harris (sixth round, 2019).
Pick 118: Jake Bailey, P, Stanford
With the 118th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots have selected Jake Bailey, P, Stanford.
Bailey was a three-time All-Pac-12 selection and was named the conference’s Special Teams Player of the Year as a senior in 2018. He finished his collegiate career with 175 punts for 7,706 yards (44.1 avg) and 60 fair catches.
Fifth Round
The New England Patriots went into the 2020 NFL Draft with twelve picks. They made seven trades during the draft, including one trade with the Los Angeles Rams that netted them a fifth-round pick. The Patriots used that pick to select Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins.
Pick 159: Byron Cowart, DL, Maryland
With the 159th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots have selected defensive lineman Byron Cowart out of Maryland.
Cowart is a 6’3”, 298-pound defensive lineman who was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. He was ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit in the country by ESPN and Rivals.com.
Cowart played three seasons at Maryland, appearing in 32 games with 18 starts. He had career totals of 109 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks.
As a junior in 2018, Cowart had a breakout season, setting career-highs in tackles (56), tackles for loss (11), and sacks (4). He was named Second Team All-Big Ten by the conference’s coaches.
Pick 163: Ken Webster, CB, Mississippi
The Patriots drafted Ken Webster with the 31st pick in the 7th round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Ken Webster is a 5′ 11″, 200-pound cornerback from Mississippi. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, and had a 38.5″ vertical leap and 120″ broad jump.
In four years at Mississippi, Webster had 164 tackles, two interceptions, and 18 passes broken up.
