Patriots NFL Draft Grades for Every Pick

That's all she wrote for the 2020 NFL Draft, folks. Considering how long we've gone without a live sporting event, it was arguably the fastest three-day event in a long time. What better way to cope with its conclusion than to hand out some grades?

Let's embrace the annual tradition, but also keep this particular conversation centered on the New England Patriots, who (as expected) did what everybody was least expecting. It was quite a shocker to see the AFC East champs go without drafting a quarterback or wide receiver, but the unpredictable enigma that is Bill Belichick otherwise did a solid job

Let's go pick-by-pick and provide an evaluation for New England's 10 selections.

S Kyle Dugger, No. 37 overall:

Yet another example proving that no one ever knows what Belichick is thinking. A safety out of Lenoir-Rhyne, the Patriots clearly took a shine to Dugger's versatility and bruising tendencies, which will come in handy in replacing some veterans that the Patriots lost this offseason. Still, you can't help but feel that the team reached here.

Grade: C+

EDGE Josh Uche, No. 60 overall:

An athletic rusher, the Michigan linebacker will help New England fill the void that left by Kyle Van Noy's departure as the defense looks to replicate the dominance it sustained in 2019. When all is said and done, Uche could be one of the steals of the Draft -- his collegiate pressures the past two years were tops in the country, ahead of Chase Young's.

Grade: B+

LB Anfernee Jennings, No. 87 overall:

The Alabama linebacker fills a need at LB. Jennings and Uche could be the building blocks of an intriguing, young core of defenders for the Patriots. The former Crimson Tide star logged 45 solo tackles (12.5 for loss), eight sacks, and five pass deflections as a senior.

Grade: B

TE Devin Asiasi, No. 91, and TE Dalton Keene, No. 101:

Asiasi and Keene were drafted back-to-back and play the same position (and were combine roommates!), so we'll rank them together. The picks are passable in that they fill a need at TE. However, they weren't the top players at the position on most big boards.

Grade: C

K Justin Rohrwasser, No. 159 overall:

The Patriots got Day 3 started in surprising fashion with the selection of Marshall kicker Justin Rohrwasser in the fifth round. He made 18-of-21 field goal attempts with a long of 53 yards in 2019. The Thundering Herd star wasn't among the top kicking prospects in the 2020 class, and he now becomes the favorite to replace one of the most reliable kickers in NFL history in Stephen Gostkowski, who was released this offseason.

Grade: C+

OG Michael Onwenu, No. 182 overall:

At 6-3, 344 pounds, Onwenu has the build to become a dominant blocker at the pro level. A third-round prospect on some boards, the Patriots traded up to take Onwenu in the sixth round. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed just two sacks in 1,119 pass-blocking snaps at Michigan.

Grade: A-

OT/G Justin Herron, No. 195 overall:

Herron played left tackle at Wake Forest, but projects a guard in the NFL. An underrated athlete, Herron was a four-year starter for the Demon Deacons and even earned an 84.2 grade as a pass-blocker as a senior by PFF.

Grade: B

LB Cassh Maluia, No. 204 overall:

With the Patriots' third sixth-round pick, the team gets a versatile player in Maluia. At Wyoming, he dropped into coverage on nearly 300 snaps and notched 18 pressures on 78 pass rush attempts. Belichick could've done a lot worse at No. 204.

Grade: B-

C/G Dustin Woodard, No. 230 overall:

Let's just say this: Woodward was rated as the BEST run blocking center in all of college football in 2019. Pro Football Focus gave him a stunning 90.1 grade for his efforts in the trenches. The Memphis product will have to earn his role on New England, but this was a great value pick for the franchise.

Grade: B