Hours later, they added Michigan State's Bryce Baringer.īaringer became the first punter off the board when the Patriots took him with the 192nd overall pick in the sixth round. In the fourth round, they drafted Maryland kicker Chad Ryland. On Saturday, the Patriots became the first team since 2000 to select a kicker and a punter in the same draft. 192: Patriots draft new punter in Michigan State's Bryce Baringer This was a perfect example of best available talent meeting a position of need. He was projected to go earlier in the draft, and the Patriots are familiar with him from their time at the East-West Shrine Bowl. Douglas is a prototypical, underzied slot receiver who boasts nitro speed (4.4 in the 40) and make-you-miss ability in the open field. He now joins Boutte, DeVante Parker, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Kendrick Bourne, Tyquan Thornton and Tre Nixon in the team’s receiver room.īill Belichick ‘absolutely’ feels good about Patriots QB Mac Jones The 22-year-old led Liberty in receiving each of the past two years but didn’t see a drop-off in his per-catch or per-game numbers despite an increase in targets and defensive attention. Douglas is slight and doesn’t compete well on contested catches, but can create yards after the catch as well as most receivers in the draft. His combination of long speed and short-area quickness is rare in Foxboro. He had 79 catches for 993 yards last season and could also provide depth as a returner.ĭouglas brings needed dynamism to the Patriots’ receiving corps, which added LSU’s Kayshon Boutte earlier in the sixth round. The 5-foot-9, 179-pounder works almost exclusively out of the slot. The Patriots drafted a familiar face in the sixth round Saturday, adding Liberty wide receiver Demario Douglas with the 210th overall pick.ĭouglas played under the Patriots coaching staff at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January, where he flashed his 4.4 speed and above-average agility against other college prospects. 210: Liberty’s Demario Douglas becomes Patriots’ drafted WR Zero career interceptions and averaging one pass breakup per are two of the few things that speak louder than 4.3 speed, and that’s what stands out about most about this pick. There’s no shame in that, but when that experience is weighed with his age (Speed turns 24 in October), it’s fair to wonder how much more his game can develop. Speed received excellent defensive coaching for five years at Georgia, yet still got buried on the depth chart. And in Speed, the Patriots appear to have made a traits-based pick whose future likely lies on kick and punt coverage But between their moves in free agency and earlier in the draft (see: Mapu, Marte), the Pats’ core special team group should already be elite. Patriots CB Jack Jones arrested for trying to bring firearms onto flight at Logan AirportĪt this stage of the draft, yes, there’s little to lose. He did not record an interception in college and projects as a special teamer in New England. Last year, he transferred to Michigan State, where he started 11 of 12 games, made 62 tackles and broke up five passes. Speed is a long press corner with minimal starting experience after he was buried on the depth chart at Georgia for five seasons. He also recorded a 6.99-second time in the 3-cone, a plus time for tall cornerbacks and an important measure for the Patriots at his position. The aptly named cover man is a sixth-year senior who stands at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds and clocked a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. With their penultimate pick in the draft, the Patriots targeted depth at cornerback and on special teams with Michigan State’s Ameer Speed. 214: Patriots pick Michigan State CB Ameer Speed The Patriots were clearly comfortable with him after their in-person visit and didn’t want to risk him hitting rookie free agency. Bolden could become the best pick of all on a busy Day 3, and that’s saying something considering he was selected last. Rare traits, rare return ability and time to develop at corner. Bolden projects as a developmental corner in New England, where they have a history of developing players like him who go undrafted or are expected to be picked in the final rounds. He also took two kickoffs back for touchdowns on returns of 94 and 91 yards. In 2021, Bolden was arguably the best returner in college football with a 36.9 yards per return average.
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