Patriots draft class graded: How did the rookies do?
The Patriots have been out of football for a couple of weeks at this point. After allowing some time to let the season breathe and digest what took place over the last several months, now is a good time to take a look at the new rookies. How did they do in their first seasons? While it is tough to accurately judge a rookie after one season, there is also no escape from one's performance in the NFL in any season.
Patriots fans should remember that if Mac Jones hits, the rest of the draft becomes much less important. Also, the later the picks, the less the misses matter. That said, how did the team do?
Putting the rookies in perspective: New England Patriots
#1 - Mac Jones, QB
Mac Jones was selected by the Patriots in the first round with the 15th overall selection. The quarterback came into 2021 without much expectation about his performances this season. The Patriots were projected by many to finish under .500 as Jones went through his rookie growing pains. Instead, halfway through the season, he was getting comparisons to Tom Brady.
As a rookie, Mac Jones had the 16th most passing yards in franchise history. Only Tom Brady (12x) and Drew Bledsoe (3x) ever had more passing yards than Jones' 3801. His 67.6 completion % is second only to Brady's 68.9 in 2007. But please, tell me he sucks and won't get better.
Unfortunately, he had a disappointing playoff debut that resulted in a 47-17 Wild Card Round loss to the Bills. But as a rookie, it was as encouraging of a start to his overall career as one could realistically hope for. He wasn't exactly Justin Herbert during his rookie year, but half of the teams in the league would trade for Jones in a heartbeat based off his 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions of 2021 alone.
Grade: A+
#2 - Christian Barmore, DL
After Jones, the excitement surrounding the Patriots' rookie class. drops quite a bit. Christian Barmore was selected by the Patriots in the second round with the 36th overall pick. That said, Barmore had an encouraging rookie year, earning a 63.4 PFF grade. He earned two sacks and 30 tackles. This is a bit on the low end for rookies, but next season could see a big jump. Overall, he didn't explode off the screen, but he gave hope for the future.
Grade: C
AFC Quarterbacks & Their Age:
- Josh Allen (25)
- Patrick Mahomes (26)
- Justin Herbert (23)
- Lamar Jackson (25)
- Joe Burrow (25)
- Trevor Lawrence (22)
- Deshaun Watson* (26)
- Tua Tagovailoa (23)
- Mac Jones (23)
- Zach Wilson (22)
Just insane.
#3 - Ronnie Perkins, Edge
Ronnie Perkins was selected by the Patriots in the third round with the 96th overall pick. The edge defender failed to record a stat in 2021 and was on Injured Reserve towards the end of the season. Those are two quick steps to a failure of a season. Put simply, he will need a massive year in 2022 to quiet the doubts about his future.
Grade: F
#4 - Rhamondre Stevenson, RB
Rhamondre Stevenson was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round at 120th overall. Stevenson may have been the steal of the draft. The running back was explosive from the word "go," and set the bar for the rest of the running backs of the draft class all season long.
In 2021, Stevenson rushed 133 times for 606 yards and five touchdowns. He also earned a 79.2 PFF grade.
Grade: A
#5 - Cameron McGrone, LB
Cameron McGrone was selected by the Patriots in the fifth round at 177th overall. Like Perkins, McGrone failed to register a single stat in 2021 as he was placed on the non-football injury list in July, according to Pro Football Reference. It doesn't get much worse than not surviving until at least August.
Grade: F
#6 - Joshuah Bledsoe, DB
Joshuah Bledsoe was selected in the sixth round at 187th overall. Another quiet rookie, Bledsoe, failed to record a stat on the field this year. If a rookie cannot make any impact on the field, then their rookie campaign is ultimately a let down. As such, it is pretty easy to give Bledsoe a failing grade this year.
Grade: F
Looking back at the Patriots 2021 draft:
1-15: QB Mac Jones
2-28: DT Christian Barmore
3-33: DE Ronnie Perkins
4-15: RB Rhamondre Stevenson
5-33: LB Cam McGrone
6-4: S Joshuah Bledsoe
6-13: OT Will Sherman
7-15: WR Tre Nixon
How much potential does the class have?
#7 - Will Sherman, OL
Will Sherman was selected in the sixth round at 196th overall. He saw a bit of time in the game against the Houston Texans. But aside from that, Sherman was basically a scratch all season long. Not playing at all would have been worse, but this isn't much better.
Grade: F+
#8 - Tre Nixon, WR
Tre Nixon was selected in the seventh round at 241 overall, however, he didn't take to the field much in 2021. But according to Pro Football Reference, the wide receiver has found a place on the Patriots' practice squad. As such, he gets a tiny morsel of credit. However, he has a lot of work to do if he is to secure a spot on the Patriots roster.
Grade: D--
#9 - Quinn Nordin, K
Quinn Nordin was undrafted, but it felt appropriate to add him to this list as a rookie. The kicker failed to play in a game this season and spent most of the year on the Injured Reserve. As such, the kicker gets a failing grade.
Grade: F