New England Patriots complete 7-round 2023 NFL mock draft

Round 2, 47th overall: BJ Ojulari, EDGE, LSU

Led by Matthew Judon, the Patriots have a solid group of edge rushers on the roster. That being said, the group could certainly use some depth. When the Pats went on the clock in the second round of this 2023 NFL mock draft, BJ Ojulari stood out as the premier player available. Nothing is better than when need meets best player available.

Ojulari is a quick and explosive edge rusher who wins with speed around the edge. The former LSU defender displays an incredibly impressive first step, bends around the corner with ease, and does a fantastic job of staying balanced and keeping his feet throughout the rush. Ojulari will likely be limited to a part-time pass rush specialist role early in his career, but his upside in that role is high.

Round 3, 77th overall: DJ Turner, CB, Michigan

The Patriots did a nice job of finding cornerback talent in last year’s draft, snagging Marcus Jones in the third round and Jack Jones in the fourth. Pair them with veteran Jonathan Jones, who the Pats re-signed for two years, $19 million this off-season, and there are the makings of a solid cornerback group.

That being said, besides Jonathan Jones, none of the cornerbacks on the roster are completely proven and it would be nice to see the team try to add some more talent at the position in the upcoming draft. In the third round of this 2023 NFL mock draft, the Patriots do just that when they add DJ Turner to the mix.

Turner lacks ideal size on the outside (5-foot-11, 178 pounds), but he makes up for that with elite-level athletic ability. Turner is an impressive quick-twitch athlete who also displays tremendous long speed. The Michigan product is also a sticky man-to-man corner that shows top-notch ball skills. Make no mistake about it, Turner would be a steal in this range.