The New England Patriots needed to have a stellar 2021 NFL Draft and, so far, the results have been quite positive.
After a couple years of lackluster drafting, the Patriots acquired at least three quality players in 2021 -- quarterback Mac Jones, defensive tackle Christian Barmore and running back Rhamondre Stevenson -- while others could emerge in the next year or two.
Jones was the team's first-round pick at No. 15 overall. He was the first quarterback Bill Belichick had ever selected in the first round since he became Patriots head coach in 2000. Jones lived up to expectations and led all rookie quarterbacks with a 67.6 completion percentage, 3,801 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns.
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Stevenson emerged as one of the best Day 3 picks of the draft. New England selected him out of Oklahoma in the fourth round and he provided much-needed depth and production at running back. Stevenson tallied 606 rushing yards (4.6 per carry) and five touchdowns in 12 games. His powerful running style helped him break tackles and pick up plenty of yards after contact.
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Jones and Stevenson performed so well that they both ranked in the top five of Pro Football Focus' highest-graded offensive rookies for the 2021 campaign.
Stevenson (fourth round) and Chiefs offensive lineman Creed Humphrey (second round) are the only players in the top five who weren't first-round picks.
The Patriots don't have much salary cap space to play with during the 2022 offseason. They had plenty of room last year and spent heavily to bring in players such as Matthew Judon, Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne and others. The Patriots' low amount of cap space makes the upcoming draft even more important. They need to match or even improve on the success of the 2021 class.