2020 didn’t exactly go how the New England Patriots had hoped it would. They parted ways with long-time all-timer quarterback Tom Brady, who went on to with the Super Bowl. Brady’s Boston BFF, Julian Edelman, missed half the season and retired in the offseason. All in all, the New England Patriots’ season just sort of… fell apart. Bill Belichick went out and added every 65 target receiver in free agency, and then added three fantasy football-eligible players in the 2021 NFL Draft. They took quarterback Mac Jones in round one and followed that up with running back Rhamondre Stevenson and Tre Nixon. What should we expect from the New England Patriots’ rookie fantasy football-eligible players for 2021 fantasy football?
FULL NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS DRAFT RESULTS
| Rd | Pick | Player | Pos. | College |
| 1 | 15 | Mac Jones | QB | Alabama |
| 2 | 38 | Christian Barmore | DT | Alabama |
| 3 | 96 | Ronnie Perkins | DE | Oklahoma |
| 4 | 120 | Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | Oklahoma |
| 5 | 177 | Cameron McGrone | LB | Michigan |
| 6 | 188 | Joshuah Bledsoe | S | Missouri |
| 6 | 197 | William Sherman | OT | Colorado |
| 7 | 242 | Tre Nixon | WR | UCF |
Round 1, Pick 15 Overall: Mac Jones, Quarterback, Alabama (6’3” 214 pounds)
Depth Chart:
QB1: Cam Newton
QB2: Mac Jones
QB3: Jarrett Stidham
TALENT
Numbers lie. Specifically, Mac Jones’ numbers. I really feel like Najee Harris and Devonta Smith should get a cut of Mac Jones’ NFL contract, since they are the ones who got him his draft stock. While Jones did a great job of putting the ball where it needed to be, the RB and WR (both first rounders) did all the hard work for Jones, as he threw the ball at or behind the line of scrimmage on 34% of his pass attempts, which was more than most of the big-name prospects over the last few years. Jones has a weakish body, but a strong brain.
His worst traits are mobility and his unwillingness to really push downfield, and his best traits are his ball placement, accuracy, and decision-making skills. After all, you have to get it to the right guy for him to do the hard work. Mel Kiper said “he kind of has a little bit of Brady in him,” citing his smarts and competitiveness. So, I guess it makes a bit of sense that Bill Belichick went out and got him. Most guys like Brady don’t make it as starters and end up with a long backup career with flashes of starting. Mac’s best-case scenario is a Kirk Cousins role in a quickly evolving NFL landscape that is starting to relegate guys like Kirk Cousins to the second-tier, at best.
2021 OPPORTUNITY
This is where things get spicy. The New England Patriots gave Cam Newton $5.1 million for a one-year deal, which is somewhere between starter money and backup money. I do think Cam Newton gets the first crack at the starter role, given that the Patriots brought him back after COVID-19 gave him a raw deal in 2020. I don’t, however, think that Cam Newton ends the year as the Patriots’ QB1. He just doesn’t have it anymore as a quarterback, and the team went out and added four pass catchers in free agency. Clearly, the plan is to turn it over to Mac Jones at some point this year. But, does that matter for fantasy football, is the real question?
2021 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
I mean… maybe? I’m not going to end up with Mac Jones anywhere in any 1QB leagues because I just can’t find myself caring. Last year, seven of the top-ten quarterbacks rushed for at least 300 yards. The guys who didn’t do that had 36 total touchdowns (Justin Herbert), 43 total touchdowns (Tom Brady), and 51 total touchdowns (Aaron Rodgers). So, the path to top-ten fantasy football quarterback production comes from either rushing (Mac had 42 yards in 30 college games) or totaling 35+ touchdowns. Do you see either of those in the cards for Mac Jones in 2021? Because I don’t.
TALENT
2021 OPPORTUNITY
or
2021 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Round 4, Pick 120 Overall: Rhamondre Stevenson, Running Back, Oklahoma (6’0” 246 pounds)
Depth Chart:
RB1: Damien Harris
RB2: James White
RB3: Rhamondre Stevenson
RB4: Sony Michel
TALENT
Roto Underworld called him a “plodder” but that’s not what I see. He is a patient version of Marshawn Lynch. He can fight through contact and actually move the ball forward. Plus, if he gets some space, he’s gone. I don’t see him as a plodder, but I don’t see him as an overwhelming back. His #1 trait is likely his patience and change-of-speed. Both of which remind me of Le’Veon Bell and Joe Mixon. Stevenson also has good enough hands to catch footballs at the next level, giving him multi-faceted aspects of his game. He’s a bruiser who invites contact and broke the second-most tackles per carry last year. He could be a depth guy, or he could shed weight, get ripped, and become the next Le’Veon Bell. It’s up to him. He could also just be the next Benny Snell, who knows.
Right now, Rhamondre Stevenson reminds me of another Bill Belichick running back: LeGarrette Blount. Bill Belichick turned the run game over to Blount in 2016, and he ended up with 1,199 yards and 18 touchdowns on 306 touches. People are obsessed with Bill Belichick getting another Brady or another Gronk, but what about another Blount?
2021 OPPORTUNITY
Right now, people are talking themselves into Damien Harris. Damien Harris is fine, but he’s not a world-beater. He’s also hemmed in by Sony Michel, Rhamondre Stevenson, James White, and (maybe) Cam Newton. Now, Rhamondre sits behind Harris on the depth chart, at least for now. This is an interesting situation to monitor because Stevenson could beat out Harris and Sony for touches, and Mac Jones could beat out Cam Newton as the starter. If all that clicks into place, Rhamondre Stevenson has some upside in the second half of your fantasy football drafts. But, at the same time, that’s a very specific path to walk for Rhamondre. I think he percolates for a year, before getting unleashed in 2022, should Bill Belichick have his druthers.
2021 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
This is up in the air. He could have 30 carries all season or 300 carries. At this point, we just don’t know. Because of this, he’s a deep league speculative add right now (definitely snagging him in best ball drafts) and someone I want to keep an eye on for shallower leagues. He could be a priority add come September, depending on how Bill Belichick decides to deploy him.
TALENT
2021 OPPORTUNITY
or
2021 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Round 7, Pick 242 Overall: Tre Nixon, Wide Receiver, UCF (6’1” 185 pounds)
Depth Chart:
WR1: Nelson Agholor
WR2: Kendrick Bourne
WR3: Jakobi Meyers
WR4: N’Keal Harry
WR5: Matthew Slater
WR6: Tre Nixon
TALENT
There isn’t a lot out there to watch for Tre Nixon, but what I saw showed me he had some good traits. First, he’s fast. That’s borne out by his 4.44 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. Second, he has some great hands and tends to focus in on the ball, despite getting knocked around en route to the football. Third, he has some great over-the-shoulder focus and he’s capable of some fancy downfield catches. Other than that, he doesn’t seem to have a lot of play-to-play appeal.
2021 OPPORTUNITY
If the New England Patriots restarted their roster from scratch with just new players added since their last game, Tre Nixon would still be the #5 target.
2021 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
I doubt he gets 30 targets, don’t worry about it.
TALENT
2021 OPPORTUNITY
2021 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
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