Following the Broncos selection of Surtain II on Day 1 and the Jaguars claiming Campbell along with the Browns’ drafting of Schwartz on Day 2, the final day of the 2021 NFL Draft featured three of the remaining four Patriots securing spots in the NFL.
Florida’s cornerback Marco Wilson kicked off Day 3 for the Patriots when the Arizona Cardinals selected Wilson with the 136th overall pick. Soon after, the Green Bay Packers traded in the 173rd overall selection for Florida defensive lineman Tedarrell Slaton. In the sixth round, the Chicago Bears claimed the final Patriot when they took Virginia Tech’s running back Khalil Herbert.
Though only six of the seven eligible Patriots found a match via the draft, the final Heritage product, University of Michigan’s tight end Nick Eubanks, agreed to terms with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent after teams opted not to give the former Patriot a call during the draft.
In Arizona, Wilson will join a 12th ranked defense, according to Pro Football Reference, that helped bring the Cardinals to an 8-8 record last season. Just behind them is the Packers’ 13th ranked defense, which will welcome Slaton in the trenches for the upcoming season.
Herbert, the only offensive Patriot taken in the draft, joins a Bears’ offense that has been inconsistent as of late, but has begun to transition to a new era under new QB Justin Fields, the team’s first round pick. Eubanks, after signing with the Cowboys after the draft, will become a part of an offense that figures to get starting QB Dak Prescott back from injury and make a playoff push after a mediocre year.
With the six draft selections, Heritage sets a new record for the most athletes taken in a single draft from a single high school as the NFL continues to flood with young and rising Patriots.
