When the Patriots made their final selection of the 2023 NFL draft, they spent it on Jackson State University's Isaiah Bolden, making Bolden the only player this year to be drafted this year from an HBCU. Bolden's former head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders weighed in on social media, saying he was proud of his former player but ashamed that more NFL teams aren't following the Patriots' lead and drafting more players from the growing talent pool at schools like Jackson State.
Last year, Bolden's former Jackson State teammate James Houston was drafted by the Lions and logged an impressive eight sacks as a rookie, showing it's possible for players like him to make the jump and have an impact at the next level.