1 – Slowly but surely the interminable lead up to the 2024 NFL Draft will be coming to an end.
The Combine and Pro Days are in the rearview mirror, with only teams’ not-top 30 visits and maybe some late individual workouts left to be added to the process between now and April 25.
The hay isn’t quite in the draft barn, but we’re getting close. That goes for teams as well as media and fans alike. By now we all seem to have fallen for our favorite prospects and draft weekend possibilities.
With that in mind this chilly, pre-eclipse April Sunday, we’re gonna take a quick look at some of the guys who’d seemingly look quite nice in a Patriots’ uniform at New England’s most prioritized needs.
That, of course, means we kick things off at the quarterback spot. And it means we continue to pump the tires and heap on the hype for North Carolina’s Drake Maye. As we’ve all heard, Maye has all the tools you’d want in a QB. He’s tall, strong, athletic and has the arm to make…wait for it…all the throws.
If you believe the comps, Maye is some combination of Josh Allen and Justin Herbert.
Yes, please!
None of this means Maye will be a sure-fire superstar.
But the franchise-altering, franchise-carrying potential is there. If he’s on the board at No. 3 overall he should and could absolutely be the selection. Now, hopefully Adam Peters and the Commanders don’t screw up that perfect scenario.
If Washington swoops in for Maye, then that clearly leaves Jayden Daniels as the pick for the Patriots, who simply need to leave the draft with a potential franchise QB, even if late rumors try to convince us otherwise. Daniels is a skinny, speedy runner who makes plays with his feet as well as his arm. Sure, I prefer Maye. But Daniels wouldn’t be a bad fallback option for team that is kinda desperate, and has as much upside as any QB in the draft in the eyes of some.
Jerod Mayo, Eliot Wolf and Alex Van Pelt need to leave draft weekend in New England with a quarterback. Maye is the preference. Daniels is more than worthy of the risk.
The question isn’t QB or not QB? Nope, it’s just which QB.
2 – After Wolf and the collaboration grab a QB atop the draft, the next spot that’s most in need of addressing is the left tackle position. Maybe that’s at 34 overall. Regardless, the addition of prospect with a shot to play right away is a virtual necessity. Some names preferred here for consideration would be Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, inexperienced Georgia beast Amarius Mims, Arizona’s Jordan Morgan, Washington’s Troy Fautanu or Notre Dame’s Blake Fisher. Not all are prototypical left tackles, which isn’t ideal given an existing depth chart with right tackle types in Mike Onwenu and Chukwuma Okorafor. While neither Mims nor Fautanu is a pure left tackle type, they might be two of the more intriguing options in the group. Otherwise Guyton or Morgan might make more sense if they’re on the board.
3 – Some reading this may wonder when we’re gonna get to the wide receiver position. Well, wonder no more. There is no doubt the Patriots need to add a rookie receiver with potential first-year impact, even if the team is still working the would-be trade market. The only question is how early New England is willing to bite the wide receiver apple while trying to fill other more pressing needs. If swinging for the No. 1 wide receiver fence is a consideration – though not at the top of the draft where QB1 is the target – then Texas’ A.D. Mitchell would be the choice here. He’s not likely to make it to No. 34, so Mitchell would require a trade up into the latter half of the first round. He might just be worth it as guy with all the versatile ability and tools to be a true No. 1 at the next level. Another palatable option who might make it to Day 2 is South Carolina playmaker Xavier Legette, kind of a Deebo Samuel make-good a few years later. Though likely not true No. 1 options, Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, Michigan’s Roman Wilson, Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley certainly all have the potential to improve the overall wide receiver depth chart in New England.
4 – Oh hell, might as well keep chugging along on the offensive side of the ball with a look at would-be tight end options. This class of prospects falls off quickly and dramatically after Georgia first-round option Brock Bowers. With Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper around, New England could take one of the developmental options later in the draft and give him time to get his feet wet. None are all that sexy. None are close to guarantees for a team that’s swung and missed a lot at tight end in the middle and later rounds of the draft over the years. Texas’ Ja’Tavion Sanders is probably No. 2 on the board but too rich for New England’s needs. More likely someone like TCU’s Jared Wiley or Kansas State fullback tweener Ben Sinnott. Did somebody say fullback? Sign me up!
5 – Maybe the first defensive spot to really consider for New England at some point is cornerback. In the pre-draft business it’s often referred to as a “sneaky need” for the Patriots. Finding another outside cornerback to bring depth to a position that could once again be described as a Christian Gonzalez-led house of cards would be a nice addition. Top prospects like Toledo stud Quinyon Mitchell or Iowa’s Cooper DeJean aren’t realistic. But the next tier of talent such as Michigan’s Mike Sainristil or Rutgers’ Max Melton might be. Missouri actually has a pair of cornerbacks worth a look in Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kris Abrams-Draine. Any of those guys would add a little more competitive balance to the CB spot.
6 – While tight end may be top-heavy thanks to Bowers, running back is simply underwhelming. There just isn’t much elite talent in the backfield which likely won’t see a first-round pick. But a team like the Patriots looking to add to its stable behind Rhamondre Stevenson could find some complementary upside potential on the second and third days of the draft.
While New Hampshire’s Dylan Laube has developed a kind of cult following in Patriot Nation, he probably would have been bettered suited for the team back in the Tom Brady days. Now, a couple better fits might be Kentucky versatile workhorse Ray Davis or Purdue receiver-turned-RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. And if you like big backs, it’s hard to overlook Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen.
7 – Finally, when Patriots’ leadership has spoken this offseason it has provided plenty of food for thought. Whether it’s been owner Robert Kraft, first-year head coach Jerod Mayo or the de facto GM Eliot Wolf, all have made waves with their comments in the post-Bill Belichick era that previously had one voice with one message. As such, it will be interesting to hear what Wolf has to say when he meets with reporters for New England’s annual pre-draft press conference on April 18. A week before the critical draft, Wolf’s message will be analyzed and over-analyzed in this offseason of burning cash and weaponizing the offense. In recent weeks rumors and reports have been all over the map in terms of what Wolf might do with the No. 3 overall pick, and that’s probably the way it should be. In a little more than week we will get the chance to hear it directly from the Wolf’s mouth.