What the Patriots' objectives should be for the NFL Draft
The New England Patriots' offseason has involved plenty of moves, but none have advanced the team as a whole.
Rookie head coach Jerod Mayo re-signed key players (wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, guard/tackle Mike Onwenu and tight end Hunter Henry), but did not bring on notable external talent, only adding names like quarterback Jacoby Brissett, wide receiver K.J. Osborn and running back Antonio Gibson.
Since New England left many positions unfilled for the 2024 season, they must find starters via the draft. Here's what the Patriots' priorities should be for the 2024 NFL Draft, which begins on April 25.
Draft a franchise QB
The Patriots' most glaring issue is at signal-caller. Their QB room of Brissett, Bailey Zappe and Nathan Rourke is one of the worst in the NFL in terms of talent.
Per MassLive's Mark Daniels, the Patriots have a plan in place to transform their lacking group of QBs. The team is expected to draft a QB with the third overall pick during the draft and utilize Brissett — an experienced veteran — as a bridge starter and mentor to the rookie.
There is no clear evidence as to what QB will be New England's choice at third overall, but it is for certain that at least one of USC's Caleb Williams, UNC's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels will be available.
Any of the three would be phenomenal additions to the Patriots and their QB plan.
Find a talented receiver
The Patriots front office did their best to add a talented WR this free agency, but it appears they fell short. The draft is their only other option to add offensive spark.
The Patriots only have one first-round pick, which is being used on a QB. That leaves the team with two options to find a talented WR: use Day 2 and Day 3 picks, or obtain another first-round pick through a trade.
New England has succeeded in securing top receivers with non-first-round picks in the past, like WR Julian Edelman (seventh round) and TE Rob Gronkowski (second round), but the strategy is likely to fail, especially without Bill Belichick calling the shots.
Mayo will have to assess the risk involved and craft the best path forward.
Find young defensive talent
For the last several seasons, the defense has been the bright spot for New England's struggling team. In 2023, the unit was top 10 in allowed points and yards per game.
The Patriots must maintain that level of domination by drafting young talent in the later rounds of the draft and developing it with their coveted defensive coaching staff.
They employed the same tactic with CBs J.C. Jackson (undrafted), Marcus Jones (third round) and Malcolm Butler (undrafted), and it paid the team dividends down the road.
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