For any upcoming NFL Draft, fans are eager to see who the Patriots might take over the three-day period. That has been especially relevant for them over the past few years since the team has performed poorly enough to have top-5 picks in the first round for the first time in nearly two decades.
The upcoming draft is a bit more unique in that the Patriots don't need to take a quarterback with the fourth overall pick because they did that last year by selecting Drake Maye. This opens the door for a significant opportunity to take one of the best non-quarterback prospects of the incoming class. That means the new regime can fill some significant holes on the roster with ease, but who that might be continues to be a heated debate.
It's clear what positions should be targeted early, and Mike Vrabel and Co. have shared that they plan to build the roster through the draft, so that seems to pinpoint the direction they'll go in. But historically, the Patriots haven't drafted the best player available and have prioritized need, which hasn't been the best plan of action in recent years.
They have previously stated they planned to change that and take the best player on the board when they're on the clock, which doesn't appear to be changing despite the glaring needs remaining after a mostly quiet free agency in Foxboro.
Eliot Wolf sticks to the Patriots plan to pick the best player available in next month's draft
Because Patriots' general manager Eliot Wolf was a leading force in last year's draft, there is much skepticism about how he will operate this year in hopes of putting together a better class. There is a lot of improvement left to be made with the roster, so fans are concerned with how they will approach the draft process this year, even if the presence of Vrabel brings some optimism.
Wolf addressed those concerns during the weekend's annual draft party for season ticket holders, doubling down on their previous statements to draft the best player available rather than for need over the three-day draft.
"The best player available is going to be the way it is. Maybe we went for need a little bit too much last year. Obviously that culminated in us drafting Drake Maye, so it wasn’t all bad.
But, just moving forward, it’s taking the best player, and understanding that we’ve filled a lot of needs already in free agency.”
That's a sigh of relief from most New England fans you're hearing after Wolf clarified the Patriots' draft stance.
It's a different approach than they have taken over the last handful of years, but it could yield some great players as they hope to build a competitive roster that can lead them back to relevancy once again. It puts players like Colorado's CB/WR Travis Hunter, Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter, and Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham in good positioning to be picked in the first round.
That's a big step in the right direction for the Patriots, especially if they want to prioritize building a solid team around Maye and put him in a good spot to be the franchise quarterback they believe he can be.
The hope is that the fans can trust this plan and that they will execute it accordingly. It's, unfortunately, a form of trust they don't currently have with those in the front office in Foxboro, so they'll have to earn that through their actions in this year's draft.