The New England Patriots face the most important draft in decades in April 2024. They start a new era with a new coach for the first time in 24 years in Jerod Mayo. They also either now have or maybe will have empowered a new personnel decisionmaker(s) for this draft, whomever that is or may be.
Those individually are massive changes. Taken together they are monumental. Fortunately for Mayo and the new de facto GM(s), the defense is in relatively good shape although depth is an issue. Nonetheless, it's the offense that is generally recognized as the key to the offseason and a successful draft is a major focal point.
Three key positions are central to the rebuild, among others. They are quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle. Each position needs substantial reinforcement and optimally, each will require a certain profile to maximize that draftee's potential. The first to examine is the most important player on the field, the quarterback.
The New England Patriots need a mobile quarterback
Most mock drafts have the Patriots selecting a quarterback early and many have a specific one in mind, Jayden Daniels of LSU. Daniels, as well as the other two top quarterbacks, Caleb Williams of USC, and Drake Maye of North Carolina, fits the required profile (albeit in slightly different ways) the Patriots need in their next signal-caller. It's called having mobility, improvisational skill, or most often here, escapability. It all essentially means the same thing, the ability to escape the rush.
Daniels not only is a pinpoint passer with immense ball-protection skills, he also can run like a running back. That's taking escapability to a whole new level. Not only can he evade the rush, but he can turn a broken play into a massive gain on his own.
Williams is a master of sliding in the pocket al la Dan Marino or Tom Brady. Maye can also tote the rock. He can and does run the ball very well. Each of these top players meets the requirements that the Patriots will need this season and beyond. The team really can't go wrong with any of the three. If they select one who's available at three, the draft is already a home run.
The New England Patriots need a certain type of wide receiver
The Patriots are renowned, and not in a good way, for their inability to draft wide receivers with any aplomb, especially in higher rounds. Under Bill Belichick, they were basically a failure in that regard. The most recent and egregious flop was 2019 first-round pick, N'Keal Harry, who did little and didn't stay around long.
Interestingly, Harry was ostensibly drafted because of his ability to climb the proverbial ladder and snatch contested balls from a defensive back. He never did much of that and frankly, that is one of, if not the most overblown statistic that stat geeks use to justify the selection of wide receivers. It's basically a lot baloney. Why's that?
The easy answer is that if you have a lot of contested catches, it only means that you ain't getting open enough to have more non-contested ones. A good rule of thumb for them is this, if there are lots of contested catches, stay away from that receiver at all cost. The ones to select are the ones who can separate, aka get open.
Unfortunately, the Patriots have had few of those in recent years, absent Julian Edelman who's retired, and Jakobi Meyers whom they jettisoned. Only last season's sixth-round pick and the team's rookie of the year, Demario Douglas, exhibits that trait among the current receiving corps.
The New England Patriots need a massive infusion of separation-first receivers (plural) in this year's draft. It's an absolute necessity. If they take Ohio State wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr., with the third pick in the first round, they'll have secured the best one available in the draft right there.
The New England Patriots need a certain type of offensive tackle(s)
It's no secret to anyone at this point, that the Patriots offensive tackle situation is an out-and-out disaster. They regrettably, and almost incomprehensively, neglected to draft an offensive tackle(s) with any of their 12 picks in 2023. This gross omission coupled with bargain-basement free-agent OT signings and late summer panic trades for OTs who flopped, spelled doom for the season before it began.
Whoever is in charge of personnel can't allow that to happen again. The team should have drafted at least two OTs in the top four rounds in 2023. That proposition still stands for 2024 and another (plus a legitimate free agent) should be added, as well. That being said, there is one attribute among others that is an absolute necessity in any of the offensive tackles who are added this offseason. It's called length.
Indeed, these players also have to be skilled with their footwork and hand placement, that goes without saying, and those can be taught by the offensive line coaches. Yet, the one characteristic that can't be taught is perhaps the most important one, length. Offensive tackles need to be tall and have long arms which add up to that length quality.
One need look no further than the drafting of Georgia's Isaiah Wynn with the 18th pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. Not only did the Patriots pass on Lamar Jackson then (and again with the 31st pick), but they drafted Wynn whose length was suspect from the outset. Wynn is about 6'2" tall and weighs about 310 pounds. That's marginal size for a center, small for a guard, and not even remotely close to the required length of a 2020's NFL offensive tackle.
Rather, the Patriots need to look solely for offensive tackles who stand at a minimum 6'5" tall with long arms. Optimally, they should be more like 6'6" or 6'7" tall with those long arms to maximize their ability to re-route quick edge players around the quarterback. This type of tackle exists in relative quantity in this draft. Kingsley Suamataia of BYU is one. At least two should be targeted exclusively by the team in the draft when they hopefully stock up on offensive tackles there and in the offseason generally.
Those are characteristics of the top three needs of the New England Patriots this offseason that need to be achieved in the draft and free agency. They need a dual-threat, mobile quarterback drafted high up, and multiples of both separation-specific wide receivers, and offensive tackles with top length.
Look for how astutely and comprehensively the appointed or de facto general manager(s) for the draft and free agency approaches these suggestions. If they compromise on any of these attributes, don't expect a top offseason. Rather, as in 2023, expect them and the team to flop again in 2024.