The New England Patriots are what they are, to paraphrase an oft-used phrase in and around Foxborough. And they are a last-place team with an offense that couldn't come close to complementing the team's greatest strength: its very good defense.
Common wisdom states that the team should concentrate its draft resources on rebuilding a weak offense from top to bottom. Holding a mere seven picks at the moment will not be easy for whoever is running the draft in the post-Bill Belichick GM era.
That looks to be the same guys who helped Belichick run the failed past drafts.
Citing a report by NBC Sports Boston, Phil Perry noted, "It's anticipated by team sources that both Matt Groh and Eliot Wolf will remain with the Patriots and have prominent roles in personnel," Perry posted to X over the weekend.
Whatever your feelings about that, it seems to be the reality of the situation as dictated by owner Robert Kraft. Kraft is on a historical (and if it weren't the Patriots) hysterical run of bad decision-making stretching back to 2019 when he sanctioned the inexcusable jettisoning of Tom Brady.
No matter who calls the shots, the most pressing team needs must be addressed, and they all fall on offense. Four primary ones stand out as essential in the total remake required for the dismal Patriots' offense that was ranked 30th overall by Fox Sports.
New England Patriots' top need is easy: A new Quarterback
The New England Patriots quarterback situation was a disaster in 2023, not helped by poor management by Belichick, poor oversight by on-the-way-out Offensive Coordinator Bill O'Brien, and poor execution by Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe. They need a new QB, and they need it with their first choice.
Coupled with the other three needs to be covered herein, the team must first shore up the most critical position on the field and then work from there. In light of the deficiencies on the offensive line and in the skill positions, a dual-threat QB is the most advisable type to draft.
One of the top three options will be available when the Patriots select with the third pick overall in the draft. Any one of the top three would work. They are Caleb Williams from USC, Drake Maye from North Carolina, and Jayden Daniels from LSU. All possess great escapability, an essential attribute in the 2024 NFL.
Since Williams and Maye are routinely touted as the top two on the board, the available choice will likely be Daniels, but the Heisman Trophy winner is by no means to be looked upon as a consolation prize at all, quite the contrary. He may be the best choice anyway. He possesses all the qualities you need to be successful in the modern NFL. Bleacher Report notes this about Daniels,
"A five-year starter dating back to his days at Arizona State, Daniels' superpower is his athleticism. He has home run speed and a ton of burst and flexibility to wiggle out of the pocket and around defenders in space. No other quarterback comes close to Daniels as a rushing threat and athlete in this class.
"As a passer, Daniels handles himself like an experienced vet. He plays with a calm demeanor in the pocket, which you can see both in his quiet footwork and in his fearlessness under pressure." Daniels can do everything at a high level. If he's available and the other top two QBs are off the board (or maybe even if not), it's a no-brainer. You take Daniels and fill your QB need early. Next up, offensive tackle."
Next up for the New England Patriots, offensive tackle
Bill Belichick and his personnel team wrecked the 2023 season before it began by not adequately addressing the offensive tackle situation in last year's off-season. This was primarily responsible for Belichick's losing his job in Foxborough. No offensive tackles, no offense, it's as simple as that. And that's the case whether or not you have a top quarterback and the other essential pieces.
The Patriots need to go early and often for offensive tackles in this draft. The suggestion here is at least two of their top four picks should be used there. No bonafide NFL tackle is under contract for the 2024 season, an indefensible situation that once again contributed largely to Belichick's ouster.
The second-round pick has to be used on the best tackle available at that point in the draft, and probably the same situation with the fourth-round selection. Should the caretaker or general manager (s) eschew remedying (or at least attempting) to remedy this situation, they will share Belichick's fate sooner or later.
In addition, the team should sign one or two of the best free-agent tackles available in free agency. You can't stress enough how important this is to the team's future success. Suffice it to say, "No O-line, no nuthin" on offense. Next up, wide receiver.
The Patriots next address the wide receiver position
The Patriots' wide receiver corps is in shambles. Free agent or trade acquisitions DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster were total flops. They should be moved on if at all possible. The whole corps needs to be upgraded save rookie phenom Demario Douglas and possibly Kendrick Bourne, who's unsigned and coming off a serious knee injury. This means three or four additions.
In the draft, the team's third pick has to be the top available wide receiver left on the board. A trade-up here to secure an even better player should not be dismissed as a possibility. Dipping into next year's draft should be an option.
The team subsequently needs to go back to the well for another wide receiver with one of its picks in the fourth or fifth rounds. This means two wide receivers in the top five rounds. The team has neglected the position to a fare-the-well higher in the draft after totally missing on former first-round pick N'Keal Henry. It's time to invest heavily in the position now.
Additionally, the team has to go out into the free agent market or by trade to secure a top veteran receiver to augment the rookies drafted. The team will have loads of cash to spend in this off-season, and they need to use it wisely: read on the right positions. Lou Scataglia of Musket Fire had this to say about that situation,
"The team could chase a stud WR free agent like Tee Higgins, for example. They could also throw a bag at Dalton Schultz, a very talented tight end who is currently slated to be a free agent next year. Well, just how much cap space are the Patriots projected to have? According to overthecap.com, the team is projected to have a whopping $79.3 million in effective cap space, which is the true amount the team would have at their disposal."
The strategy is to draft at least two in the top five rounds and then add to them with a top free agent or two, like Michael Pittman of the Colts or the aforementioned Tee Higgins of Cincinnati. The money is there, and it needs to be spent effectively. With Belichick out of the picture, it will be incumbent on whoever is acting as the GM to get it right for a change. Next up is the tight end position.
Last of the top 4, the New England Patriots draft two tight ends
The New England Patriots flopped in signing tight end Mike Gesicki last off-season, a player whose arrival was greatly anticipated here (OOPS!). The room needs to be shored up, and probably two picks should be attributed there.
The team needs to spend its last two picks on tight ends, hope that Pharoah Brown can continue to grow into the position, and then seek to add a free agent or two in addition. After quarterback, offensive tackle, and wide receiver, it's the offensive position that needs bolstering most in the draft. It's time for the scouting department to get one right by hitting on a pick or two (a la Douglas) in the bottom two rounds to provide depth.
The team's best tight end, Hunter Henry, is a free agent. He performed OK, but whether he's worth another huge contract is debatable. He represented a whopping $15.5M on the cap in 2023. He's not worth anywhere near that allotment. But with 42 catches for 419 yards and six TDs, he's a decent player. He or another free agent tight end should be signed, but only for reasonable money.
The previously noted Schultz and Noah Fant, currently of Seattle, are the other top free agents. If not Henry, then one of those veterans is the choice. But, again, not at an exorbitant salary. That money has to be allocated elsewhere, e.g., to wide receivers and offensive linemen.
So these are the top four needs that have to be addressed by the Patriots in the 2024 NFL draft. If it appears that all available picks are to be used on offense, it's not an illusion. It is what it is: an absolute necessity. It may be a bit unorthodox, but this team needs a major infusion of offensive talent, and the draft is the place to do a lot of the work. The defense is solid. Its needs can be addressed in free agency.