The NFL draft is a mere three months away, and as it approaches, Patriot Nation should be optimistic about the possibilities. How is it possible to make a statement like that about a team that messed up drafts to a fare-thee-well routinely under Bill Belichick?
Yup, that's the feeling here, and it's uncharacteristically optimistic for a change.
An obvious situational change is that Belichick is no longer on the scene. He was never a very good drafter, and while his personnel operation is still running, the results should still be very good if a rational approach is adopted. Add a new general manager of the ilk of Louis Riddick and it could be monumentally better than previous recent iterations.
With that situation out of the way, there are half a dozen reasons why this particular draft will likely be a success, at least in the most important pick, the third pick overall. This is a transcendental pick and opportunity, one the team hasn't enjoyed literally in decades. They have to get it right, and absent an obtuse move, it probably will. Probably.
The New England Patriots have seriously good options at pick No. 3
The 2024 draft is loaded with six offensive players at the top. It's an excellent position to be in when you have a top-three pick and needs everywhere on offense. The first three reasons that limit the Patriots' opportunities to mess up this particular draft are the three quarterbacks touted to be first off the board.
The New England Patriots need a new quarterback around whom to build a new offense. That offense will hopefully scrap the one that brought success when a certain Tom Brady was at the helm. He's long gone. It's time for a significant revamp. One of the top three quarterbacks will be available to the Patriots when they pick at three.
The top three consensus quarterback options are Caleb Williams of USC, Drake Maye of North Carolina, and Jayden Daniels of LSU. These are three reasons why the Pats can't mess up the draft's first round. If they take any of the three, they are on solid footing. Each is a consensus top quarterback (operative word, "consensus"), and that's exactly where you want to be.
Williams displays other-worldly pocket-escapability. Maye has a cannon of an arm and can also run the ball, not just scramble. Daniels is a super-accurate passer, can run like a back, protects the ball brilliantly, and can make up for many deficiencies as a dual-threat type. No top quarterback or player is a lock to be a franchise-level player. But if you take one of these three based on your scouting, you really can't be faulted no matter what eventuates.
Three additional options for New England to still be "right on the money"
The argument rages, what vital position is paramount to take first on an offense? The quarterback is obvious, but if he has no offensive line, it's not going to work. A top offensive left tackle is essential to provide whoever plays QB with time to do what he can do. And third, even if you have a top QB and a solid O-line, if there's no one to catch the rock, you'll still be wanting.
No one said this would be an easy fix. When you need everything on offense, it will take time to rebuild. It is what it is, likely an arduous multi-season process. So, in which direction should the team go first? Fortunately, there are three additional options, any one of which will be a solid one.
If you decide to go offensive tackle instead of quarterback, perhaps with a trade down to amass more picks and remain in the top 6, you can hardly go wrong. You'll likely have available one of the top two offensive left tackles, Joe Alt of Notre Dame and Olu Fashanu of Penn State. These are blue-chip day-one starting prospects. Take one of these, and you check off the second most important position on the entire team and maybe amass more picks with which to work. It's hard to argue against that.
Then you have the third near fail-safe option, and that's to take the best wide receiver in the draft, and maybe for years, a consensus top pass-catcher. The team has lacked that since Julian Edelman hung up his cleats a few years ago. That player is Marvin Harrison Jr. from Ohio State. He's the best available in the 2024 draft.
If it's Harrison at three or anywhere in the top six, it will be another excellent consensus pick. Harrison is a big target at 6'4" tall and 205 pounds. He caught 69 passes in 2023 for the Buckeyes for 1211 yards and a startling 14 touchdowns. How can taking a player of that ilk be a bad idea? Easy, it can't be.
So there you have it, six reasons; all top offensive players, any of whom the New England Patriots select with their No. 3 pick, will be exceptional. All should be day-one starters, except possibly the quarterback, who, if not, will quickly follow, but all are at least that caliber player. The New England Patriots need to rebuild smart. This has to be an offense-first, if not exclusive,: draft. They need help all over the offensive lot.
All that noted, it will be hard for the New England Patriots to mess up this draft, but you just never know with the Pats. Should they neglect to take one of these top six, however, they'll have flubbed up their best opportunity in decades to begin revamping their ineffectual offense with style and competency. If that happens, expect a draft grade here of D or worse. Frankly, we've had far too many poor draft grades like that in recent years. It's time for a change.