New England Patriots 7-round 2024 Mock Draft: Pats gets their QB for Week 1 of 2024

Second and third rounds

Whether through injury or simply lousy play, the Patriots' right offensive tackles have been a mess this year. The problem is that there is no evidence to think they will be much better in 2024 if the current roster stays the same. New England needs to get young, stable talent at the position to help protect its highly skilled new quarterback.

Plus, left tackle Trent Brown, who is graded by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) as the third-best OT in the NFL in 2023, isn't signed past this season.

BYU product Suamataia should step in as an immediate starter, however, whether that is the left side or right. He will likely be better in pass protection to begin his career while he adds some weight, but his long arms and good balance will allow him to cheat a bit. By 2025, the 6'6" and 280-pound Suamataia could be a Pro Bowl quality starter.

Currently gone are the days when the Patriots had multiple tight ends who were really good. Heck, New England might settle for just one tight end with half the skill of Rob Gronkowski. Hunter Henry has just three touchdown receptions in 2023 and averages just 9.8 yards a reception. Mike Gesicki has been a disappointment.

And sure, some of the issues with the tight ends might be quarterback-related (the Patriots do not exactly have a Tom Brady to Gronkowski connection going on right now), but many of the issues might simply be the overrated skills of the 2023 tight ends.

This is where University of Texas' Ja'Tavion Sanders comes in. He is 6'4" and 260 pounds and can catch, run, and block really well, too. This year, Sanders averaged 15.6 yards per catch. Williams to Sanders might just be the next Brady to Gronkowski in New England.