New England Patriots mock draft 2.0: Pats find a new Tom Brady early
By Lee Vowell
The New England Patriot's season is now done, of course, and this offseason could feature a lot of changes among the coaching staff on and the roster. Most of the changes on the roster should be on the offensive side of the ball, though. While New England's defense was far from perfect, the unit was still good enough to win more games than the team actually won.
Plus, New England's defense should be improved by two returnees. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez should be back after suffering a shoulder injury. Also, edge rusher Matt Judon should be back after missing all but four games due to a torn biceps.
In the mock draft that follows, I used Pro Football Network's mock draft simulator. I like PFN's mock tool because trades are offered. I took two trades that were offered, which is why the Patriots have two third-round picks.
New England Patriots get their QB of the future in this mock draft
. Caleb Williams. Quarterback. . . . 47. Round 1. . 1
Pro Football Network had the Washington Commanders taking Drake Maye at pick No. 2, and Maye was the first quarterback off the board. This meant Williams fell to the Patriots at pick three. Honestly, I would have been happy with either Williams or Maye, as both have extremely accurate arms and the ability to move around in the pocket and bust the occasional run down the field. But USC's Williams is electric when rolling out and throwing down the field.
I know some Patriots fans might want the team to take Marvin Harrison, Jr. with New England's first pick, but what good does taking a receiver do if a team doesn't have a good quarterback getting him the ball? Harrison will likely be terrific in the NFL, but he will be limited by bad quarterback play.
New England needs to move on from Mac Jones but Bailey Zappe should not be a long-term QB1. He can be a decent backup, but he makes far too many mistakes to lead a team consistently to deep runs in the playoffs. Williams, however, can elevate a team to be better than the sum of their parts. Williams will also turn out to be the second-best quarterback in franchise history after some guy named Tom Brady.