Patriots 4-Round Mock Draft: Mac Jones out, new franchise quarterback in

Patriots select TE Cade Stover in round 4

With the 91st pick from Green Bay in the third round, the Pats beef up their tight end room with Ohio State's Cade Stover, a 6'4" and 251-pounder. Stover ran an impressive 4.65 forty at the combine. He caught 41 for 576 and 5TDs for the Buckeyes in 2023.

nfl.com has this to say about Stover,

"Catch first, block second tight end whose jump in play as a receiving threat is going to be hard to ignore. Stover is a tight end conversion from the defensive side of the ball. He’s a little clunky getting off the line but really picks up the pace as the route unfolds."

Patriots draft RB Will Shipley with another 4th round pick

The Pats' final pick in this four-round offensive explosion bolsters the running back room. They select Clemson's Will Shipley. The 5'11" 206-pound Tiger ran for 827 yards with a 5.0 average and 5 TDs in 2023. In 2022, he was even more productive, with 1182 yards and a whopping 15 TDs. In 2023, he also caught 31 passes for 244 yards and an additional two TDs.

nfl.com talks about his strengths,

"Versatile running back with talent as a runner, receiver and kick returner. Shipley possesses early speed, allowing him to whip through creases and outrun linebackers to the corner. He’s a flexible runner who reads up to the linebackers and curates his runs with a feel for both defensive positioning and run lane development. He can balance through contact but is unlikely to move NFL piles."

That's it—a 4-round post-combine mock draft with the Pats adding a quarterback, offensive left tackle, wideout, tight end, and versatile running back. It was not a bad first day's draft work for Eliot Wolf and company, not bad at all.

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