Patriots 4-round mock draft to traumatize AFC East opponents

Patriots draft Rickey Pearsall, WR, Florida, with pick No. 103

With his final pick of the first four rounds in the 2024 draft, Eliot Wolf completes a quadrifecta of taking only top consensus talent where they should be drafted, i.e., not reaching a la Bill Belichick and filling positions of need on offense exclusively. He's turned down trade-down opportunities to take the best offensive talents available, exactly the strategy he should have employed.

His final pick is a player who fits in immediately at wide receiver and will likely start from Day One.
It's Ricky Pearsall from Florida. Pearsall caught 65 for 965 yards and four TDs in 2023. He has good size at 6'1" tall and 189 pounds, ran a quick 4.41 forty-yard dash, and added a 42" vertical to boot at the combine.

si.com cites NFL Network's draft expert, Daniel Jeremiah's evaluation of Pearsall,

"Pearsall is a loose, smooth wideout with outstanding hands and toughness. He is quick in his release and he understands how to change gears as a route runner. He is fluid getting into and out of breaks. He has outstanding hands. He attacks the ball at the highest point and makes some circus catches (SEE: one-handed gem vs. Charlotte). After the catch, he is quick to transition up the field and has the elusiveness to make defenders miss in space. He has a lean frame, but he plays with excellent toughness and competitiveness. Pearsall followed up an excellent 2023 season with a solid weekat the Senior Bowl and should have a starting role from Day 1 for his drafting team."

Pearsall is a great addition and could be considered an absolute steal in the fourth round. So, let's sum up what Elito Wolf has accomplished in the top four rounds of the 2024 draft. First, he's landed arguably the best quarterback in the draft in Caleb Williams. When you fill a major need with the best player available, you can't be faulted, period.

He then followed up by selecting the second-best tight in the draft after the incomparable Brock Bowers and pass-catcher La'Tavion Sanders to add youth to that aging room. He followed up by getting a huge and long offensive left tackle, who should start immediately, Patrick Paul. And to put the cherry on top of the cake, he added a Day One starting wide receiver in Ricky Pearsall.

In this mock draft, Wolf will have done exactly what is necessary to add quality to the Patriots' terrible offense. The theme was quality over quantity, taking the best player available where you pick, and not trading down for trading-down's sake. If we see this draft from Mr. Wolf, it will get an A+++ grade. It couldn't have gone much better.

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