Patriots 7-Round Mock Draft: Double-dip at receiver puts offense over the top

Imitation is a form of flattery, and if the Patriots are going to imitate a team, it might as well be the Dolphins. They did make the playoffs last year and they finished second in the AFC East with 11 wins.

Mike McDaniel and his guys had a bit of trouble with the Bills (they have only beaten them once since 2019), but the Patriots have a 78-50 record overall against the Bills.

McDaniel’s Miami offense involves many clever schemes and pre-snap motions, but it’s mostly known for the speed of the players. With Pop Douglas battling concussion issues and Marcus Jones missing most of the season, the Patriots lacked any explosive speed to worry defenses.

It would have been nice if Bill O’Brien had incorporated more pre-snap motion into his scheme, though, if only to make the quarterback’s job easier.  

Seven of the 20 fastest ball carries in 2023 were made by Dolphins players. Unsurprisingly, Tyreek Hill made four, and De’Von Achane had two. But few people would have picked 31-year-old Raheem Mostert to record a faster carry than Jaylen Waddle.

If the Patriots take inspiration from McDaniels’ plan, there are plenty of options in the draft who would add some much-needed dynamism to a lackluster offense. Everyone knows Xavier Worthy broke the combine record for the 40-yard dash, but that success probably puts him out of the Patriots’ reach.

He may have risen to the low end of the first round or to be a high second-round pick. Spending the third overall pick on him would be a huge reach. 

Patriots select Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU, with No. 3 pick

There’s a very real chance the Patriots will draft the Heisman winner, and anyone who has watched him play knows he’s a supreme athlete. Whether or not he can get through his progressions as quickly as he runs is a different question.

Daniels didn’t run a 40-yard dash at the combine; he opted out of the measurement and testing parts. His last recorded 40-yard time was a 4.58, but that was at Arizona State, and he left there in 2021. 

4.58 would have been the second-fastest 40-yard time recorded by a quarterback at the combine. Kedon Slovis ran a 4.55, and Daniels certainly looks quicker than him on the field.