Patriots Mock Draft: 7-rounds with big trades to build an unreal young offense

The 2024 NFL draft is two weeks away and closing fast toward the opening of proceedings on Thursday, April 25th. New England Patriots preparations are nearing their conclusion, and discussion is rampant on whether or not to take a quarterback with their third pick overall, who to take there, or alternatively trade down.

Control of the draft is now in the hands of Eliot Wolf after the summary dismissal of long-time Head Coach and general manager Bill Belichick. Owner Robert Kraft assigned running this, the most crucial offseason in about 25 years, to Wolf. It's all on the draft for Wolf now after a poor free agency, as he auditions for Kraft to see if he can demonstrate he's qualified to be the Pats' permanent general manager.

So, as we like to say (and as TB12 used to), Let's Go! and conduct a complete seven-round mock draft. The prime objective is to conduct a consensus draft to reconstruct a lackluster Patriots offense to complement a solid Pat's defense. That's the goal, and if this draft occurs, Patriots Nation will be ecstatic. Stay tuned; this is the draft you've been waiting for, with four trades and a bevy of top offensive picks.

Thanks to profootballnetwork.com for the use of their draft simulator.

Pats trade down and still get their man in the first round

Eliot Wolf starts the draft with a shocking trade until you hear the return and see how the board falls. He swaps the third pick overall and rolls the dice.

He traded that pick to the LA Chargers for their fifth overall pick and pick No. 37. It's a calculated gamble for Wolf, with Caleb Williams and Drake Maye off the board and only Jayden Daniels of the top three remaining. But the Chargers, now with pick No. 3 having Justin Herbert, don't need a quarterback.

At pick No. 4, Arizona obliges and also passes on Daniels. Wolf sends the pick up to the rostrum in an instant. It's Jayden Daniels of LSU. He gets the quarterback he wanted all along and another top second-round pick in the bargain. This is as astute a draft maneuver as you'll ever see, and Wolf has pulled it off in his first draft. Wolf now has his QB of the present and future in hand, in Daniels.

Daniels is the best all-around quarterback in this draft, bar none. Not only is he a super-accurate passer with a 72.2% completion percentage in 2023, but he also does the unthinkable for a recent Patriot quarterback: he protects the football! He had 40 TD passes and only four interceptions for the LSU Tigers last season.

Added to those superlative passing stats is the fact that he's a running-back-level runner himself, with 1134 yards and 10 TDs on the ground. He does it all. To get him at pick No. 5 is a major steal and coup for Wolf and as good a beginning to your team's draft and your own draft history as it gets.

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Patriots reload with more offensive talent in round 2 with receiver Ladd McConkey

It's expected that you hit on your first-round pick in the NFL, especially when it's in the top three or five, in this case, of the entire draft. It goes without saying. But oftentimes, the real strength of any draft is in the Day Two, second, and third (plus fourth, actually) rounds. That's where a draft is usually either made or broken.

Wolf seizes the moment and gets added value by again trading down a few picks, sending his own No. 34 and 104th picks to Carolina for their 39th and 65th picks. With his second pick in the draft, No. 37, acquired in this trade, Wolf goes right to a huge weakness in his offensive skill position: wide receiver. He lands Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey, who caught 30 passes for 478 yards and two TDs in nine games in 2023.

Here's how nfl.com describes the 6'0", 186 pound Z receiver,

"If pass rushers have rush plans, McConkey has route plans that allow him to uncover on all three levels. His pace and rhythm make cornerbacks more reactive than proactive. He has the footwork and body control to snap off crisp breaks and open windows for his quarterback. He can manipulate coverage with an advanced feel for leverage and has enough top-end speed to get past cornerbacks who are non-believers."

Chris Price of the Boston Globe interviewed McKonkey about his interaction with the Patriots.

Patriots then take OT Patrick Paul in round 3 after a trade with the Colts

Next up at pick No. 39 acquired from Carolina, Wolf again works the board masterfully and once again trades down, sending picks 39 and 137 to the Indy Colts for picks 46 and 82 (another third-rounder). At No. 46 in the second round, the Pats tie up a new left tackle, their second most critical need after quarterback.

The choice here is an easy one: the best left tackle on the board is Patrick Paul, a gargantuan left-side protector from Houston. If you're looking for length (an absolute requisite for an NFL left tackle), Paul is your man, standing 6'7 1/2" tall, weighing 331 pounds, and possessing 36 1/2-inch-long arms.

If you like big. strong, left tackles with a nasty side and long arms, you'll like what bleacherrport.com has to say about Paul,

"Patrick Paul is a four-year starting left tackle inside Houston's RPO-heavy, balanced (53-47 run-pass split), zone-based run scheme with a tall, high-cut frame, excellent arm length and good athletic ability...Paul shows good quickness out of his stance with a mixture of 45-degree/angle and vertical sets to get to his landmarks on time. He has the range to expand his set points and stay attached against high-side rushes, too.

"Paul casts a wide net with his length, utilizing a circle punch to evade the cross-chop and has good stopping power in his anchor to strain and dissipate the bull rush. He also brings a tone-setting demeanor, consistently driving his feet through the whistle looking to bury opponents."

Patriots continue with the offense by selecting TE Ben Sinnott with pick No. 65

With third-round pick, No. 65 acquired from Carolina, Wolf shores up another weak spot, tight end. He lands all-purpose Kansas State tight end, Ben Sinnott. Sinnott can catch it and block. The 6'4", 245-pound Wildcat caught 49 for 679 yards and six TDs in 2023.

nfldraftbuzz.com notes,

"Sinnott's overall profile presents a compelling case for NFL teams looking for a tight end who can contribute in a variety of roles ... Teams willing to invest in his development could find a gem in Sinnott, particularly in schemes that favor tight ends with the flexibility to line up both in-line and in the backfield.

Patriots double-dip at receiver by selecting Ja'Lynn Polk from Washington

With their own pick, No. 68, the Pats go back to wide receiver. They take Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk, a 6'1" tall, 203-pound receiver who caught 69 for 1159 and nine TDs last season. thedraftnetwork.com says this about Polk,

"One of the first things I noticed when studying Ja’Lynn Polk was his competitiveness. He believes every pass belongs to him ... He attacks the ball with full extension and the full use of his frame and limbs...With free releases, he can gear up to top speed and glide past flat-footed defenders down the field."

Offense continues as the priority to end the Patriots' 2024 Draft

In the fourth round, Wolf continues to work for the board, and wheels pick No. 82, acquired from Indy, and his own pick No. 231 to Arizona for Picks No. 90 and 138. At 90, he can't pass up value and takes North Carolina's wide receiver, Devontez Walker. nfl.com talks about Walker,

"All-day vertical target with long, linear frame and impressive build-up speed to win the footrace. Walker is a tale of two receivers. He’s a long strider who will excel running go routes, posts, corners and over routes... He’s a Day 2 field-stretcher for West Coast offenses looking to create explosive opportunities in the passing game."

The Patriots continue to rebuild the offensive line, taking offensive tackle Matt Goncalves of Pitt at pick No. 138 in the fifth round with the pick from Arizona. Goncalves is a 6'6" tall, 327-pound right tackle who adds further depth to the offensive tackle unit.

They finish up by taking a safety, Evan Williams, a 5'11", 200-pound safety from Oregon, with pick No. 182 acquired from Chicago. They then use their final pick, No. 193 from Jacksonville, and add another tight end, this time a massive blocker, 6'5", 271-pound Tip Reiman from Illinois.

That's it, an Eliot Wolf masterpiece. He's gotten his quarterback, three top wide receivers to completely remake that room, his starting left tackle and a right, two tight ends, and a depth safety.
Wolf crushed his two prime objectives, completing a consensus draft, i.e., picking players when they should have been picked, and restocking his lackluster offense in style. It all adds up to this: a five-star grade, A+++++.

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