Management of the 2024 Draft
The New England Patriots stand at a major crossroad. They have to decide if they will continue on the path of post-Tom Brady sub-mediocrity, or take a new path toward renewed glory. Personnel management looms large as the most important function to get right, no matter who is the coach.
The feeling here is that a new President of Pro Personnel Operations should have been/should be brought in to change the whole dynamic in personnel. Retaining the current staff out of loyalty and decency is fine, yet, a new man should be able to add his team, as well. A choice for that top position has been offered here. It's ESPN's superb analyst, former NFL player, and experienced NFL personnel executive, Louis Riddick.
All that notwithstanding, it appears that Elliott Wolf may be the de facto general manager and likely will be overseeing the draft (hopefully one man in charge, not more than one, please. That's never a good thing). The objective of this mock draft is to present a draft that would be the choice here, now that Bill Belichick has left the building. It will hopefully resonate no matter who is conducting it due to one overarching principle, "consensus" drafting.
Here, the term means drafting along lines that are shared by many if not most astute NFL draft experts and observers. It totally eschews the concept of draft "reaches" or taking players much earlier than they are widely projected to be taken.
With that preface, here's a 7-round mock draft the Patriots' fans have been waiting for. It's got it all, with a top QB selected, and much, much more! So, "Let's Go!" and select a new generation of top players to help lead the Patriots back to prominence. The hope here is, you won't find it too "offensive"!
Note: Thanks to profootballnetwork.com for the use of their mock draft simulator.
The New England Patriots have the third pick overall in the 2024 Draft
Make no mistake about it, this first-round pick in 2024 is the highest and most valuable draft pick the New England Patriots have possessed since 1993 when they had the first overall pick in the draft and selected Drew Bledsoe. We are all aware that their all-time best pick came in with the 199th pick in the 2000 draft, but that's another story altogether. It's 2024 and the Patriots possess the third overall pick.
You need a new quarterback, there are three preeminent ones. One will be available to you. You also need offensive tackles, and at least one if not both of the top two will be available to you. If your choice is a wide receiver, there is an other-worldly one who may or may not be available with the third pick. Whatever eventuates, you are guaranteed a consensus, Day-One starting-level player with your third pick in the draft.
So in which direction do you go? It's been noted here that the team can almost go in any of the three identified directions and begin the shift in style. The offense under new Offensive Coordinator, Alex Van Pelt has to be at the forefront. And, all things considered, there is one position that needs to be filled above all, the quarterback and it needs to be a very high pick, indeed.
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With their first pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the New England Patriots ... trade down!
In an absolutely stunning move, the New England Patriots trade the third pick in the 2024 draft to Tennessee for their seventh pick overall and their pick No. 38 pick in the second round! The entire NFL is shocked and so is Patriot Nation. The Patriots pass on Drake Maye, a consensus top-three quarterback, and on Jayden Daniels, the presumptive favorite from LSU.
In trading down, no matter how controversial, the Patriots with needs all over their offense add a premium pick to their quiver in the second round. Additionally, they still have the seventh pick and will be able to select one of the top six players who may fall or perhaps the best tight end in college football, Brock Bowers from Georgia.
The best players in the draft fall off the board quickly, as expected. The top two quarterbacks, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, the top two offensive tackles, Joe Alt of Notre Dame and Olu Fashanu of Penn State, and two top wide receivers, the transcendent Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State and Rome Odunze of Washington. Yet, the Pats still have solid options at seven.
Remaining on the board are quarterback Daniels and dynamic tight end, Bowers as Commissioner Roger Goodell steps to the podium and announces, there is a trade. The Patriots have traded down again. Goodell announces that the trade consists of the Patriots trading the seventh overall to Atlanta for pick No. 8 along with the Falcons' 74th pick in the 3rd round for the privilege.
Atlanta then selects, not quarterback, Jayden Daniels or Bowers. It's wide receiver, Malik Nabors who caught passes from Daniels at LSU! Now the Patriots have another opportunity to select having now added in splendid, if not remarkable fashion, additional second and third-round picks to their arsenal.
Patriots finally select and get their man!
The most necessary player to build your new offense and team around has to be the quarterback, above all others. While any of the top three would have done just fine (the others, Williams and Maye), the choice for many was and now, in reality, is the aforementioned Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels. The Pats take Daniels. Here's why he's the right pick.
First, Daniels is a superb passer completing 72.2% of his passes in 2023 for 3812 yards. It gets even better. He finishes. He threw for 40 touchdowns with only four, that's four interceptions. That 10-1, TD/INT ratio is off the charts. In translation, it also shows that he protects the ball and for a turnover-happy team like the Patriots, that should be music to the ears of Patriot Nation.
And finally, he really can run the ball either on scripted plays or broken ones and does so with style. Daniels racked up 1134 yards on the ground and 10 additional TDs. That's fifty all-told. Throw in the Heisman pedigree and you have the perfect fit for a team that needs help all over their offense, needs a quarterback, and needs a boost! Want consensus? It's Jayden Daniels to the Patriots.
Since rebuilding an offense entirely, from the ground up will take time, having a dual-threat quarterback who can make up for lots of deficiencies while all the complementary pieces are put in place, is a very sound strategy. If things fall this way, the Patriots draft room will have set the table for perhaps the team's best draft in decades. It's already a home run draft at this point. But can it get better? Indeed, it can and does.
The Pats beef up their offensive line in the second round
Having solidified the most important need on the field, the field general, the Patriots now move to provide supporting pieces on Day Two. New England now possesses after some astute moving around the board two premium picks in the second round with picks No. 34 and 38.
At pick 34, the team wastes no time in shoring up its next most pressing offensive need, offensive tackle. It does so in style with pick number 34 and selects huge offensive tackle, Kingsley Sumataia from BYU. The 6'6" tall and 330-pound Cougar will likely step right in as a starter for the Patriots in 2024.
"In the passing game, his athleticism and length make it very challenging for opposing defenders to win against him. He is explosive out of his pass sets and gets good depth. He shows a good ability to mirror in pass protection and is a cerebral player when it comes to passing off stunts and games. He utilizes his length very well and creates a long path between him and the QB."
Length, pass protection ability, and smarts. This sounds like a great combination to help rebuild a position on the Patriots that needs top-to-bottom reconstruction. The Pats begin the job by setting a top cornerstone in place in Sumataia.
The Patriots continue the overhaul with the 38th pick in the second round
In further recognition that the offensive tackle position is in shambles, the draft team turns the 2023 draft's most omission, not taking an offensive tackle, on its proverbial head. They waste little time in addressing it quickly again using another prime second-round pick on another top offensive tackle. They select Jordan Morgan, another huge offensive tackle from Arizona.
Nfldraftbuzz.com describes the big Arizona tackle this way,
"Jordan Morgan, with a solid projection as a top-50 pick, is a standout in the 2024 OT class, viable for late Round 1 or Day 2. At 6'5", 325 pounds, his blend of size, athleticism, and skill, especially after bouncing back from an ACL injury, positions him well for the pro game. Morgan's potential as an outstanding pass protector is evident, showcasing balance, strength, and superior leveraging abilities."
With this pick, the new Patriots' draft team shows it learned the lessons of the past when key positions were overlooked by Belichick to reach for players who weren't rated nearly as highly as their selection by the Patriots warranted. All three top picks are consensus picks, right where the Patriots want to be. In addition, in addressing real positions of need, they are well on their toward completing an A+, or even higher-rated draft.
This sets the Patriots up with two top offensive tackles in the 2024 draft to go along with a consensus top-three quarterback, who may be the best of them all. And, don't go away, believe it or not, in this mock draft, it gets even better.
Patriots 3rd-round picks continue their impressive offensive display
The Patriots have shored up not only their weak quarterback situation with a Heisman Trophy winner but also have added two top offensive tackles to shore up the team's weakest position. Whoever will have conducted this draft will be off to a flying start. And it's about to get better.
The Patriots as a result of their early trade with Atlanta, sit with their own 68th pick and Atlanta's 74th in the third round. These are premium picks and can again, help to fill in the offense where it needs reinforcement, which is almost everywhere.
With the 68th pick in the third round, the Patriots go with a big, fast wide receiver. The choice is Xavier Legette from South Carolina. Legette at 6'3" tall and 223 pounds is a big target for new QB Jayden Daniels.
Bleacherreport.com notes,
"While Legette lacks quickness and refinement at the line of scrimmage, he makes up for it with his long speed. He has enough juice to consistently threaten down the field on go routes, posts and deep crossing routes once he starts striding out. He is also a bully-style yards-after-the-catch player thanks to his ample speed and strong build."
This pick comes with an assumption. (OK, it's not prudent to assume anything from the Patriots' personnel operation, but let's do so anyway). We presume that a good amount of the cash new Head Coach, Jerod Mayo indicated the team will spend will be allocated to signing a top, experienced No. 1 free agent wide receiver. Finally.
With their 2nd third-round pick at pick No. 74 ...
The last premium pick the Patriots possess, their fifth, NO. 74 was acquired from the Falcons. But, in keeping with one of the hallmarks of this draft, the Pats once again take advantage of a situation and swing a trade. This time they trade down just one spot to pick No. 75. They send that pick to Chicago for their No. 75 pick and their 122nd in the fourth round. This is an astute move.
At pick No. 75, the Patriots continue their offensive fireworks display and begin to shore up another position of need, the tight end. With both Hunter Henry (a possible retainee) and Mike Gesicki out of contract, the need is great. They select Ja'Tavion Sanders, a tight end from Texas.
The 6'4", 256-pounder caught 45 passes for 682 yards and two TDs in 2023. Nfldraftbuzz.com has this to say about the Longhorn tight end,
"Ja'Tavion Sanders has demonstrated the attributes of a dynamic receiving threat, showcasing the ability to create mismatches in the passing game and stretch the field vertically. His skill set suggests he would thrive in a spread offense system, where his receiving skills would be a major asset, where he could quickly put up big numbers and present a height-weight-speed mismatch for pro defenses... His potential as a super dependable who hardly ever drops an on-target pass adds another layer to his profile, making him a valuable target for quarterbacks looking for an outlet. Looking ahead to the 2024 draft, Sanders is likely to draw attention as a day-two prospect. He presents a compelling combination of immediate impact potential in the passing game and room for growth as a blocker. Sanders is the kind of player who could make an immediate impact as a receiver and transform an offense, he's the second-best tight end in this year's class."
'Nuf said. This is another excellent pick for the Patriots whose tight end room is thin if not almost bare. Should the team decide to cut ties with both Henry and Gesicki, then adding talent to the position is essential. They now have taken a very positive step in that direction.
Patriots move into the middle rounds with more nice additions
The Patriots with their own pick, No. 103 in the fourth round continue their assault on their offensive deficiencies and select another top 2024 tight end, Ben Sinnott from Kansas State. The 6'4", 245-pounder caught 49 passes for 649 yards and 6 TDs for the Wildcats in 2023. Added to the Ja'Tavion Sanders pick a round earlier, and the Pats have the makings of a very good, young, talented tight-end room.
Bleacherreport.com has this to say about the Wildcat,
"Ben Sinnott is a TE/FB hybrid with a useful-yet-incomplete athletic skills ... Versatility is a major draw with Sinnott. Although he's technically a tight end prospect, Sinnott lined up plenty in the backfield for Kansas State, as well as on the outside as a receiver at times. Sinnott played about every alignment you can imagine, which speaks to his capacity to handle an offense and wear many hats.
"Athletically, acceleration and speed are Sinnott's weapons. He rolls off the line comfortably and eats up a ton of ground with the next few steps. Though Sinnott's top speed is far from special, he has enough juice to stretch the seam and be a respectable threat on crossers."
Versatility is just fine. The Pats with a new and innovative offense might just need a fullback in some formations and Sinnott will fit the bill. Adding a second tight end in the draft is another good decision. The cupboard is nearly bare but now with Sanders and Sinnott on board, it's filling up nicely.
Pats add a running back and another wide receiver
The Patriots running back room is thin. Returning are Rhamondre Stevenson for his fourth year and Kevin Harris for his third. Stevenson is a top back when healthy but the depth is certainly suspect with Ezekiel Elliot a free agent. Even if Zeke he's brought back, they need to add and they do. With the 122nd pick overall obtained in the trade with Chicago, the Pats select Jaylen Wright from Tennessee.
Wright had a top season for the Volunteers in 2023 when the 5'11", 210 pounder ran for 1013 yards and four touchdowns. His transcendent stat, however, is his whopping 7.4 yards per carry. In addition, he caught 22 passes for 141 yards showing he can catch it out of the backfield.
In the fifth round with their own pick, the Patriots continue to bolster the wide receiver corps. This time they add a receiver with impeccable bloodlines. He's Brenden Rice from USC, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer, Jerry Rice. Rice, like Legette, has great size at 6'3" tall and 205 pounds.
Rice caught passes from Caleb Williams at Southern California. In 2023, he snatched 43 for 791 yards and a huge haul of 12 touchdowns. He'll hopefully add that attribute when he presents another big target and catches passes from Jayden Daniels next season. Additionally, another eye-catching stat is his yards-per-catch at 17.6 per. The Patriots couldn't convert on third down in 2023. Rice's field-stretching ability should help in moving the chains
Here are some top positives noted by thedraftnetwork.com about the big USC receiver,
"Rice is a legit NFL prospect with prototypical size and athleticism. He primarily aligned outside at X receiver but also was utilized in the slot at times. Rice is listed at 6-foot-3 and weighs 210 pounds with excellent length. He is quick off the line of scrimmage and flashes good burst to get into his stem. He struggles when faced with press coverage and needs to be more physical when defenders press him through his stem. He has very good vertical speed to stress corners and he has shown a knack for making plays down the field. He is excellent at tracking the ball and has outstanding hands overall...
"Rice is a highly instinctive route-runner who understands how to set up defenders and exploit leverage. He lacks short-area quickness and lateral agility and won't create a ton of separation at the top of the route with sheer athleticism. Rather, he sets up defenders with head and body fakes and then breaks free with a subtle cut once the defender is in a bad position. Rice is outstanding at finding the soft spot in zone coverages and making himself open when the quarterback is scrambling and looking for a receiver down the field. "
The Patriots conclude the 2024 draft by selecting a safety
With the team's final pick of 2024, the 228th in the draft, the Patriots add Mark Perry, a safety from TCU. The 6'0", 200-pound Perry played in 12 games for the Horned Frogs with 58 total tackles and four passes defensed.
Perry will be competing in the East-West Shrine Bowl game, where he'll have a nice opportunity to showcase perhaps his greatest asset, speed. Here's what draftwire.usatoday.com has to say about Perry, who'll provide depth and speed to the Pat's defensive backfield,
"One of the top candidates for the fastest player in the draft has also committed. TCU safety Mark Perry, a former Pac-12 100m sprint champion at Colorado while also playing football, can absolutely fly to the point of attack. Perry is a productive tackler who aggressively attacks the run and short passes, and is generally regarded as a late-round prospect at this point."
There it is, the first 7-round (actually, they only select in six here) post-Bill Belichick mega-mock draft by the New England Patriots. It's loaded with top offensive skill players including the team's quarterback of the future, Jayden Daniels. In addition, it restocks the offensive tackle position with two of its top three picks. The objective was to restock the offense with top young talent, and that's exactly what this draft did.
The Patriots need to add some astute signings in free agency, including first and foremost, a top, acknowledged, No. 1 wide receiver and maybe a veteran offensive tackle. Do so, and the team will be on its way up from the depths of the AFC East to where it belongs, the pinnacle of the AFC East, the AFC, and the entire National Football League.