Time has quickly, and inexorably closed the gap between free agency and the 2024 NFL draft. It's now right around the proverbial corner and excitement in Patriot Nation is sky-high. The good news is, for the first time in literally three decades, the Patriots have a top-three pick. The bad news is, if you get that pick other than through a trade, it means you stunk last season. They did.
But 2023 with all its shortcomings is now in the rearview mirror and hope springs eternal in the post-Tom Brady New England Patriots world. Yet, will the situation remain post-TB12? Or, conversely, could the GOAT return to wearing the blue, silver, red, and white of our favorite team?
There has been talk about his potential return to the NFL and maybe even a return to the Patriots. While such thoughts are pure conjecture, TB12 hasn't done anything to diminish the possibility. Indeed. with Bill Belichick and his domineering, scowling countenance now out of the picture, the prospect may be just that much more enticing to the greatest ever to come back home.
Whether owner Robert Kraft has the perspicacity to undo his greatest error ever and go out and sign Brady to a huge contract for however much in salary he wants, is questionable. Kraft's decision-making in recent years has been atrocious.
But, if he does, in one fell swoop, he has an opportunity to right the wrongs, all of them, and reinvigorate this moribund franchise. For the purposes of this Mock Draft, we'll assume he will re-sign the greatest. (Not that it would bring much joy back to the Foxborough Faithful!)
With Tom Brady in mind, the Patriots select TE Brock Bowers from Georgia
This draft is now predicated on the fact that with Tom Brady back in tow, you don't need to use your top pick on a quarterback. You already have the best. It's now about giving him what he needs on offense to get back in contention.
With that in mind, GM in training Eliot Wolf jumps on an opportunity to add an asset by a slight trade-down. He takes a deal with the Chicago Bears and sends the third pick overall plus pick No. 103 in the fourth round to the Bears for their pick No. 9 and another third-round pick, No. 75.
Wolf is confident he'll still get a top performer on offense at nine, and indeed he does, one of the very best. He sends the pick up to Commissioner Roger Goodell in a flash, and selects Georgia's Brock Bowers, the best tight end in the draft and, perhaps, the best player, as well. Brady, who'd had a pretty special relationship with another tight end during his first tenure at Foxborough, now has the best to come out of college in a while at his disposal. Nice start.
Bowers is an absolute game-changer and if any team needed that type of player to go along with their once and now-current quarterback, he's it. At 6'3" tall and 244 pounds, Bowers is not your prototypical in-line tight end. Not to worry. His ability to be utilized all over the offense is what makes him special.
nfl.com has this to say about the the Georgia star and "stale" offenses,
"Prolific pass-catching tight end with a rare blend of acceleration, speed, body control and hands that could breathe new life into a stale NFL offense. Bowers was a high-volume target at Georgia and led the team in receiving yards in all three of his college seasons. He plays with relentless pacing as a route runner, allowing him to beat man coverage. Also, he’s highly effective at exploiting zone pockets for first downs and chunk plays. Bowers’ secret sauce might be his ability to rip through tacklers and pile on yardage after the catch."
If ever a team needed those qualities it's the dreadful Patriots offense. Now, with TB12 back in the fold, he'll have a prime target to bring down all those laser darts and get great yards after the catch. This is an outside-the-box pick for Wolf, but the box has gilded wrapping paper. It was hard to think of any other NFL team landing Bowers when the Pats could get him. Not to worry, now, we have.
Patriots select OT Kingsley Suamataia with pick No. 34
The Patriots' next pick is pick No. 34. Here, they again stay true to course and provide more offensive strength to the now-Brady-led offense. This time, it's in the protection sphere and they select big offensive left tackle from BYU, Kingsley Suamataia. With the departure of Trent Brown, there's a huge hole in the O-line that needs filling. Suamataia is that hole-plugger, at 6'5" tall and 326 pounds.
nfldraftbuzz.com has this to say about the massive BYU product,
"Kingsley Suamataia brings to the draft a solid foundation in pass protection, characterized by his excellent quickness, hand technique, and ability to neutralize edge rushers. His performance in both left and right tackle positions showcases his adaptability and potential to secure the perimeter against the NFL's elite defensive talents...Suamataia has the potential to evolve into a standout offensive tackle in the NFL, particularly in pass-first systems that can harness his excellent pass protection skills from day one."
Add to that the fact that he's just 21 years old and you have the makings of a top protector now, and for maybe a decade for the New England Patriots. It's two-for-two for Eliot Wolf as he stacks up chips in the massive rebuilding of the Patriots' offense.
Patriots select WR Rickey Pearsall from Florida with pick No. 68
The Pats' own third-round pick continues to add firepower to the offense. Here, with the Pats' own pick No. 68, he adds a Z wide receiver in Florida's talented Ricky Pearsall. Like Bowers, Pearsall can be used all over the formation and the two will present a nightmare scenario for NFL defense.
Pearsall caught 65 for 965 yards and four TDs for the Seminoles in 2023. Pearsall is a riser on NFL draft boards and the Pats being able to snag him at 68 is another plus for Eliot Wolf. si.com notes this about the Florida wideout,
"His sure hands and ability to create separation out of his break appeared consistently on tape throughout the year. As a result, he generated positive national buzz for his eventual move to the professional level, although he maintained Day 3 grades.
"But since he entered into the selection pool, Pearsall has shined in the pre-draft process, with a strong showing on the field at the Reese's Senior Bowl and impressive testing numbers in Indianapolis for the NFL Combine...Various draft analysts have taken notice. He's built considerable momentum to be picked as early as the top of the second round.
Patriots select OT Roger Rosengarten from Washington
With the Pats' second third-round pick acquired from the "Dah Bears", Wolf goes back to the offensive tackle position and selects offensive right tackle, Roger Rosengarten from Washington.
Rosengarten is 6'5" tall, 308-pounder who ran a blistering (for a big tackle!) 4.92 forty-yard dash at the combine. Like Suamataia, he's only 21 years old and can be a foundational piece of the Pats' offensive line for years.
Patriots select WR Luke McCaffrey from Rice in Round 5
On Day three, Wolf goes back to the wide receiver position with his fifth-round pick and selects Luke McCaffrey from Rice. If the name sounds familiar, it is. He has good bloodlines as his brother is the dynamic Christian McCaffrey of the 49ers.
McCaffrey is 6'2" tall and weighs 208 pounds. He has good speed running a 4.46 forty at the combine. nfl.com says, "Big slot target who comes from high-end NFL bloodlines and who showed noticeable improvement in his second season at the position. Luke lacks the size of his father, former Pro Bowl receiver Ed McCaffrey, and the explosiveness of his brother, Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey, but he catches with soft hands, great focus and extreme toughness."
Patriots select OT Garret Greenfield from South Dakota State with pick No. 193
To complete the draft, Wolf continues to add young offensive depth pieces. At pick No. 180 he lands offensive tackle, Garrett Greenfield of South Dakota State. He follows up at pick No. 193 with a truly interesting pick of a quarterback, Joe Milton III of Tennessee, and then adds another tight end, McCallan Castles, Milton's teammate at Tennessee to finish up.
Eliot Wolf bolstered his tight end/H-back position with the best in the draft. He also added two highly thought offensive tackles, two solid wide receivers, a nice QB to develop, and additional young offensive depth. In his first draft, Wolf has aced it! The grade here is an easy, A+++.