The 2023 NFL season is over for the New England Patriots. Now it’s on to the 2024 NFL Draft — and a whole lot of mock drafts to last us until the end of April.
Fortunately for the Patriots, they’ve got their best draft ammunition in over 30 years. After Sunday’s results, New England is the owner of the No. 3 overall pick this year.
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Unfortunately for the Patriots, they have a whole lot of rebuilding to do this offseason, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. They’ll probably be in the market for a new quarterback. They’ve needed an elite receiver for ages. They also have to patch things up at offensive tackle.
Can they address all those needs in one offseason? It’s a long shot. But here’s one plan to try and pull it off — and it doesn’t involve taking a quarterback with the first pick.
Patriots 7-Round Mock Draft
Round 1, No. 3 overall: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
I think there’s a good chance USC QB Caleb Williams and North Carolina QB Drake Maye come off the board with the first two picks. That’s fine with me in this scenario.
That gives New England a chance to land the guy who I’m convinced is the best player in this draft. Harrison is an absolute stud. He’s got size (6-foot-4, 205 pounds), he’s fast, he’s got great hands, he’s got awareness to find soft spots in coverage.
Here’s how college football analyst Joel Klatt sums him up: “The dude is the best wide receiver I’ve seen in college football since Randy Moss.”
Harrison is the Patriots’ best chance to land a superstar. Take him and build from there.
TRADE: Round 1, No. 32 overall: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
(Patriots give up No. 35 the, along with a 4th-rounder in 2024 to move up to No. 32 overall)
A lot of the attention this year is being paid to the top quarterbacks this year. Yeah, Williams and Maye are great. So is LSU QB Jayden Daniels. But keep an eye on Penix, who’s been rising up draft boards as he’s helmed one of college football’s most dynamic offenses.
Penix has a big arm and throws an awesome deep ball. There are concerns about his durability and his pocket presence. But a lot of that had to do with his time at Indiana, where he got pummeled on a bad team. With Washington, he’s been a rising star.
Why trade up into Round 1? It gives New England the option to retain him for a fifth season, something that’s unique to first-round draft picks. It’s the type of trade the Ravens pulled when they moved up to draft Lamar Jackson in 2018. Jackson was also viewed as a flawed prospect. But with the right environment, he thrived.
Round 3: Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale
This deep in the draft, you’re not going to find a plug-and-play tackle. But you can find a guy with tremendous physical tools who can develop into a high-end tackle. That’s what the 6-foot-5, 321-pound Amegadjie could be. He’s been praised for his unique blend of size and athleticism. However, he’ll need some development at the NFL level.
Round 4: TRADED
(I give away this pick to move up for Penix in Round 1.)
Round 5: Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
The Patriots have Christian Gonzalez (and theoretically J.C. Jackson) coming back next year. Those look to be the starting outside cornerbacks next year. This late in the draft, the defense could get great value from a guy like Sainristil.
The 5-foot-9, 182-pound defensive back transitioned from wide receiver in 2022 and has made huge strides as a slot cornerback over the last couple of seasons. Sure, he’s undersized. But he’s been a big part of an awesome Michigan defense and could play a similar role at the NFL level.
TRADE – Late Round 5: Gabriel Murphy, EDGE, UCLA
(This is the other pick we got in my hypothetical trade,)
Is it wishful thinking that the Patriots would get an extra pick? Sure. But this is all hypothetical.
The Patriots have some question marks on the edge with Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings and Mack Wilson all set to hit free agency. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Murphy is a physical edge player who could develop into a dynamic edge player.
Round 6: Will Reichard, K, Alabama
Maybe Chad Ryland will settle down and live up to expectations in Year 2. But after seeing him this past season, is it worth betting the bank on him? Bring in Reichard, who has already played in a pressure cooker of a program at Alabama, and make the young kickers compete.
Round 7: Erick All, TE, Iowa
If recent NFL Draft history has taught us anything, is that it’s always a good idea to draft an Iowa tight end in the later rounds. It worked for the Lions with Sam LaPorta and the 49ers with George Kittle. Don’t immediately expect All to match those heights. But he comes in with some high athletic upside and could be another former Hawkeye who ends up standing out more as a pro than he did as a college player.
