These aren't the New England Patriots you've grown accustomed to over the past two decades. In the aftermath of Tom Brady's departure, the franchise has fallen on hard times. For a minute, it looked as if the Patriots would land on their feet after securing a first-round quarterback, Mac Jones, in 2021 and reaching the postseason in his rookie season, but then the train fell off the tracks.
Questionable coaching decisions and regressions from the roster resulted in the team missing the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, including a 4-13 campaign last year. That proved to be rock bottom for Robert Kraft, who then hit the reset button. The team parted ways with Bill Belichick, traded away Jones to the Jaguars, and installed Jerod Mayo as its new head coach to lead them into this new era.
The next step into this new frontier is the NFL Draft where the team holds the No. 3 overall pick. Conventional wisdom would say that the team opts for a quarterback at that position, but there's been some chatter about New England possibly trading down to collect more assets. For the purposes of this seven-round mock draft, we'll spare you the popsicle headache of trades and simply go down the list of picks, which will begin with the Patriots -- hopefully -- finding their franchise QB of the future.
Team needs: QB, OT, WR, CB, EDGE
2024 NFL Draft picks
- Round 1: Pick 3
- Round 2: Pick 34
- Round 3: Pick 68
- Round 4: Pick 103
- Round 5: Pick 137
- Round 6: Pick 180
- Round 6: Pick 193 (from Jaguars)
- Round 7: Pick 231 (from Bears)
Patriots seven-round mock draft
Round 1, Pick 3
Drake Maye
QB
North Carolina
• 6'4"
/ 225 lbs
Maye has become a polarizing prospect as this draft process has evolved, but the upside is too high for New England to pass on here. He has elite arm talent, a sturdy build, and has drawn comparisons to division rival Josh Allen up in Buffalo. He's also younger than some of his draft classmates, which presents possibly more room to develop. You can't overthink this one: take the top QB available.
| |||||||
Round 2, Pick 34
Tyler Guyton
OT
Oklahoma
• 6'7"
/ 322 lbs
New England will have options atop the second round and there should be multiple first-round talents who fall to them here. In this mock, Guyton fell and addresses arguably the team's biggest need outside of QB. Re-signing Mike Onwenu was pivotal in free agency, but the departure of Trent Brown creates a need at left tackle. Guyton has the size -- 6-foot-8, 322 pounds -- to man the left side to help protect Maye.
| |||||||
Round 3, Pick 68
Florida
• 6'1"
/ 192 lbs
The Patriots have three key needs and one of them will have to take somewhat of a backseat unless they acquire more picks inside the first two rounds. Here, wide receiver is the third position addressed, but they do get an interesting prospect in Pearsall. The Florida product had a number of fantastic catches for the Gators and ran a 4.41 at the combine.
| |||||||
Round 4, Pick 103
Oregon
• 6'3"
/ 290 lbs
The Patriots could very well double-dip at OT and WR in this draft, but for the sake of diversifying this mock, we'll try to highlight some other positions of need. Getting an edge rushing prospect could behoove New England with Uche back on a one-year deal and Matthew Judon entering a contract year. Dorlus showed the versatility of lining up anywhere along the line at Oregon.
| |||||||
Round 5, Pick 137
USC
• 5'9"
/ 220 lbs
Rhamondre Stevenson is entering a contract year and Antonio Gibson isn't exactly the most durable running back, so it'd be smart for New England to be proactive with its backfield. Lloyd is a home run hitter who should prove to be a factor in the passing game as well. The Patriots do not have many players who can explode for chunk plays and Lloyd could bring that to this offense.
| |||||||
Round 6, Pick 180
Auburn
• 6'0"
/ 190 lbs
Christian Gonzalez, New England's 2023 first-rounder, should anchor the secondary as he rebounds from his injury-shortened rookie season. That said, the team could use some more depth at the position to complement Jonathan Jones and others. Pritchett is a lanky corner who could work on the boundary opposite of Gonzalez if he develops correctly. His work on special teams at Auburn also is a plus.
| |||||||
From
Jacksonville Jaguars
Round 6, Pick 193
Maryland
• 6'0"
/ 209 lbs
Kyle Dugger is currently playing on the franchise tag and Jabrill Peppers is only signed through this season, meaning the Patriots need some depth at safety. Brade can play both as a box safety or move back in deep coverage, and that versatility should make him an attractive prospect.
| |||||||
From
Chicago Bears
Round 7, Pick 231
UTEP
• 6'0"
/ 233 lbs
This a somewhat sneaky area of need for New England with Ja'Whaun Bentley signed through 2025 and Jahlani Tavai entering a contract year. The team did sign Sione Takitaki in free agency, but a Day 3 pick to deepen this linebacker unit is a worthwhile endeavor. Knight was strong against the run at UTEP with 140 total tackles.
|