It’s finally here. The NFL Draft is upon us, and the Patriots are facing their most consequential draft in the past 30-years. Bill Belichick is gone, there is a hole at quarterback and the future of the entire offense is uncertain. With those things in mind, I took a quarterback of the future, several offensive pieces and injected additional youth into an already good defense.
Round 1, Pick 3: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
The Patriots need a quarterback of the future. Maye is a great passer, especially in the short and intermediate areas of the field. He is also a solid athlete, but a passer first. At 6’4”, 230 pounds he has the ideal size for an NFL quarterback. Maye threw for over 4,000 yards in 2022 and followed that up with a 3,608/24/9 line this season. He has some footwork mechanics to clean up, but he should have the time to do so behind Jacoby Brissett.
Round 2: Trade down, then select WR Keon Coleman at 44th overall
The Patriots would be wise to accumulate extra draft capital to overhaul their offense and with a deep wide receiver class, they can trade down and still select a potentially great pass catcher. In this scenario, I traded 34th overall to the Raiders for 44, 112, 148 and a 2025 fourth round pick.
Coleman is a 6’4”, 215-pound X-receiver that the Patriots have nothing like. He is explosive and strong and could be a Week 1 starter on the outside at receiver. He’s not an elite route runner, but the Patriots would need him more to be a deep threat and red zone presence initially, two things he is already cut out for.
Round 3, Pick 68: Marshawn Kneeland, Edge, Western Michigan
Edge is a sneaky position of need for the Patriots with the long-term futures of Matt Judon and Josh Uche uncertain. In Kneeland, New England gets a 6’3”, 275-pound physical monster that can be part of a long-term edge group that includes Anfernee Jennings and (depending on usage) Keion White. Kneeland had six sacks last season and was also solid against the run; versatility that Jerod Mayo and DeMarcus Covington will appreciate.
Round 4, Pick 103: Jared Wiley, TE, TCU
The Patriots hosted Wiley on a pre-draft visit, and I think he’d be a fun fit in New England’s offense. His size jumps out at 6’7”, 260 pounds. Wiley had 47 catches for 520 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2023 and is a better receiver than blocker. He’ll need to continue to develop his blocking skills, but he would enter in as a potential TE2 behind Hunter Henry.
Round 4, Pick 112: Matt Goncalves, OT, Pitt
Tackle is a significant need for the Patriots. Though Eliot Wolf has said that newcomer Chukwuma Okorafor can play left tackle, he played right tackle while with the Steelers and would ideally be a swing tackle on a good offensive line. Goncalves has starter potential at left tackle but is coming off a torn ACL. If not for the injury, the 6’6” Goncalves would likely go higher in the draft.
Round 5, Pick 137: Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame
The Patriots are in a good spot at linebacker with Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jahlani Tavai, but Bentley will be a free agent after 2025 and Tavai only has this season left on his contract. Grabbing Liufau, a physical run defender, in the fifth round gives the Patriots a chance to plan ahead while injecting some youth at the position.
Round 5, Pick 148: Christian Jones, OT, Texas
If you watched the College Football Playoff, you probably noticed how big of a team Texas was. Jones was part of that at 6”6” and 321 pounds. The Patriots ideally should come away from this draft with two tackles with the hope that one develops into a starter opposite Mike Onwenu and the other is a solid swing piece. Jones has played a ton of football, with 877 snaps in 2022 and 907 last year in addition to heavy playing time in 2021. His PFF grades are good for a late round tackle, and he only allowed one sack last year.
Round 6, Pick 180: Josh Newton, CB, TCU
Newton is a bit of a riskier pick in that he was much better in 2022 than 2023. However, what he did in 2022 translates well to the Patriots defense. He was more of a press corner that season, which the Patriots like to do when they have the athletes to do so. The Patriots already have strong talent at corner, but Newton is worth a chance as a player that has the potential to develop into a CB2 starter in the coming years.
Round 6, Pick 193: Rasheen Ali, RB, Marshall
Ali is a strong and physical runner not dissimilar to Rhamondre Stevenson, albeit not the same complete package that Stevenson is. The Patriots could use some depth at running back after overusing Stevenson in 2022 and seeing him get hurt in 2023.
Round 7, Pick 231: Fabien Lovett, DT, FSU
I always like to keep defensive tackle well stocked, and the seventh round finally gave me a chance to do so in Lovett. Lovett is a better run defender than pass rusher, which is just fine considering Christian Barmore is already in New England striking fear in opposing quarterbacks.