The most highly-anticipated New England Patriots draft of the century is less than two weeks away. And while the top priority for the team is the overall building up of a roster lacking in high-end talent, much of that will come while focusing on specific positions.
Eliot Wolf, who has the final say for New England during the NFL Draft next week, understands that some positions are more important than others in the modern game. Between that and the glaring spots the franchise must address, this feels like an appropriate time to rank the Patriots’ positions of need from biggest to smallest.
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Quarterback
Everyone knows the Patriots are hoping to land their franchise quarterback in the draft. The one-year deal they gave Jacoby Brissett made clear they hope whoever they draft is their starting quarterback by next season at the latest. The plan has been (and remains) to pick a quarterback with the No. 3 overall selection. In all likelihood, that will come down to the player — Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels — the Washington Commanders don’t pick at No. 2. Now we wait to find out which quarterback it is.
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Wide receiver
The main two reasons the Patriots weren’t willing to overspend in the second tier of free-agent wide receivers last month are how deep this draft class is at the position and how good next year’s free-agent class of receivers looks.
Even if several of them re-sign with their current teams, Justin Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, Tee Higgins, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen, Brandon Aiyuk, CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper all have only one more year under contract. Between that and the group of receivers available in the draft, the Patriots are confident they can quickly improve at this position.
That said, it’s worth noting that the Pats don’t lack slot receivers — Demario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuster are all at their best there. Instead, they need help on the outside and as deep-ball threats, which could be harder to find.
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Offensive tackle
The Patriots re-signed starting right tackle Mike Onwenu, which provides some stability at this position. But with only a month until team activities begin, the Patriots still don’t have a left tackle, which is especially concerning since that’s the player who will presumably be protecting the blind side of a rookie quarterback. Had they not re-signed Onwenu, you could make the case this would be their biggest position of need. Even with an above-average starter on the right side, this is still a major concern until they draft a left tackle, likely in the second or third round.
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Cornerback
Considering how good Christian Gonzalez and Marcus Jones looked as rookies, there’s an argument that this shouldn’t be as high on the list. But Gonzalez only played four games last year and is coming off serious shoulder surgery, while Jones missed almost all of last season with a shoulder injury that came only two years after a different shoulder injury. If they can stay healthy and build on what they did as rookies, the cornerback position is pretty well set. But those are some big ifs, so the Pats would be wise to address the position early on Day 3.
Tight end
Even after bringing back Hunter Henry and signing Austin Hooper, tight end remains a position the Pats should address in the fourth or fifth round. Henry’s contract is more of a two-year deal, and tight ends tend to take some time to develop. So the Pats would be wise to draft a No. 3 tight end who can take over for Hooper as the No. 2 in 2025.
Interior O-line
The Pats are pretty much set with their starting interior O-line: Cole Strange at left guard, David Andrews in the middle and Sidy Sow at right guard. But depth on the offensive line is always critical, and they need to prepare for the potential departure of Andrews next season. They did draft Jake Andrews in the fourth round last year as a possible starting center of the future, but he played just 70 offensive snaps last season, so they may want another option.
Interior D-line
Lawrence Guy is gone, but there’s still a decent amount of depth at this spot. Of course, the position is led by Christian Barmore, who is eligible for an extension and surely wants to cash in after seeing the market for pass-rushing defensive tackles balloon in recent years. He won’t come cheap if the Patriots sign him beyond this season. Armon Watts was an under-the-radar free-agent pickup who could be a valuable rotational player, while Davon Godchaux is back to plug holes in the running game.
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Running back
The only real need here is a depth piece behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson. The guess is that they’d prefer a pass-catching option they can mostly use on third downs, and there should be plenty of options for that type of player toward the end of the draft. However, this is Stevenson’s final year under contract, so unless they plan to pay the running back next offseason, they might consider trying to find his replacement.
Edge rusher
Josh Uche surprised the rest of the league when he turned down bigger contract offers to re-sign with the Patriots. When he was opposite a healthy Matthew Judon, the two of them formed one of the best pass-rushing duos in the NFL. So assuming they can stay healthy, the Pats are set here for 2024. The issue, however, is the lack of security at the position long term since Uche and Judon are both set to be free agents next year.
Linebacker
What seemed a major concern only a few years ago has become one of the bright spots on this team. Jahlani Tavai, who followed Matt Patricia to the Patriots, turned into one of Bill Belichick’s best additions over the last five years. He’s a legit above-average linebacker now. Paired with Ja’Whaun Bentley, the Patriots are pretty well set at the position.
Safety
Kyle Dugger signed a four-year deal to stay with the Patriots, and he’ll play next to Jabrill Peppers as a good safety duo on the back end. Add in the versatility and potential of Marte Mapu, the team’s third-round pick last season, and there is reason for optimism at safety.
(Photo of Jayden Daniels: Matthew Dobbins / USA Today)
2024-04-15 11:51:04
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