With the 2024 NFL Draft now behind us let’s take a deeper dive into the Patriots 2024 draft class. With the 3rd overall pick the Patriots started off strong with North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. The 21 year old stud, standing at 6’4 and weighing in at 230 pounds gives the Patriots a young option for the future to lead this team to the playoffs and back to success. He will likely begin the season as the backup with free agent addition Jacoby Brissett signing a 1 year deal in his return to New England. In 3 years at UNC Maye passed for 63 TDs and 8,018 yards. He brings elite size making him tough to bring down, he also brings youth and incredible arm talent. He is not afraid to take the long shot and create big plays with his arm and his legs, something the Patriots desperately needed last season. Maye gives the Patriots a very promising option for the future, in my opinion taking Drake Maye was an aMAYEzing pick.
To start day 2 for New England they started off by trading down with the Los Angeles Chargers to obtain pick 37 and pick 110 giving up 34 & 137. They then used pick 37 to take Washington wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk. Polk stands at 6’2, and put up over 1,100 yards in 2023 during Washington’s run to the National Championship. Polk adds a big body receiver to a desperate room in New England, that is still trying to find size mismatches with their pass catchers. With pick 68 the Patriots selected former Penn State OT Caedan Wallace. Wallace is a versatile lineman who Eliot Wolf believes has the athleticism to play left tackle and possibly guard after being a mainly right tackle in college which could be because the LT for Penn State was 2024 First Rounder Olu Fashanu. In the fourth round the Patriots selected G Layden Robinson from Texas A&M and WR Javon Baker from UCF. They added crucial depth to protect future QB Drake Maye and add another solid weapon on the offense as well.
The Patriots added QB Joe Milton III from Tennessee in the 6th round as well as CB Marcellas Dial Jr out of South Carolina. Milton has an absolute cannon of an arm but that’s about it, he was not awful on the ground, but there was talk of him switching to TE but Milton said he has no plans to switch. Can he work his way to QB3 over Bailey Zappe? We shall see. Dial is a very sneaky pick, very physical, willing in the run game and good in coverage. Dial Jr almost feels like a perfect fit in New England but will still have to fight his way to the 53 man final roster. Should he make it he could be a great depth piece for New England one day. The Patriots then ended the draft with TE Jaheim Bell from Florida State. Bell is a little small for the TE position but has great hands and speed, solid in run blocking as well. Bell could be a steal, he was projected to go from rounds 4-5 and they got him in the 7th, great value in my opinion.
Overall a really, really solid class from the Patriots who added a handful high ceiling undrafted free agents (UDFA) as well. The undrafted free agent class this year consists of, CBs Kaleb Ford-Dement and Mikey Victor, as well as RB DeShaun Fenwick, C Charles Turner III, DL John Morgan III, TE Jacob Warren, LBs Jontrey Hunter and Jett Bush, S Dell Pettus and OT Zuri Henry. Most notable is probably Fenwick from Oregon State, Jacob Warren from Tennessee and John Morgan III out of Arkansas but with undrafted players you just never know. New England has long been known for churning out productive UDFAs, perhaps this year will be no different. Regardless, a very solid start for the Jerod Mayo era of New England football!
Photo Credits: Sports Center
Check Out My Instagram Below
