Patriots poised to draft impact quarterback with No. 3 pick, setting stage for decision that will define draft legacy for Jerod Mayo and scouts
The Patriots are "open for business" at No. 3, but don't mistake that for a lack of conviction with how they view the top of the draft. This is a franchise-altering opportunity, and as one source said, "you can't win without a quarterback." The most likely scenario remains they select LSU's Jayden Daniels, North Carolina's Drake Maye or Michigan's J.J. McCarthy. But this is the opportunity to find a long-term solution after the Pats traded away Tom Brady in 2020.
Even veteran scout and new director of player personnel Eliot Wolf is well aware of this reality. He pushed back on the narrative that the team can't support a rookie quarterback, saying "I'm not really sure what that means." But the bottom line is that the Pats are likely to draft a quarterback at No. 3, and it will spark much-needed hope for the franchise.
Slater accepts full-time role with Patriots Longtime captain Matthew Slater accepted a full-time position with the Patriots, according to sources. He'll serve as a "right-hand man" to coach Jerod Mayo, providing a sounding board on football and team building, as well as assistance in "people development." Slater elected to stay with the franchise after playing from 2008 to 2023. He'll provide Mayo with insight and help with building the team's culture.
Who will be the 'X' receiver for the Patriots?
Wolf shared some insight on what type of receiver the Pats don't yet have when he said, "Do we have players that on a 3x1 [alignment] can beat the backside coverage every single time? I'm not sure we have that just yet." With that scenario in mind, which receivers in the draft could fill that void to pair with the likely QB at No. 3? ESPN's Field Yates pointed to South Carolina's Xavier Legette, Florida State's Keon Coleman and Florida's Ricky Pearsall. Legette had a breakout year in 2023, while Coleman is a big red zone threat and Pearsall is an explosive athlete.
What to know about the Patriots' offensive line and offensive tackle need
The Patriots currently project free agent signing Chukwuma Okorafor as their top left tackle, noting that he played there at Western Michigan, and club decision-makers believe he can make the transition after mostly playing right tackle through his first six NFL seasons. That's a significant risk, so the Pats would like to add a highly touted prospect to the pipeline, but analysts expect the top tier of prospects at the position to be gone by New England's No. 34 pick. That would make it harder for New England to fill its need unless someone such as Arizona's Jordan Morgan, who some project more as a guard in the NFL, is viewed as a fit at that spot.
Trade up?
Bill Belichick's appearance as a guest analyst on "The Pat McAfee Show Draft Spectacular" figures to be compelling. Belichick's 32-minute appearance on McAfee's show Wednesday included insightful discussion for those invested in the quality of the NFL's on-field product, specifically with how Belichick envisions the NFL's new kickoff rules impacting play and roster building. "It looks like it is going to include another 1,500 plays in the game, leaguewide, that we didn't have in the last couple years," Belichick said. "I think there's more opportunity for players to play on special teams than there had been when 90% of the kickoffs are going out of the end zone."
Tight end depth
The Patriots quietly brought free agent tight ends Brycen Hopkins (Rams), Sean McKeon (Cowboys) and Mitchell Wilcox (Bengals) in for workouts late last week, which could reflect the desire to add another layer to the depth chart of Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper and La'Michael Pettway. The team enters the second phase of its voluntary offseason program this week, so the timing might make sense to make a move now.
Inside Pats roster math The Patriots currently have 70 players on their roster and own eight selections in this week's NFL draft. That would leave 12 spots for undrafted free agents (a larger class than the norm) -- give or take a few depending on trades and veteran signings (like Hopkins, McKeon, Wilcox, etc.). Wolf would like to come out of the draft with more quantity, saying, "The more picks we have, the better." Find a complete list of the Patriots' eight draft picks here.
Did you know? Since 1960, the Patriots have drafted 24 players from the University of Michigan, more than any other school. Boston College is second, with 23 players. And Sean Morey, a seventh-round pick out of Brown in 1999, was the last Patriots pick in the college draft that wasn't made by Belichick. That will be broken Thursday night.