The New England Patriots walked out of the 2024 NFL Draft looking like winners, but what were the team's biggest highlights from their three days in Detroit?
New England acquired solid value from Days 1 to 3 of the draft and remained the primary focus of the offense throughout. By adding a new quarterback, three new weapons, two offensive linemen, and a corner, most if not all of the Patriots' needs were met in some way.
But when you look at the Patriots' strongest selection, they unsurprisingly have New England's highest draft pick in 2024 with the third overall pick to acquire a future franchise signal-caller in Drake Maye. You can't ignore what happened. PFF Trevor Sikkema laid out his rationale and praised the team for sticking with it rather than responding to a potential trade offer.
“Maye's selection may seem obvious, but it certainly didn't feel that way leading up to the draft. New England reportedly had multiple strong trade-down offers to choose from. But they stood strong and got this franchise quarterback that they desperately needed, making it my favorite choice of them all.”
There's also outside interest from the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, casting doubt on the Patriots' selection this time around, and many believe the Patriots' team is a package attractive enough for New England to make a move. I'm wondering if I can provide that. However, given Mayer's outstanding attributes, top-level ceiling, and immediate need at the position, it's hard to imagine a deal happening.
Several other players are selected as potential Patriots premier selections, including UCF WR Javon Baker in the fourth round and Florida State late-rounder TE Jaheim Bell in the seventh round. There is some debate about that. But nothing could be more important than this, considering May's impact on the future of the series.
It's entirely possible that in a few years, we'll look back on Mayer's appointment and think it was a complete failure if things didn't work out. There are some technical holes in the UNC product's game that could be a major limiting factor to his success in the league. On the flip side, it's also a no-brainer as long as the Patriots take the right steps to facilitate his growth in the offense going forward.
Foxboro's future is looking brighter by the day.
