With the offseason starting early for the New England Patriots, draft preparation for fans comes early too. After the Patriots finished strong with Joe Milton at the helm with a win over the Bills in Week 18, they solidified their position at the fourth pick in the draft. The unimpressive 4-13 finish exposed just how many holes the Patriots have. Scarier yet, the 2024 draft class looks very uninspiring apart from Drake Maye. It’s obvious they have lots of holes to fill, and this season’s draft will be one of the avenues to fill those holes.
A disclaimer, this draft is three rounds, with no trades. Given that the season isn’t over yet and free agency nor the combine have begun, naturally we’ll have changes to the order and needs for each team. With that being said, here’s Mock Draft 1.0.
Round 1, Pick 4: Abdul Carter, Edge Defender, Penn State
The Patriots desperately struggled to put pressure on the quarterback this season, recording a dismal 1.6 sacks per game, the fewest in the league. Carter, a 6-foot-3, 259-pound monster, wreaked havoc on opposing offensive lines all year, recording 12 sacks, a joint best in the Big 10. To go along with his sack numbers, he also forced a pair of fumbles and had an excellent 91.2 overall PFF grade. Deatrich Wise is a pending free agent, and four of Keion White’s sacks on the season came in the first two games. Anfernee Jennings seems to be the only sure thing on the edge for the team at the moment, but they could change that with Carter.
Round 2, Pick 37: Matthew Golden, Wide Receiver, Texas
The Patriots took the underwhelming Ja’Lynn Polk at this exact slot last draft, but they’ll hope to capitalize on taking a better wideout this time around. The 6-foot, 195-pound receiver hauled in 58 catches for the Longhorns just shy of 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns, including seven for 149 and a touchdown against No. 4 Arizona State. Golden’s deep threat ability and separation should catch the Patriots eye, and with a lack of explosiveness in their receiver room, he could certainly help. Kayshon Boutte and Pop Douglas proved to be reliable players in spurts last season, but adding a true deep threat could help transform the offense.
Round 3, Pick 68: Tate Ratledge, Guard, Georgia
I opted to pass on the offensive line in the first two rounds, but I couldn’t further neglect it here. Cole Strange took over center duties for the last few weeks from Ben Brown following David Andrews’s injury early in the season, and Mike Onwenu is the only locked in starter for next year. Should Andrews retire, a center and right guard are not enough to cobble together a solid offensive line. Ratledge offers experience and ability at the guard position and is a plug and play starter on the left side of the interior. Between ankle and knee injuries, Ratledge struggled to stay on the field during his final season at Georgia, but that’s a risk the Patriots should be willing to take, given his ceiling as a top tier guard.
Round 3, Pick 77 (Via ATL, Matt Judon trade): Anthony Belton, Offensive Tackle, NC State
More top 100 line help for Drake Maye! Tackle was a struggle last season even more so than guard for the team. 3.1 sacks allowed per game slots them tied for the six most in the league, a number that seems pretty friendly given Maye’s ability to escape pressure. Vederian Lowe proved he isn’t a starting caliber tackle, and pending free agent Demontrey Jacobs will likely look for other options following a very poor season at right tackle. Rookie Caeden Wallace played through injury towards the end of the year and was underwhelming, though the jury’s not out on his development yet. Belton’s wide body with questionable feet, but with his athletic upside, he could be a starting caliber left tackle. While both he and Ratledge are risky picks for different reasons, proper development could bolster the offensive line very quickly with minimal initial investment.
Of course, this mock draft is still very early, and many are still not familiar with all the players. Regardless of free agency, though, the additions of a top-tier edge rusher and wide receiver, along with a pair of top 100 linemen make for a very interesting and potentially franchise-altering draft.