The NFL Draft kicks off in just over a week, and for the New England Patriots, they’re in unfamiliar territory.
The Patriots own the third pick in this year’s draft, the highest draft slot since Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994. After nearly two decades of dominance they now find themselves in a full rebuild.
Many viewed Mac Jones as being the successor to Tom Brady after Brady departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A year of Cam Newton at QB forced the team to shift their focus on a young QB they could develop and call their next guy for years to come, so they drafted Mac Jones #15 overall in 2021. However, three years of Jones proved that he was not the answer following his 18-24 record as a starting QB for the Patriots. His trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars was telling that they no longer viewed Jones as their franchise guy.
Since the league has now become so “QB centric”, many teams are setting their sights on QB’s in this upcoming draft, New England being one of them. This draft is loaded with quarterback talent, with names such as Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and JJ McCarthy being the center of sports headlines for weeks. Williams is more than likely being drafted first overall to the Chicago Bears, so he doesn’t appear to be an option for anyone else.
According to league sources the Patriots are planning to draft former UNC QB Drake Maye or Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy. Maye shows tremendous upside with his talent while McCarthy possesses the necessary intangible traits for a quarterback. They can certainly go down the route of taking one of these guys and develop them in their system. However, I have a different route the Patriots should take.
It starts with trading the third pick.
There are many holes on the Patriots team, especially on offense. They have no game-changers at any skill positions (WR, RB, TE), their offensive line is suspect and ranked in the bottom five this past season, and most important of all – they need a quarterback. Heck, even their kicker was suspect last year. I believe that filling as many holes as possible is the best possible direction to go. The team cannot afford to put all their eggs in one basket with the third overall pick and still have multiple needs to address. This is why I insist on trading the pick.
The Trade Proposal
Rumors have swirled around that the Minnesota Vikings are interested in drafting Maye or McCarthy. They own picks #11 and #23 in the first round, but could potentially miss out on both guys. If I am the Patriots, I’m trading pick #3 to Minnesota for picks #11, #23, a 2024 4th Rounder, and a 2025 2nd round pick.
What to do with the Picks
It will be risky to trade the third pick especially if Maye, McCarthy, or Daniels end up being the real deal. However, by doing this trade New England can fit multiple needs on their roster. Here is how I would approach the draft after trading the pick.
Pick #11 – Draft QB Michael Penix (Washington).
I’ve been a fan of Penix for a long time. He is arguably the best pure thrower out of all the QB prospects. His arm talent, ability to scramble, high IQ, and intangibles are what the Patriots should want.
His injury history is a concern with two ACL tears in his right knee, but I believe his talent is being heavily overlooked. I see a mix of Tua Tagovailoa/Matthew Stafford in him if he can successfully perform at the NFL Level. The team reportedly took him in for a visit, so that is something to keep an eye on.
Pick #23 – Draft WR Adonai Mitchell (Georgia).
While Mitchell may not possess the talent of Marvin Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers or Rome Odzune, he can be the “X” receiver the Patriots have desperately needed for years. His speed, physicality, and ability to make contested catches intrigues me. Drafting a WR at #23 gives Penix a future elite weapon if developed with the right coaching. At his peak he should have no problem being the team’s WR1 of the future.
Pick #34 – Draft OT Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma).
Guyton is currently ranked 39th in the draft, which is early in the second round. It’s likely in the Patriots best interest to draft a tackle early, especially with Michael Onwenu and David Andrews as the only linemen you can trust on this line. Guyton has some injury history but the skill is there. His versatility at playing left or right tackle can pay dividends for the Patriots based on their line depth.
How the picks affect the team going forward
Drafting a QB, WR, and OT early is crucial for the Patriots success. I’d advocate for keeping the pick if the offense was more balanced but there are too many needs. Trading the pick to get multiple players is a route they should seriously consider.
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