Rumors had swirled heading into Thursday night surrounding who the Patriots would select. Despite rumors of trading out the Patriots stuck at three selecting Drake Maye to be their next franchise quarterback.
They continued building the offense with six of the next seven draft selections coming on that side of the ball.
Here is a look at all eight draft picks and what their futures could hold in New England.
Round 1, Pick No. 3: Drake Maye, QB, UNC
The Patriots have found their successor to Mac Jones. The first quarterback of the Jerod Mayo regime will be playing in Foxborough this season, or will he?
Being drafted to New England may have been the best-case scenario for him. Maye will now be allowed to sit for his rookie campaign as quarterback Jacoby Brissett returned to New England on a one-year deal earlier in the offseason.
Now, Maye heads to New England under the tutelage of first-year offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and quarterback coach T.C McCartney. Maye will be in line to take over Van Pelt’s West Coast offense in 2025.
Maye will look to begin by improving his footwork which was inconsistent during his three seasons at UNC. Oftentimes it led to inaccurate throws even in the flat, but especially on throws outside of the numbers.
However, Maye has an arm that can make every single throw asked of him. Whether it comes down to hitting a player in stride or jump balls down the sidelines he has plenty of arm talent.
Maye differs from Jones as well, because of his mobility. He can shuffle and move around the pocket, but also when a play breaks down he can move outside the tackle box and scramble for a first down and more.
Round 2, Pick No. 37 (Via Los Angeles Chargers): Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
I was extremely high on Polk’s tape heading into the draft and had him rated as the third-best receiver in the class. This was a home run pick for the Patriots.
Polk is a true X receiver at the NFL level where he will line up opposite fellow receiver Kendrick Bourne. Often overshadowed at Washington between splitting reps with Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan, Polk will have to step up and be a top receiver with New England.
Polk is not an elite route-runner but he knows how to create separation with his hands in close quarters. However, he also has solid footwork to shake off defenders in the middle of the field.
With hands of glue, Polk catches all passes that come his way. His catch radius allows him to catch jump balls all over the field. Polk ran a 4.52 40 at the combine so he will not burn corners down the field, but he has enough speed to create separation.
The talent is there to be a day-one starting receiver for Polk. He will also be a strong top talent for the start of the Drake Maye era.
Round 3, Pick No. 68: Caedan Wallace, OT, Penn State
One of the most experienced offensive linemen in this draft, Wallace played 1,276 snaps with the Nittany Lions over the course of 40 starts. All 40 of those starts came at right tackle while New York Jets first-round pick Olu Fashanu played on the left side.
General Manager Eliot Wolf believes Wallace will slot in as a left tackle at the NFL level. He may be allowed to sit and learn for part of the season behind free-agent signee Chukwuma Okorafor.
Wallace stands at just below 6’5’. With 34-inch arms, he has solid size for a tackle, but his strong athleticism makes up for any size limitations. A 10-yard split of 1.73 and 9’8 broad jump will help him succeed at the next level.
Wallace has swift movement skills and displays strong pass protection skills which will help protect Maye’s blindside. His grip strength does leave some to be desired in the run game as he can let defenders get away from him.
If the transition goes smoothly he could be a starting left tackle by the end of the season, but at worst he has a career as a swing tackle or even a starting guard.
Round 4, Pick No. 103: Layden Robinson, OG, Texas A&M
Robinson made 33 starts over his career with the Aggies. He plays with grit and is not afraid to match up with opposing defensive tackles. He can maul defenders in the run game but lacks some of the same power in pass protection.
He is a strong mover in the run game as he can shuffle laterally to take on blockers or move up to the second level and latch onto linebackers.
Ultimately, inconsistency could hold Robinson back at the NFL level, but with proper coaching, he could carve out a long-term career in the NFL.
Whether Robinson will start this season is up for debate as Sidy Sow was expected to start at right guard and Cole Strange at left guard. However, if injuries come up Robinson could become a consistent starter in his first season.
Round 4, Pick No. 110 (Via Los Angeles Chargers): Javon Baker, WR, UCF
The Patriots are setting the tone for Drake Maye by picking another X receiver to line up on the outside opposite of Polk.
Similar to Polk, Baker has consistent hands and can catch balls in stride or show off his catch radius on toe-tap catches along the sideline.
Baker will serve as a strong threat in the intermediate to deep area of the field because he was second in the NCAA last season with 21.90 yards per catch.
He lacks the most advanced route tree, but the UCF offense still allowed him to get the ball through slants, comebacks, or go-routes.
Along with Polk, Bourne and Demario Douglas, the Patriots have massively improved their receiving core for Drake Maye heading into next season.
Round 6, Pick No. 180: Marcellas Dial, DB, South Carolina
The first and only defensive player of the draft will bring depth to the secondary. The Patriots secondary needed another rotational corner and a backup free safety and Dial has the talent to bring both.
In three seasons with South Carolina, he has recorded 28 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Dial came out of the combine slightly smaller than advertised, but at 5’11”-190 he will have the size to hold up on the outside in the NFL.
He plays a physical brand of football against opposing receivers but does a nice job knowing his limits. Over the past three seasons, he only recorded 10 pass-interference penalties.
Jonathan Jones and Christian Gonzalez will be lining up as starting boundary corners. Dial will be left to compete with Alex Austin and Shaun Wade for the fourth spot on the depth chart.
Round 6, Pick No. 193 (Via Jacksonville Jaguars): Joe Milton, QB, Tennessee
With a cannon of an arm that mirrors Anthony Richardson and Josh Allen, Milton has the arm talent to be a quarterback at the NFL level.
However, like many strong-armed quarterbacks his game falls short in other aspects. He often struggles to make accurate passes, especially in the short to intermediate range.
Milton is also a strong runner who tacked on seven rushing touchdowns this past season as the starter at Tennessee. Standing at 6’5”-246 some analysts have suggested moving him to tight end.
At a minimum, Milton has a spot on an NFL roster because of his arm and his ability to be a strong presence on quarterback runs. His presence could also signal the end of Bailey Zappe in New England.
Round 7, Pick No. 231 (Via Minnesota Vikings): Jaheim Bell, TE, Florida State
Bell offers an interesting profile for a modern NFL tight end. Standing in at 6’2”-241 he is slightly undersized for the position.
He is one of the most athletic tight ends in the draft, running a 4.61 40-yard dash to pair with a broad jump of just over 10 feet and a 35-inch vertical jump.
While he will not bring much blocking ability to the roster his athleticism makes him a threat on the outside, along the line of scrimmage and even out of the backfield.
He may benefit from a year in New England’s practice squad, but his solid production at the collegiate level suggests he can make an impact on Sundays.
Overview
The Patriots took seven of their eight draft picks from the offensive side of the ball. The offense desperately needed to be revamped in all facets.
Bringing in Drake Maye brings new life to the franchise as a whole. Polk and Baker likely have careers carved out for them in New England.
I do have doubts about where Robinson and Wallace fit along the offensive line so training camp and preseason action will be especially important.
The Patriots will likely bring in several undrafted free agents to fill out the roster, but the offense looks much better than last season on paper.
