After tearing down the organization from the top, now it’s time to rebuild the Jerod Mayo-led New England Patriots. This is a team that could take a lot of different routes this offseason, on offense and on defense.
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Priority No. 1 is fixing an offense that ranked 31st in scoring a season ago. Does that mean finding a new franchise quarterback, adding talent at the receiver position, or stabilizing the offensive line?
It likely involves all three scenarios, but the Patriots can only pick one player with the third overall pick.
Could New England Patriots ignore QB at No. 3?
New England Patriots mock drafts suggest the team will have every option available. Add a franchise QB? There should be a handful of prospects to pick from.
Solidify the offensive line with a franchise left tackle? With prospects like Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu available, the Patriots could go that route too.
Find a No. 1 wideout? Again, with players like Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze on the board, the Patriots will be flush with possibilities.
Yet, as mentioned, they can really only settle on one idea. With so many needs to address, how the Patriots approach the 2024 NFL Draft will be crucial to their success.
Trusted NFL insider Daniel Jeremiah was recently tasked with writing an updated NFL mock draft ahead of the scouting combine, and his Patriots pick was particularly notable.
Many are penciling in LSU’s Jayden Daniels to New England at No. 3, but not Jeremiah. Instead, he suggests the team should pluck the sure thing and add Marvin Harrison Jr. instead.
“In this scenario, the Patriots go the veteran route to fill the need at quarterback, which frees them up to trade the No. 3 overall pick or take the uber-talented Harrison.”
Daniel Jeremiah’s latest New England Patriots mock draft selection
On paper, Jeremiah’s Patriots offseason plan makes a lot of sense. If the Patriots could fill their QB need with a veteran such as Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, or even reunite with Jimmy Garoppolo, they could either trade down and rebuild the roster’s talent pool or add the best player available, which still fills a major need in New England.
Yet, as we’ve seen before, adding a top free agent quarterback usually comes at an expensive price, as there are several other desperate teams looking to improve at the position too.
Even if the Patriots do add a short-term bridge solution at QB, it’s possible they still feel the most sensible route is adding a receiver like Harrison. At least then, their next QB would have a reliable receiver to throw to, which is something Mac Jones never really got to experience in the NFL, at least not yet.
