The New England Patriots find themselves in an unexpected situation. They haven’t picked in the top five of a draft in over two decades. Things are extremely different from the Tom Brady era, and the 2-8 Patriots have a lot to work on. To get you started, here’s a five-round mock draft for 2024.
PICK 3 IN ROUND 1: WR OHIO STATE’S MARVIN HARRISON JR.
The math doesn’t stack up for Patriots fans who believe it’s quarterback or bust with the team’s first-round pick. If they don’t have a top-two pick — they now have the No. 3 pick — quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Drake Maye will almost certainly be passed over. As of now, I don’t see them going for QB3 at this point.
Instead, they’ll be able to select the best non-quarterback available, and this is a fantastic year to be in that position. New England needs offensive line help, and Olu Fashanu of Penn State or Joe Alt of Notre Dame would be worthy top-five picks. Regardless of position, Marvin Harrison Jr. is expected to be the unanimous No. 1 prospect on draft boards this year. If he is signed by the Patriots, he will be the most talented receiver in New England since Randy Moss.
ROUND 2, PICK 35: LSU QB JAYDEN DANIELS
Daniels is planning a concert for 2023. He has an outstanding 94.6 overall rating, 91.2 passing grade, and 92.0 rushing grade. Daniels is 11th in rushing yards (1,028) and third in total throwing yards (3,163) among FBS players, including running backs. He is second only to Drake Myae in big-time throws (27), but he still has a low turnover-worthy play percentage (2.4%), continuing to build on how well he handled the ball in 2022.
There is a possibility that Daniels does not advance to the second round. However, regardless of how much his draft stock fluctuates, the Patriots should be interested in this dynamic, dual-threat quarterback.
ROUND 3, PICK 67: BYU OT KINGSLEY SUAMATAIA
It seemed strange not to give the Patriots an offensive lineman with one of their first two picks, but maybe the following analysis makes it clear.
Starting-caliber offensive line talent is scarce in the third round. Nonetheless, Kingsley Suamataia is an obvious choice. Suamataia is a former five-star offensive lineman who, despite his 6-foot-6, 325-pound size, moves exceptionally effectively. He could end up getting higher than 67th overall. However, he still has inefficiencies in his game, particularly in run blocking. While his lack of expertise may force him to return to BYU for another season, what he is exhibiting now would make him a solid draft and development prospect.
ROUND 4, PICK 103: AUBURN CB NEHEMIAH PRITCHETT
Pritchett was injured earlier this year and is currently flying under the talent radar. At 6-foot-1, he possesses good length for an outside cornerback. He also allows a catch on only 35.3% of the targets he covers. Cornerback won’t be a Tier 1 need after the Patriots chose Christian Gonzalez in the first round last season, but adding another defensive back in the middle rounds wouldn’t be a bad idea.
RB, ROUND 5, PICK 140 CLEMSON UNIVERSITY’S WILL SHIPLEY
The Patriots’ starting rushing back is Rhamondre Stevenson, but we all know that a genuinely good running back room requires more than one back. Shipley was a Day 2 pick entering the season, and he may still be, but he has career lows in missed tackles forced and yards after contact in 2023, two critical measures that can differentiate a running back’s individual talent from their offensive line.
That isn’t to say the all-purpose back isn’t a strong player, but he might be a mid-round pick. Despite this, Shipley, a good receiver, has received more than 30 targets in each of the last two seasons, a role that could match well with Stevenson.