The 2024 NFL Scouting Combine has arrived, and New England Patriots Head Coach Jerod Mayo will be in attendance. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but is still very exciting to Patriots fans, who are in for one of the most interesting off-seasons in New England history. There is much more to the Combine than watching talented players show off their skills in hopes of being drafted. There are many conversations that go on between front office members of teams and opposing coaches, that could result in some big time trades. Discussions of moving around the NFL Draft board and sending star players to new organizations is a huge topic among General Managers. Could Jerod Mayo make some under the radar moves that the public won’t know about until Free Agency starts in a couple of weeks? Rumors have been flying around about the Minnesota Vikings potentially trading Justin Jefferson. Could we see the best receiver in the NFL somehow end up in Foxborough? And of course, could Mayo and his staff find the next generation of Patriots in Indianapolis?
The Scouting Combine can determine the difference of millions of dollars for certain prospects. A player who absolutely crushes the workouts and interviews, could skyrocket his draft stock, earning himself a much larger rookie contract. Some names to watch out for that could not only have a great performance, but also end up in New England, are receivers like Troy Franklin from Oregon, Javon Baker from UCF, and Ja’Lynn Polk from Washington to name a few. Each player has their own set of strengths and weaknesses. So it will come down to who puts on a better show at the Combine, and whether or not they do well in the interview process. The Combine interview process is incredibly important, it can determine whether or not a player is a good fit within the culture and scheme of an organization.
The NFL Combine is notorious for sparking rumors among different NFL teams, and this year is no different. After hearing rumors about Justin Jefferson potentially becoming available, it has sparked many debates among media personalities. Could New England trade down from the third overall pick with Minnesota in exchange for Jefferson and more draft capital? Would this be a good move by the Patriots organization? There are many things that need to be taken into account. First of all, the Patriots have quite a few holes on the offensive side of the ball, and just picking a rookie quarterback at third overall many not be the ultimate solution. If New England doesn’t particularly love who could be on the board at three, Mayo and his staff may look to make a deal at the NFL Combine. Potentially acquiring the eleventh overall pick, Justin Jefferson, and maybe even some more draft capital could be too rich for the Patriots to pass up. Being able to fill their receiver need with the best player at the position, and maybe even getting a franchise tackle that could fall to them at pick eleven could set them up for years of success. But the question remains, when they meet with the top quarterbacks in the Draft at the Combine, do they find a face of the franchise that they can’t risk losing?
Will the interview process lead to a huge move from New England?
The Patriots will be doing their homework on all of the top quarterbacks at the Combine. They will meet with the top three prospects in Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye. If they meet with Williams, who is sure to be the number one overall pick, and he absolutely amazes Mayo and his staff, will they do everything in their power to trade up to number one? It would take a historic amount of draft capital to move up to number one, but if the organization is sold on Williams, they may decide it is worth the risk. However, the Carolina Panthers did exactly that last year, and it backfired in a massive way. Giving up quite a bit of the team’s future for only one player may not be what is needed in New England, especially with the amount of help they need on the offensive side of the ball. There will surely be many conversations held among general managers and coaches at the Combine this week, and plenty of deals will be made that aren’t public knowledge until the new league year starts. So for now, all the Foxborough Faithful can do is sit back and hope the new Patriots staff will do right by not only the organization, but the entire six states that make up all of New England.