The New England Patriots have hired Jerod Mayo as their new head coach. Mayo has quite some big shoes to fill and he has no time to waste. The Patriots have secured the number three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and there will no doubt be a great amount of talent available. The Patriots have already announced that they will be searching for a general manager and he will most likely be in charge of the Draft when it rolls around in April. That doesn’t mean that Mayo won’t have a big say in who is drafted but regardless, the organization needs to come together and begin the rebuild.
The Patriots will have their pick of some great players at number three overall in April, and they can choose to go in a few different directions. They could go the quarterback route and take a player like Drake Maye from North Carolina if he falls to them, or they could take Jayden Daniels the Heisman winner from LSU. Depending on what Mayo wants to do with the future of his team he could also try for a generational talent like Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison is an elite receiver who has all the tools to become a hall of fame player. His route running combined with his size and speed makes him the closest you can get to a can’t miss pick. There are also some who believe the Patriots should strengthen their offensive line with a player like Joe Alt, the left tackle from Notre Dame. With the amount of great options at pick number three, the Patriots really are set up to begin a great draft, which is exactly what they will need if they wish to be relevant again.
How aggressive should New England be when the draft finally comes around? Their second round pick is number thirty four which gives them the ability to move around the board. The Patriots could pretty easily move back up into the first round if they want to, which is the aggression that will be needed by the new staff in Foxborough. At pick three, they could take their quarterback of the future and move back up into the back half of the first round to pair a wide receiver with him, or even an offensive tackle to protect their first pick. Either way, moving around the board should be a top priority in order to get some talent, and plug different holes on the current roster.
A New Era in New England
New England could see a very different roster by the time the 2024 NFL season arrives. With the potential of a new franchise quarterback, multiple new receivers, and a completely rejuvenated offensive line, the Patriots might turn to young talent to catapult them into the future. This could mean a much more flashy offense and big time plays than the Foxborough Faithful has been used to over the last five years. With the NFL getting faster and more focused on high scoring offenses, the Patriots will need to bring in as much talent and speed as they can.
The 2024 draft class will reflect heavily on Jerod Mayo, even though many of the picks will most likely be made by the next General Manager of the Patriots. Mayo is the new face of the franchise, and he must do everything in his power to get top prospects on his roster. If some of the draft selections are questionable, many fans will be furious. Over the last five years, there have been quite a few odd draft selections, which some might say is the main reason for Bill Belichick’s departure. If Mayo wants to show the fans that he truly is serious about turning the Patriots around, he needs to make sure that this draft class is the best Foxborough has seen in a long time.