(Photo courtesy The Athletic)
The New England Patriots have completed the NFL draft, and GM Eliot Wolf’s agenda for this year was clearly presented and executed, with all but one of their rookies being on the offensive side of the ball. Here’s a full breakdown of the new class of Patriots.
Round 1 Pick 3: Drake Maye QB North Carolina
The Pats were expected to land one of this year’s top signal callers, and they got their guy in Drake Maye. Standing at 6’4” and 230 lbs., Maye has a rocket of an arm and has the ability to roll outside and extend plays. The biggest question surrounding Maye has been his footwork, which many have dubbed “sloppy”. However, new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt runs a similar style to what Maye ran with the Tar Heels. Maye has all the tools and potential to be one of the league's best, but it’s all a matter of if he gets the Mac Jones treatment.
Round 2 Pick 5: Ja’Lynn Polk WR Washington
Polk was a member of the explosive offense featuring two first-rounders (Penix Jr and Odunze). Polk is an agile and explosive playmaker and has a phenomenal catch radius. Polk racked up 1,159 yards for the Huskies last season, behind Odunze and McMillan. He’ll be a great addition to a thin receiver room.
Round 3 Pick 4: Caedan Wallace OT Penn State
Wallace, who mostly held down the right tackle spot for the Nittany Lions, could realistically get a shot at left for the Pats. He has great footwork and is a tremendous force in the run game. He’ll be a great addition to the o-line, just don’t expect him to play right away.
Round 4 Pick 3: Layden Robinson OG Texas A&M
Wolf and Mayo are going all in on the team needs, and they fill another one with this pick. Robinson is a great pass blocker who is quick on his feet. He faced some of the best 3-techniques in the country playing in the SEC. He’s in a similar boat with Wallace, as he most likely won’t be playing right away.
Round 4 Pick 10: Javon Baker WR Central Florida
Get your popcorn ready, because Javon Baker has all the tools to become the team's most prolific receiver. Baker is coming off a thousand-yard receiver for the Knights and has all the tools necessary to become a Tyreek Hill-type receiver.
Round 6 Pick 4: Marcellas Dial CB South Carolina
Dial joins a cornerback room in desperate need of depth, with the secondary as a whole in good shape. Dial is a terrific man-to-man corner leaving little to no room for receivers. He’ll be a great addition and down the line, he can reign terror alongside Gonzalez.
Round 6 Pick 17: Joe Milton III QB Tennessee
This pick was the most surprising to me, but after looking into it, it makes sense to me now. Milton has an absolute cannon for an arm and is a very strong and physical runner. Milton is currently projected to be number four on the QB depth chart, so his time in New England might be short.
Round 7 Pick 11: Jaheim Bell TE Florida State
Bell is an incredible blocking tight end, and that makes him a perfect fit for the Patriots system. He can also go out and get a pass and rack up a decent number of yards. He’ll be behind both Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper, so it’s unlikely we’ll see a lot of Bell during the season.
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