The NFL season is officially over, with the Kansas City Chiefs winning their second Super Bowl in as many years. Now, teams and fans are either blessed – or cursed – to confront their offseasons.
This year, the Patriots hold the No. 3 pick of the draft, something they haven’t held since 1994 when they selected Willie McGinest out of USC with the fourth overall pick.
Not bad, eh?
This April, New England picks third under an entirely new philosophy since Bill Belichick is no longer in town.
With guys like Jerod Mayo, Matt Groh, and Eliot Wolf helming the franchise, they have a lot of holes to fill. Luckily, they have a premium pick to fill one of those holes.
Quarterback, tackle, and wide receiver are the three glaring holes. And this year, there are a good number of quarterbacks, especially those who are projected to go in the top three: Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina), and Jayden Daniels (LSU).
It seems that Williams will go first overall with the Chicago Bears, leaving Daniels and Maye.
Whether it’s Daniels or Maye, the Patriots should draft a gunslinger – without question. Get the new franchise quarterback in and start again. The Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe experiments obviously didn’t work.
That said, there’s a lot of fanbase noise surrounding Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
I, for one, don’t think he’s worth it. If the Patriots take Harrison, they still won’t have a quarterback to get him the ball – or a line to block for him.
Also, this year’s draft is loaded with wide receiver talent. Guys like Keon Coleman, Xavier Legette, Adonai Mitchell, and more headline a talented class.
Harrison will not be the last great receiver to be drafted – I promise.
Onto the next hole: offensive tackle.
With Trent Brown becoming a free agent and reports suggesting Mike Onwenu may end up elsewhere, the Patriots have a glaring need at tackle.
There were reports a few weeks ago that the Patriots might consider taking a tackle with their first pick. For someone who, personally, wants a quarterback, I’m OK with New England taking a tackle.
Boring, I know, but hear me out.
Ideally, you’d want to trade back and receive some future assets – or even more draft capital – for this year’s draft, but if the Patriots aren’t convinced with any of the top quarterbacks, it’s best to solidify the line.
Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu headline the tackle class with both projected to go early in the first round. I know it’s not the flashy pick that fans want to see, but there’s something to be said for building your team from the line back.
Look at the Detroit Lions. They drafted their front line and when they got their quarterback, were ready to start winning games. Detroit did just that because its line kept the pocket clean for Jared Goff to make his reads and deliver the ball without pressure.
Getting a guy like Alt or Fashanu can solidify the left side of the line and protect the blindside of your quarterback for the next decade.
The Patriots have the money to spend in free agency, but the best teams spend money and draft well, something the Patriots need to do better in the post-Belichick era.
Talk to you in a few months.
