“Are the Patriots pursuing a WR in the trade market or have they already looked toward the draft?” ~@Steven1Yd
The Patriots were rumored to be interested in the veteran trade market shortly after free agency began. New England has not been tied to any player in particular, but the two names that are frequently brought up by the media are Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and San Francisco’s Brandon Aiyuk.
Either player would be a great playmaker for an offense that has been stagnant for the last two years, but this also is not an off-season where New England should be giving up significant draft capital—the 2024 draft will be one of the most crucial drafts since Robert Kraft took over as team owner in 1994. Not to mention the absurd amount of talent at the wide receiver position in the 2024 draft class that spans several rounds.
The Patriots are not reloading; they are likely entering a multi-year rebuild. The most likely outcome at the wide receiver position could be a slower approach from Eliot Wolf and company, focusing on talent in the draft with a possible double-dip, and reassessing the group after the 2024 NFL season. If management believes in their rookie quarterback and the opportunity presents itself, they could go after a star receiver during the 2025 off-season.
In addition, the 49ers and Bengals may not have a high incentive to deal their star receivers. San Francisco will be targeting another Super Bowl appearance next season, which would be difficult to accomplish without Brandon Aiyuk in uniform. Cincinnati will also be making a playoff push with a healthy Joe Burrow returning.
“Any chance you think the Pats take two QBs in the draft? One at No. 3 and another later? Like Washington did with RG3 and Kirk Cousins?” ~@JoshLevine74
If the Patriots were to double-dip at quarterback, former Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton could be an interesting option. Milton has phenomenal arm strength with basic developmental tools as a mobile pocket passer. He needs help with being accurate consistently, partly due to his fluctuant mechanics.
For New England, the real question with Milton is what round he will be drafted. Milton is a presumed day-three draft pick, but all it takes is for one organization to fall in love with his game and take him day-two. Either way, the Patriots have many more pressing needs, especially on the offensive end, that need to be addressed before and after Milton is on the board.
In the latter rounds of the draft, some routes New England could look to address those needs are drafting a wide receiver for a second time, adding more depth at running back, and even taking a shot at an offensive guard, which is a position a team can find great value in during those rounds; most notably for New England, drafting Mike Onwenu in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL draft, who signed a three-year, $57M deal with the team this off-season.
Drafting two quarterbacks could be on the table, as doing so could put pressure on the first quarterback taken by the team in the draft. However, doing so could also create a crowded quarterback room with Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe, and Nathan Rourke, who are all currently under contract.
“What do you think of R1 Maye/Daniels, R2 Xavier Legette, R3 Blake Fisher? Opinions on Legette and do you see the Pats looking his direction?” ~@GSnavely88047
Xavier Legette is a versatile wide receiver in terms of where he can line up on the field. He has the speed and explosive agility to be a significant threat after the catch and has the physicals (6’1″, 221 lbs) to line up on the outside. On the contrary, he possesses a fairly limited route tree and has issues with quick releases off of the line of scrimmage.
Legette has a lot of potential and is worth taking a swing at in the second round. New England could use a receiver with his skillset. As of now, the only reported contact between Legette and the Patriots has been through a meeting at the NFL Combine.
However, protection on the left edge of the offensive line may be a more crucial need currently. Blake Fisher would be a good round-three pickup, but more likely than not, he wouldn’t be an immediate plug-and-play player. The Patriots could benefit more by drafting an offensive tackle at No. 34—Arizona’s Jordan Morgan and BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia immediately come to mind—and drafting a receiver later on day two, where several options with startable upside could still remain.
“If Michael Penix’s medicals come back clean, how much of a gap is it really between him and Jayden Daniels?” ~@David11tn
Former Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.’s medicals came back clean at the NFL combine—multiple MRIs cleared him. Penix has a lengthy injury history, tearing his right ACL twice and hurting both of his shoulders.
Although Penix does not have the rushing upside and escapability of Jayden Daniels, he has a talented arm that gives him the ability to fit balls into really tight windows and is an exceptional processor. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network recently stated that Penix is a “likely first-round pick” and likely to be taken within the first half of round one.
If the Patriots are not completely sold on the quarterback that drops to them at No. 3, they could opt to trade down in the first round, accumulating more draft capital, and selecting Michael Penix Jr. with one of those selections.
“My opinion is no matter who we select at QB, they should sit a full year behind Jacoby. Do you feel the same or should the Pats just start the QB right away?” ~@PiddlesMcGee
There will be a training camp battle between the rookie quarterback and veteran Jacoby Brissett this summer. When the rookie quarterback gets to see NFL reps will depend on how he performs before the start of the regular season.
If the coaches like what they see, they could start the quarterback for Week 1. If not, then Brissett would start until the rookie is ready. When the rookie takes over will also depend on how the 2024 season progresses. If New England is somehow in the playoff hunt and making a push for a wildcard spot, then they’ll likely keep playing Brissett. If they are out of the playoff hunt, then they can start the rookie whenever they feel he is ready.
The last thing management and the coaches want to do is hurt the rookie’s development; they may opt to sit the quarterback for a year if the supporting cast does not play up to their expectations.
