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(PHOTO: Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK) Final 7 Round Patriots Draft(s)
What will Eliot Wolf and the Patriots brain trust do in this draft? Will they follow the “Packer Way” and draft the Best Player Available (BPA) regardless of team need or will they trade down, acquiring more picks to help their team overall?
I am going to present both paths. I am using the PFF Mock Simulator.
TRADE DOWN Scenario
The Patriots get their dream draft trade from Minnesota of three 1st round picks for pick #3. Three 1st round picks is what San Francisco gave up to draft Trey Lance (how did that turn out?). Also, don’t be surprised if they draft Daniels if MIN won’t offer the three 1st (2025 1st originally), then turn around at pick #11 when MIN is on the clock and make the trade then.
3. TRADE to MIN for #11, #23 and 2025 1st Round pick
11. JJ McCarthy QB Michigan
The Patriots brain trust cannot reach a consensus through the new collaboration process being implemented in New England. It has been rumored the coaching staff, OC Alex Van Pelt and Offensive Assistant Ben McAdoo, want Drake Maye and GM Eliot Wolf and Head Coach want JJ McCarthy. Drake Maye was taken #2 by Washington. Jayden Daniels availability at #3 was the reason that Minnesota made the trade. McCarthy has great leadership attributes and a strong, accurate arm. He is probably the most Pro ready QB in the draft. The type of offense that Michigan ran, heavy on the run game and play action passes, are what the Patriots want to do.
23. Cooper DeJean CB Iowa
This is a BPA pick. DeJean was ranked as the #8 player by PFF. He is not the biggest at 6’ 205 lbs, nor the fastest (4.45 40-yard dash). He is a very instinctive player and very opportunistic. I think he would make a very good Free Safety with good coverage skills, something the team lacks since Devin McCourty’s departure.
34. Adonai Mitchell WR Texas
His physical attributes jump off the page. He has a 9.99 Relative Athletic Score (RAS). Mitchell is a true X receiver. At 6’2”, 205 he ran a blistering 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine. He also added a 39.5” Vertical Jump and an 11.04 Broad Jump. Very explosive. However, he ran a limited route tree of Go, Dig and Post routes. In 2023 he had 55 catches for 845 yards for a 15.35 YPC and 11 TDs. Is he the next great WR or is he N’Keal Harry II?
68. Blake Fisher OT Notre Dame
Fisher would make an excellent Left Tackle. He started at Left Tackle as a True Freshman. Notre Dame coaches moved him to Right Tackle only because Joe Alt was at Left Tackle. Fisher’s movements mirror the edge rusher, and he has the agility to match up. Describing his run blocking is the Bulldozer style.
103. Matt Goncalves OT Pitt
Drafting a second Tackle so quickly can be misleading, but Goncalves very well could be a starter in this league. He also has the demonstrated ability to play Right Tackle, as he played both at Pitt. Goncalves makes the perfect swing tackle. A Big Toe injury cut short his 2023 season. He couldn’t participate in the combine but did perform at Pitt’s Pro Day and only had three weeks of training for the event. The 6’6”, 317 lb tackle ran a 5.12 40-yard dash but was limping by the end. He gutted through the workout and performed at less than 100%. He will be ready for the start of training camp.
137. DeWayne Carter DT Duke
The 6’2”, 302 lbs. DT is a 3-time Captain at Duke. He ran a 4.99 40-yard dash at the combine and his weight didn’t fluctuate a month later at his Pro Day. Pass rushing from the DT position is his forte. Carter was heavily involved in charity and community work and has significant experience as a locker room leader. Carter was also listed as one of the draft steals by ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Louis Riddick. During his 13-year scouting career the 8-year NFL Safety held many positions with the Redskins and Eagles, twice elevating to Director of Pro Personnel. Carter is Riddick’s #1 sleeper outside of the round. Riddick states “Carter simply never stops. He has the ultimate motor”. Carter had 80 pressures, 11 sacks, 22 run stops and 19 tackles for loss over his career. Carter is also well adept at playing Special Teams, a key component for rookies trying to make the team.
180. Issac Guerendo RB Louisville
Runningback is a sneaky need by this team. Guerendo is really a one-year wonder. At 6-foot, 221 pounds, he has the skills to be a three-down back. And after dominating at the combine with a 4.33-second run in the 40-yard dash and an eye-popping 41.5-inch vertical jump. He finished with 810 yards and 11 TDs for the 2023 season. Add in 22 receptions too. Guerendo played 4 years at Wisconsin and was used sparingly, but still maintained a 5.9 YPC. He upped that at Louisville to 6.1 per carry. Louis Riddick has Guerendo on his Sleeper list saying “every year, we see a Day 2/Day 3 pick wind up being a really talented NFL running back for a good team, and everyone asks where he came from. Well, Guerendo is going to be that guy in 2024.”
193. Tip Reiman TE Illinois
Known more for his blocking the 6’ 5”, 271 lbs. TE ran an impressive 4.64 40 at the combine. His 28 reps at #225 and his 7.02 3-cone drill were equally impressive. As a Junior he had 17 catches and had 19 as a Senior. He just wasn’t targeted often. Reiman received an invitation to the East / West Shrine game and looked very good in the practices and game. He could improve his blocking, where he doesn’t utilize his size enough. Reiman also added a total of 555 special-teams snaps. His academic prowess is equally impressive, earning three Academic All-Big Ten honors and graduating with a degree in kinesiology. I have had Reiman in nearly all of my mock drafts and he will probably go higher than this position in the draft.
231. Bub Means WR Pitt
Means has recently been added as a late selection by the Patriots. Assistant WR coach Tiquan Underwood was the WR coach at Pitt. Means is a big receiver at 6’1” 227 lbs. and still ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine. His weight at the combine was 212 and he gained 15 lbs. at his Pro Day weigh-in a month later (he didn’t run but stood on his Combine times which could be a red flag). He stood on his running numbers from the combine. Curiously there was a wide discrepancy between Handheld time of 4.39 and the Official Electronic Time of 4.43? Means played at Tennessee, then transferred to Louisiana Tech and finally ended up at Pitt. In 12 games as a Senior, Means had 41 catches for 718 yards, 17.5 YPC and 6 TDs with an excellent QB rating when targeted of 94.5.
No TRADE DOWN / Best Player Available
3. Joe Alt OT Notre Dame
If I was the General Manager I would take Joe Alt and lock down the Left Side for 10 years. He would be the anchor of the line and a perennial All-Pro player. That is how good he is. Marvin Harrison may be a better player, but given the team’s desperate need for a left Tackle who can start Day one, I would take Alt.
34. Michael Penix QB Washington
Penix was a late add to the 30 visits the team is allowed. This indicated to me the Front Office was not sold completely on the top 4 QBs. They may have been preparing for the chance they did trade down and none of the top 4 were available. In a BPA scenario they take the top athlete at #3 and select a future QB in the 2nd round. The two biggest knocks on Penix are he didn’t produce in 4 years at Indiana but exploded in two years at Washington and his injury history (two ACL surgeries).
2022 65.3 Comp % 4641 yards 31 TD 8 INT
2023 65.4 Comp % 4903 yards 36 TD 11 Int
At Washington, he had a great Receiving corps, with three wide receivers that are expected to be taken in the 1st three rounds. This is a little like Mac Jones and his WR corps at Alabama.
68. Javon Baker WR UCF
Wide Receiver ended up as the third priority. At this point Baker is the best of the lot in the 3rd round. His performance saw a big jump in 2023 with 52 catches for 1,139 yards and 7 TDs. This resulted in an impressive 21.9 YPC, which netted him 1st Team All-Big 12 1st team. He is not fast but runs precise routes. He has the size at 6’1 202 lbs. to outmuscle defenders for the ball and tracks the ball well on deep throws.
See previous analysis
137. Jordan MaGee LB Temple
Magee is one of the fastest LBs in the draft and his sideline-to-sideline pursuit is the main reason he has shot up the Draft Board. The Patriots need this type of player. At 6’1 228 lbs. he ran a 4.55 40-yard dash and a 6.9 3-cone drill. That 3-cone number shows great change of direction for a LB. His RAS score was 9.96. Very good in pass coverage with 10 pass breakups in the last two seasons.
180. TRADE #180 to IND for #191 and #234
191. Issac Guerrendo RB Louisville
See previous analysis
193. Tip Reiman TE Illinois
See previous analysis
231. Bub Means WR Pitt
See previous analysis
234. Qwan’tez Stiggers CB Toronto Argonauts
This may be the best story of the entire draft. Stiggers was scheduled to play college football at Lane College, a traditional HBCU school. However, the season was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID. Then his father got sick and passed away which put Stiggers into a deep depression. His mother tried to help him out of the depressed state by finding somewhere for him to play football. He was signed to play in a Fan Controlled Football league. One of the coaches was a former scout for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. The coach got him a tryout. Stiggers didn’t think much of it but made the team and eventually started. He had 5 Interception his rookie year and was named the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Rookie. This was the 1st time a Defensive Back had won this award. Stiggers got an invite to the East/West Shrine game and shined in the practices and game. He was now on every team’s radar. He followed this up with an outstanding Pro Day work out where he ran a 4.47 40-yard dash. This is a dart throw, which 7th round picks should be. Sometimes you find a Julian Edelman, a player that grows into being a consummate professional and impactful player. The last player not to play college football and make the NFL was Philadelphia Eagles Left Tackle Jordan Mailata who played Professional Rugby in Australia.
Matthew Slater Hired as Offensive Assistant
When the players returned for off-season workouts, they were greeted by a familiar face. Former Captain and longtime Special Teams ace Matthew Slater was there to welcome them back. He has been hired as a Special Assistant to Head Coach Jerod Mayo, a sort of right-hand man. His duties are more in the player development area, such as a spiritual and professional development advisor. I knew he couldn’t stay away. Don’t be surprised if Slater is also involved in Community projects as well.
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absolutely crazy