Rookie defacto GM Eliot Wolf may have been played by the other more experienced GMs throughout the league.<\/p>\n
They are sitting at #34, the 2nd<\/sup> pick on Day 2 of the draft.\u00a0 Their overwhelming desire to trade back, trying to get more draft capital, failed miserably.\u00a0 They did trade back and only lost 3 draft spots, going from #34 to #37 by trading with the Los Angeles Chargers.\u00a0 The Chargers took uncoverable WR Ladd McConkey.\u00a0 The Trade didn\u2019t net them any additional draft picks, only a bump up from 5th<\/sup> round #137 to 4th<\/sup> Round #110.\u00a0 According to the Jimmy Johnson Trade Value Chart, the Patriots made out just slightly better, but in reality, they were the big losers.\u00a0 Remember McConkey\u2019s name as he becomes the Offensive Rookie of the Year catching passes from Justin Herbert.<\/p>\n Wolf and the Patriots nearly 30 people that were in the Draft Room, took Washington WR Ja\u2019Lynn Polk with the #37.\u00a0 Polk, who runs a slow 4.52 40-yard dash, has the reputation of making the tough contested catch, but that is because he can\u2019t get separation from DBs.\u00a0 If he can\u2019t do that in college, how do you think he will do against better DBs in the pros?\u00a0 \u00a0We have just replaced DeVante Parker with DeVante Parker.\u00a0 Patriots WR coach Tyler Hughes must have been banging the table to take his guy early, because he didn\u2019t think he would last the entire 2nd<\/sup> round.\u00a0 Hughes was Washington\u2019s Offensive QC Analyst coach last year.\u00a0 He had significant insight into Polk as a person, not only as a player. \u00a0\u00a0I have to believe Wolf and the brain trust had McConkey going later in the round and didn\u2019t expect LA to take him.<\/p>\n Hindsight, or a true evaluation of the draft three years down the line will determine if they made a major mistake or not, but the initial reaction the Patriots 2nd<\/sup> day of the draft is very poor.\u00a0 It appears they didn\u2019t address their biggest need and that was at Left Tackle.\u00a0 If they didn\u2019t land McConkey, they should have addressed their Left Tackle deficiency.\u00a0 Chukwu Okorafor is an unknown, playing at Left Tackle.\u00a0 The Patriots didn\u2019t pivot and trade up when they saw the run for OTs, particularly Left Tackles.\u00a0 I have read very good things about Caedan Wallace and have read that the Patriots coaches were enamored with him.\u00a0 Nobody expected him to be drafted at the top of Round 3.\u00a0 There was an unprecedented run for Offensive Linemen, with 25 taken in the first three rounds, the most in the history of the draft.\u00a0 Wallace, in an interview after his selection, stated he was \u201csuper confident\u201d he could play Left Tackle and anywhere up and down the line.<\/p>\n By not making a trade where the team acquired more draft capital or they were unwilling to use their other draft picks to trade up, the GM failed to adjust to the run for Left Tackles.\u00a0 Kansas City was able to adjust and make a trade to leap ahead of the Patriots and take Kingsley Suamataia OT BYU. \u00a0Suamataia had been linked to the Patriots for weeks.<\/p>\n So far, Eliot Wolf\u2019s first solo draft has been far from the Packer Way professed by his father Hall of Fame GM Ron Wolf.\u00a0 This has strictly been a need-based draft.\u00a0 However, I think they read the draft incorrectly and didn\u2019t address their primary need, which should have been Left Tackle.\u00a0 If they were strictly going the Packer Way, they would have taken Cooper Dejean CB Iowa at #37.\u00a0 Pro Football Focus had him rated as their #8 overall player.<\/p>\n Ja\u2019Lynn Polk and Caedan Wallace may turn out to be terrific players.\u00a0 I will have egg on my face, but I would gladly trade that embarrassment so that the individual players succeed and the team gets back to being competitive.\u00a0 I was wrong about Christian Barmore, who I thought was lazy on the video and games I saw him play.\u00a0 He is anything but lazy, and I hope he re-signs a rumored contract extension.<\/p>\n Mason McCormick OL South Dakota State <\/strong>\u2013 Nasty is the word used to describe McCormick.\u00a0 The second description is versatile, as he can play anywhere.\u00a0 Last season he was their left tackle. \u00a0\u00a0The previous 4 years he started at Left Guard and gave up just 3 sacks in 4 years.\u00a0 McCormack worked out at OC at the East \/ West Shrine game and looked excellent.\u00a0 McCormack was a three-time Captain and lead the Jackrabbits to National FCS Champions in 2022 and 2023. \u00a0His measurables are off the charts, standing 6\u20194\u201d 309 lbs., he ran a 5.08 40-yard dash, 35.5\u201d Vertical Jump and 32 Bench Press reps at 225 lbs. \u00a0\u00a0McCormack immediately would be a replacement for Cole Strange if he can\u2019t get back from his knee injury and a future replacement for David Andrews at Center<\/p>\n Devontez Walker WR North Carolina <\/strong>\u2013 He is 6\u20192\u201d 200 lbs and runs a 4.39 40-yard dash.\u00a0 Walker also happens to be Drake Mayes favorite target!<\/p>\n Christian Mahogany OL Boston College \u2013 <\/strong>The Road Grater from BC is just massive and tough to move. He has also worked out at Center.<\/p>\n Javon Foster OT Missouri <\/strong>\u2013 He was the 1st<\/sup> team OT in the SEC!\u00a0 If you are not sold on Caedan Wallace, then take Foster a perfect swing tackle.\u00a0 He can play both sides.<\/p>\n Issac Guerendo RB Louisville<\/strong> \u2013 He was a late bloomer but exploded his Senior season.\u00a0 He is also an athletic freak.\u00a0 Very fast.<\/p>\n Bub Means WR Pittsburgh<\/strong> \u2013 Pats Asst WR coach Tiguan Underwood was his coach last season.\u00a0 \u00a0Weight is a concern.\u00a0 He blew up 15 lbs from the Combine to his Pro day.<\/p>\n Qwan\u2019Tez Stiggers CB Toronto Argonauts<\/strong> \u2013 Didn\u2019t play college football but was the Most Outstand Defensive Rookie in the CFL.\u00a0 Ran 4.47 at his Pro Day.<\/p>\n Tanner McLachlan TE Arizona<\/strong> \u2013 Patriots have been linked to him.\u00a0 He had 79 catches for 984 yards and 6 TDs in two seasons at Arizona.\u00a0 Former HS All Canadian Wide Receiver from Alberta.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rookie defacto GM Eliot Wolf may have been played by the other more experienced GMs throughout the league. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":53014,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_pfeai_meta_description":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[23471],"class_list":["post-53079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-commentary","tag-2024-patriots-draft"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Packer Way <\/strong><\/h3>\n
Players I Like on Day 3 \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n