The New England Patriots have a number of directions that they can go in next week's NFL draft to improve their roster heading into the 2024 season and beyond.
In a recent three-round mock draft for Sporting News, Vinnie Iyer has the Patriots attacking arguably the three most important positions on the football field with their first three selections.
Iyer has New England taking North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye at No. 3.
"The Patriots are more likely than the Commanders to trade down out of a high pick despite a massive QB need. They need to rebuild in several areas for new coach Jerod Mayo and GM Eliot Wolf. If they stay put, it would make sense to jump on Maye, who might be a better fit for Alex Van Pelt's offense over Daniels, anyway."
He has the Patriots taking BYU offensive tackle Kingsley Suamataia in the second round.
"The Patriots need to consider offensive tackle rather early for their rookie QB, and Suamataia has athletic upside for the left side opposite re-signed Mike Onwenu."
Finally, Iyer predicts New England will take Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson in the third round.
"The Patriots, like other teams, are intrigued by Jackson's size and coverage technique upside."
Quarterback and tackle are clear, immediate needs for the Patriots, but after taking another Oregon cornerback in Christian Gonzalez in the first round last year, cornerback doesn't feel as pressing.
However, at that position, it's never a bad thing to have more capable players. We saw New England try out and move on from J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones last year and lose Gonzalez and Marcus Jones to season-ending injuries. So, the more talent, the better.
All three of these selections would significantly improve the Patriots chances of being relevant going forward, which is the bare minimum.
