The New England Patriots were once the big bully on the block not that long ago. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick oversaw a dynasty that included six Super Bowl championships in 18 seasons. But, as the old adage goes, nothing lasts forever. Brady left in 2020 and Belichick lasted just three more seasons in Foxborough before leaving as head coach. The Patriots thought they found a successor for Brady in Mac Jones, but they reset the franchise this offseason by hiring Jerod Mayo as the head coach and drafting Drake Maye with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Maye has a lot of work to do, but selecting him is a good step in the right direction as New England looks to climb back to teh top of the NFL mountain. The Patriots made several other key additions in the draft, so let's look at their best moves from the three-day event.
Drafting Drake Maye
No one truly knew what the Patriots were going to do. This team has a ton of holes on its roster, which made them a popular candidate for a trade back to recoup extra draft capital. But it isn't often that a quarterback of the future can fall right into a team's lap. That was the case with Maye and the Patriots. The opportunity was too good to pass up, and rightfully so.
Maye was prolific for the North Carolina Tar Heels. In two seasons as the starter in Chapel Hill, he completed roughly 65% of his passes and averaged about 8.4 yards per attempt. He wound up totaling 7,929 yards and 62 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions. Maye also ran for 1,149 yards on the ground and scored 16 touchdowns with his legs. There's a reason why he has garnered comparisons to Josh Allen.
However, it isn't a sure thing that Maye begins his career as a starter. The Patriots' skill position group, though that unit got a boost during this year's draft, is still relatively light on talent. Their offensive line was one of the worst in the NFL last season. On top of that, Maye's footwork and mechanics have left some wondering if it would be best for him to sit and develop his skills.
With a veteran quarterback in Jacoby Brissett in place already, New England could follow this template. Or, they could throw Maye in the fire immediately. No one knows for sure what their plan is. It's a good issue for the Patriots to have to solve. That they're even in this position is a major win for them.
Drafting Ja'Lynn Polk
New England badly needed to find wide receivers in this draft. Their leading receiver a year ago was sixth-round rookie DeMario Douglas, who registered just 561 yards in 14 games. Douglas emerged as a solid player for the Patriots, but they really needed to add talent to this room, especially on the boundary.
They did that with Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Polk stepped up for the Washington Huskies in 2023 while Jalen McMillan battled injury throughout the year. He wound up totaling 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns alongside Rome Odunze and Michael Penix Jr. last year. Polk doesn't do one thing exceptionally well, but can do a little bit of everything.
Drafting Javon Baker
Javon Baker is not someone to dismiss either. Baker began his career at Alabama but transferred due to the surplus of talent they had at wide receiver. He wound up going to UCF, where he put up some big numbers. Baker put up 1,935 yards and 12 touchdowns on 108 receptions in two seasons with the Knights.
His advanced numbers would suggest that he's just as good or even better than players like Xavier Legette and Keon Coleman, who went 32nd and 33rd overall, respectively. Baker went with the 110th pick. He still has to perform on the field, but early indications suggest that the Patriots got a steal with Baker in the fourth round.
Both Polk and Baker starting as rookies would not be a surprise. The Patriots need receivers who can play on the outside and these two can both do that. They were outstanding selections by New England.
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