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The New England Patriots have been the standard of excellence for the majority of the new century. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick ran the NFL for roughly one and a half decade and have six Super Bowls to show for it. But after a couple of years, both of those two have moved on. The Patriots need a new identity and face to usher them into this new era of football in Foxborough.
They've already gotten a new head coach in Jerod Mayo. But now they need a quarterback to pair with Mayo. There isn't a better opportunity for them to find one of those than in the 2024 NFL Draft. There is one blue-chip prospect at the position in Caleb Williams who will likely go first overall. But, there are two other highly-regarded quarterback prospects in Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. They have the tools and potential to be a franchise quarterback but also need a little bit more seasoning and polish than Williams does.
Luckily for the Patriots, they have the third overall pick in this year's draft. One of those two players should fall into their lap. This is the route that the Pats should go. Unfortunately for them, that would mean passing up on star prospects at other positions like Notre Dame's Joe Alt, Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., and LSU's Malik Nabers. As tempting as it would be to take one of these guys, New England should pass and go the quarterback route with the third overall pick.
Joe Alt, Offensive Tackle
If the Patriots had a quarterback of the future, Alt should and would very much be in consideration with the third selection. He can do everything any team could possibly ask of from an offensive lineman.
Joe Alt is one of just two FBS OTs with a grade of 85.0+ in both pass-blocking and run-blocking over the past two years 💪 pic.twitter.com/NqdMcbzoCZ
— PFF (@PFF) March 2, 2024
Not only is Alt a great offensive tackle prospect, the Patriots have a big need for a player like him. Last season, New England ranked dead last in the NFL in pass block win rate according to ESPN. That's right, last. And on top of that, their starting left tackle from last season, Trent Brown, left in free agency to go to the Cincinnati Bengals. That is also the position that Alt has manned during his career at South Bend.
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But the reality of the situation is that, while every team wants to field the best offensive linemen possible, it's easier to find them later in the draft than it is at quarterback. This is a deep draft for offensive linemen where plenty of good ones should be available in the early second and third rounds when New England picks again. Players like Kingsley Suamataia, Jordan Morgan, Patrick Paul and Cooper Beebe fit that bill. Those guys aren't slam dunks but are better values for New England than passing on a quarterback for Alt would be.
Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers, WR
The same general idea would apply to these two star receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers are two of the best wideouts to enter the NFL in recent memory. The Patriots also have a big need for a playmaker at that position. Sixth-round rookie receiver Demario Douglas led the team in receiving yards last season with just 561 of them. This is a huge need for New England's roster.
But there are also a ton of quality receivers in this year's draft that the Patriots could draft later. Players like Troy Franklin, Adonai Mitchell, Ladd McConkey, and Roman Wilson would be first-round quality receivers in any other draft. But, because of the strength of this year's class, they're getting pushed down draft boards and could be available in the second round.
New England's track record of drafting receivers in the first three rounds of the draft has been downright bad over the last 20 years. Deion Branch is their last hit. They have to address that position and break that streak. If ever there was a year for the Patriots to do just that, it would be this year. They can have their cake with a quarterback at third overall and eat it too with a receiver later. It's the best route for them to take.
