Barring any decisions to trade back or trade up on the board, the New England Patriots are officially locked into pick No. 3 in the 2024 NFL draft.
There are reports the team could wait until after the draft to name a new general manager to keep continuity with the scouting department and the work they have already done.
However, one thing is clear: The Patriots need more talent across the board, and it starts in the NFL draft, where they can get the most bang for their buck with low cost, high impact players.
Here is our latest full seven-round 2024 NFL mock draft for the Patriots:
Round 1, Pick No. 3: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
With Caleb Williams and Drake Maye going at No. 1 and No. 2, the Patriots take a gamble and land the best overall player in the draft in Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison Jr. would immediately become the team’s best receiver and start the rebuild process. Even though Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. are on the board, the entire roster as a whole needs help, and the Patriots haven’t had an offensive weapon of this caliber in quite some time.
A changing of the guard for sure, Harrison Jr. gives the offense a coverage dictator to begin the new-look offensive scheme.
TRADE: Round 1, Pick No. 26: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
Patriots Trade: Pick No. 34, 2025 2nd, 2025 4th
Chiefs Trade: Pick No. 26
You thought we would forget about a quarterback?
With Daniels likely to have a good combine that shoots him up the draft board, the opposite may happen to Penix Jr., who has had two major knee injuries and a shoulder injury in his college career.
The Patriots have fortune on their side that Penix lasted this long, and they decide to trade back into round one to get their quarterback of the future.
The perks of being so high in the draft means that trading up is that much easier with the picks they have. Two cornerstone offensive pieces on Day 1 would make Jerod Mayo and Patriots fans excited about the direction for 2024.
Round 3, Pick No. 68: Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame
Blake Fisher is the “other tackle” but could play either side in Notre Dame’s offense. Joe Alt, who is a projected first-round draft pick, was just that good. Fisher has raw traits that should allow him to be a fun project for the offensive line coach of the Patriots, whoever that may be.
Although there is a chance Mike Onwenu and Trent Brown return in the post-Bill Belichick era, the team still needs to find a true long-term tackle option to develop and keep costs down.
Round 4, Pick No. 103: Mike Sainristil, CB, Michican
A homecoming for Sainristil, an Everett High graduate, makes sense for many reasons. With Jack Jones out the door, the Patriots really don’t have a developmental outside corner, outside of Christian Gonzalez. With Jon Jones aging out, Marcus Jones in the slot and despite some promise from Alex Austin, there isn’t much in terms of depth.
Sainristil can play all around the secondary and isn’t afraid to stick his nose in the run game. With a strong combine, it is likely he’ll be gone by pick No. 103, but the Patriots might find gold here if he is still on the board.
Round 5, Pick No. 135: Christian Jones, OT, Texas
Christian Jones is another fun developmental tackle with raw traits. The Patriots need long-term answers at tackle, and they will need to continue to invest in the position through the draft.
Even if both Brown and Onwenu return, having two good backups is clearly a need as seen this year with the injuries. It can’t hurt for a team to try and find talent at premier positions in an offensive-loaded draft like this one, either.
If both are hits and Onwenu stays long-term, it would be a good problem to have because it would give the Patriots tradeable assets to continue rebuilding. Right now, there isn’t much on the offensive line under contract long-term.
Round 6, Pick No. 181: Rasheen Ali, RB, Marshall
A receiving back is a big need, whether the Patriots bring Ezekiel Elliott back or not. Ali is a complementary back that has more upside as a receiving back than anything. Some have even mentioned he could make it to the NFL as a slot receiver alone. So his route-running is clearly as polished as can be.
Ali lacks in size and power, which could hurt him as an every-down back. But the Patriots need someone they can utilize in the passing game consistently, and Ali can come in and compete immediately with JaMycal Hasty.
Round 7, Pick No. 228: AJ Barner, TE, Michigan
AJ Barner is not great at blocking but has the physical tools to become a good vertical passing threat in an offense. He has a lot of Mike Gesicki in his game and may go higher than round seven, if he tests well.
The Patriots desperately need a tight end of the future and one that fits into the modern offense, as all three of their tight ends are free agents after this season. Hunter Henry could return, but the team still needs to find some developmental talent after frustratingly skipping out on selecting one last year, when it was dubbed one of the best tight end classes in recent memory.
I was very fond of Sam LaPorta, and one can only imagine the impact he would have had on this team. If the Patriots bring both Henry and Gesicki back, they should still draft a tight end to compete and develop.
