New England had to make difficult decisions on how to begin their rebuild, ultimately turning down a ton of draft picks and selecting Drake Maye in order to stay at the top of the draft. Maye has tremendous upside and gives the Patriots playmaking options while filling out the rest of the roster. Jaylin Polk and Javon Baker should compete for starting spots in one of the weakest wide receiver rooms in the league. Joe Milton III is an interesting sixth-round pick, and at least his development will be fun to track. If one of their offensive line selections is a hit, this could be the basis for another standout development in New England.
Favorite player: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina State (3rd overall)
Home run. The Patriots took any quarterback prospect that fell into their lap without thinking twice. Maye has all the same tools as the elite quarterbacks in today’s game, and at a much higher level than people give him credit for. It will probably be a difficult rookie year for him as he is far from the Patriots’ roster, but Jerod Mayo needs to work with the quarterback to begin his reign as Patriots head coach .
Least popular player: Rayden Robinson, OL, Texas A&M (103rd overall)
The Patriots have had to address their offensive line several times in this draft, but Robinson felt like they were within reach. There were some good linemen on the board, but their evaluation of Robinson was clearly that he was better than the other linemen.
draft pick
Round 1, Pick 3: Drake Maye, QB, UNC.
Round 2, Pick 37: Jaylin Polk, WR, Washington.
Round 3, Pick 68: Caedan Wallace, OL, Penn State.
Round 4, Pick 103: Rayden Robinson, OL, Texas A&M
Round 4, Pick 110: Javon Baker, WR, UCF.
Round 6, Pick 180: Marcellus Dial, CB, South Carolina.
Round 6, Pick 193: Joe Milton III, QB, Tennessee.
Round 7, Pick 231: Jaheim Bell, TE, Florida State.
