Patriots
The 2024 NFL Draft is just seven days away and the Patriots aren’t ruling anything out quite yet.
It’s t-minus seven days until the 2024 NFL Draft and Patriots de facto general manager Eliot Wolf isn’t any closer to revealing New England’s plans for the No. 3 overall pick.
During a pre-draft news conference Thursday morning at Gillette Stadium, Wolf fielded questions about cashing in on the team’s first-rounder for draft capital, their needs at wide receiver, and how the Patriots could support a rookie quarterback.
Just a week out from the draft, here are five takeaways from Wolf’s pre-draft press conference.
No team has offered a “bag” for the No. 3 pick.
Wolf acknowledged that trading down – or up – on the board remains an option for the team.
“We’re open to anything,” he said. “Moving up, moving down. We’re open for business in the first round and in every round.”
The transaction could deliver the Patriots more draft picks, something that could prove advantageous as they look to fill major roster vacancies, particularly at quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle.
That reality is not lost on Wolf, however, he noted that no other team in the league has accommodated New England’s understandably high asking price.
“We have some holes we feel like we need to fill in the draft … the more picks we have the better.”
Wolf thinks the Patriots’ offense is underrated.
“We have NFL receivers, we have NFL tight ends, we have NFL running backs, we have NFL running backs. We feel good about where we are,” Wolf said.
Despite going 4-13 last season, the de facto GM remains optimistic about how the Patriots’ offense will perform this season. While the team is publicly hunting some top-tier offensive talent in the upcoming draft, Wolf noted the team’s offseason moves as being the most consequential so far.
“We feel through free agency – on the offensive side in particular – that we’ve been able to supplement our roster properly so we’re not having to draft or need as much offensively.”
The Patriots brought in some new (ish) offensive talent after signing veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, tight end Austin Hooper, wide receiver K.J. Osborn, offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, and running back Antonio Gibson.
Will the Patriots draft a quarterback? The answer remains unclear.
It’s the number one question that people want to know: Will Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo take a quarterback with the No. 3 pick?
The GM stayed fairly tight-lipped when addressing the team’s approach to drafting a rookie QB, saying he didn’t feel like the Patriots had to take a quarterback in the first round.
However, when asked later if there would be a quarterback on the board who is worthy of the No. 3 pick, Wolf simply said “Yup.”
USC’s Caleb Williams has long been expected to go first off the board to the Chicago Bears, leaving LSU’s Jayden Daniels and UNC’s Drake Maye assumed to be next in the line of succession. Subject to who Washington drafts with the No. 2 pick, the Patriots could snag one of the top-tier talents.
However, there is reason to suspect that the Patriots are eyeing Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. The national title winner visited New England earlier this week on an official 30 visit. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. also met with the team recently.
When asked if he felt comfortable selecting one of the perceived top three or four quarterback prospects in this year’s draft, Wolf seemed to be OK with the idea.
“I think we’d be comfortable with it,” Wolf responded.
If the Patriots did draft a quarterback …
Wolf “definitely” thinks New England’s roster can support a rookie QB.
“We have a solid offensive line. We re-signed Mike Onwenu, we have David Andrews coming back, we have three rookies that we drafted last year that are developing, we signed [Chukwuma] Okarafor from the Steelers. Hunter Henry [and a] good running game,” Wolf said.
Staying true to his “draft and develop” philosophy, he remained confident that between players and staff, the Patriots environment is prepared to work with a young signal caller.
According to Wolf, they have “a solid foundation and a solid system in place with coach Van Pelt on the offense.”
The Patriots are still engaged in trade talks
The aforementioned hole at the wide receiver position was given another spotlight Thursday, when Wolf addressed trade talks with other teams in the league.
“We’ve had conversations with teams about different scenarios. Not just at receiver, but at other positions. That’s definitely something we’d be open to,” Wolf said.
Although the Patriots have depth at receiver – notably Osborn, Kendrick Bourne, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Demario ‘Pop’ Douglas – they lack a true No. 1 target.
Rumors continue to swirl that Wolf could make a bid to bring 49ers Brandon Aiyuk or Bengals’ Tee Higgins to New England.
Sign up for Patriots updates🏈
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during football season.