Pats Pulpit
New England made five selections on the final day of the draft.
The New England Patriots wrapped up the 2024 NFL Draft on Saturday with five more selections, using four on the offensive side of the football.
Here are the current players on the Patriots’ roster who the picks impact for better, or worse, moving forward.
QB Drake Maye: More picks, more offensive help for New England’s new quarterback. Beyond receiving some protection in guard Layden Robinson, Maye got a pair of weapons in tight end Jaheim Bell and wide receiver Javon Baker. The latter, who already has a connection with Maye, is another receiver who projects as a strong complement to the quarterback with his catch radius and ability to win down-the-field.
K Chad Ryland: After picking Chad Ryland in the fourth round last year, the kicker’s rookie season did not go as planned as he made just 64 percent of his field goals. But, New England opted not to add a new kicker through seven rounds and have yet to address the position in free agency. The door isn’t completely closed on bringing in competition for the summer, but there is support for Ryland in the building.
JuJu Smith-Schuster and the depth wide receivers: For the second straight day New England’s depth receivers land on the ‘Losers’ list. This time due to the addition of Baker, which leaves the Patriots receiver depth chart with a sturdy top five of DeMario Douglas, Kendrick Bourne, K.J. Osborn, Ja’Lynn Polk and Baker. One final spot could be on the line in training camp between Tyquan Thornton, Kayshon Boutte, Jalen Reagor and JuJu Smith-Schuster — who the Patriots could bite the bullet on due to their surplus of salary cap space.
G Cole Strange: With their first pick on Day 3, New England added an offensive guard in Texas A&M’s Layden Robinson. After using three selections on interior lineman last season, selecting another with pick No. 103 will leave Cole Strange — who is still working back from a season-ending knee injury — with plenty of competition this offseason. That’s exactly what Jerod Mayo wants.
“We’re in the business of bringing in good players and breeding competition,” Mayo said. “Some of those guys you spoke about that you guys see as true guards currently on our roster, those guys have flexibility, as well. So when it’s all said and done, we want to put the best five guys out there and see what happens.”
QB Bailey Zappe: The 25-year-old’s future was already looking murky in New England after the selection of Drake Maye, but Zappe’s fate may have been sealed after the Patriots circled back to the position with Joe Milton in the sixth round. New England’s quarterback room now stands five deep with Zappe (and Nathan Rourke) likely on the outside looking in.
