New England Patriots mock draft: Outlining best and worst-case scenarios for Jerod Mayo 

The New England Patriots are facing a number of needs that must be addressed in the upcoming NFL draft. As with any situation, there are two possible outcomes: a positive or a negative one. With their current picks, they have the opportunity to initiate a rebuilding process and acquire key players to build their team around. However, if they make poor decisions, they may find themselves in a similar situation in a few years. Let’s take a look at the best and worst case scenarios for the Pats.

Ultimate Patriots Mock Draft: Perfect Picks for New England

The ideal situation would involve trading down and still acquiring a talented quarterback. This is exactly what occurred in this mock draft, as the New York Giants offered a trade of picks six and 47 for the third overall pick. The New England Patriots, who are not fully committed to selecting a quarterback at this spot, were able to move down as a result.

Despite moving down, they were surprisingly able to secure Drake Maye. The ideal situation included Jayden Daniels being selected before Maye in the draft, which is exactly what happened.

In the event that the Patriots have favorable circumstances, they will acquire Byron Murphy in the draft, who is considered one of the top interior linemen. As a top 15 player, this would be a significant addition to the defensive strength of a long-standing defensive franchise.

The team’s upcoming selection, obtained through a trade with the Giants, can once again be utilized to move down as there were limited prospects available at positions of need at the 47th spot. They could also combine this pick with the 137th selection to acquire picks 61 and 73 from the Detroit Lions, further increasing their assets.

In this scenario, the Patriots are able to address another area of need with the selection of Oregon cornerback Khyree Jackson. The Cleveland Browns then offered a 2025 third-round pick and pick 85 in exchange for pick 68 and 231. As the team is currently in a rebuilding phase, obtaining future picks is highly advantageous.

Despite being 73 years old, the Patriots have a strong enough roster to take a chance on running back Blake Corum, who could potentially be a valuable addition. With Rhamondre Stevenson recovering from an injury and Ezekiel Elliott no longer on the team, the Patriots are in need of another running back.

With the 85th selection, New England will have the opportunity to address another significant need by acquiring an offensive tackle. Their target is Matt Goncalves from the University of Pittsburgh.

With the 118th pick, the team can finally fulfill their need for a wide receiver by selecting Florida’s Ricky Pearsall, who has the potential to be a steal. Then, at 179, they have the opportunity to add young talent to their defense by choosing the best player available, such as Texas linebacker Jaylan Ford.

At pick 180, the team has the opportunity to strengthen their safety position with Arizona State standout Ro Torrence. With pick 192, they can continue to bolster their interior by selecting UNC DT Myles Murphy, followed by another promising prospect from the same state, NC State G Dylan McMahon at pick 193.

This situation is ideal for New England as they have acquired significant draft capital for both the present and future, signed a star quarterback, and fulfilled most of their necessary requirements.

Patriots mock draft: Nightmare scenario

The New England Patriots’ worst-case scenario would be if Jayden Daniels is the only remaining QB at three overall. However, this situation is not entirely unfavorable. While they may not prefer the older QB prospect who only had one successful season as a starter, they still have viable alternatives.

One possibility is that they could trade down to another team that is interested in acquiring Daniels. The Minnesota Vikings or Denver Broncos might be potential trade partners. Another option could be to draft Marvin Harrison Jr. and then aim to secure Michael Penix Jr. or another promising player in the second or third round. Even if they are unable to secure a highly coveted quarterback prospect, there are still plenty of good options available to them.

Another potential outcome in the worst-case scenario would involve them attempting to replicate our strategy and trade down for a quarterback, only to find that all of the top prospects, including Marvin Harrison Jr., are already selected. While acquiring picks is beneficial, they would risk losing out on possible franchise-changing players in this scenario.