5 Cornerstone Patriots For New Coach Jerod Mayo

The New England Patriots may be devoid of talent on both sides of the ball, but they do have some members of the team that should be cornerstones for the next era of the franchise's history.

Recent years have not been kind to the New England Patriots.

Bad contracts, poor draft results, and unfortunate circumstances have led New England to not only a 4-13 mark but last place in the division they owned for two decades. 

With a new head coach Jerod Mayo manning the sidelines, the Patriots know that their current state of affairs will take a few years to build. 

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Luckily for the franchise, they aren't completely barren of talent. There are several names that the Patriots should not only build around but keep for the next run at a dynasty that the team is trying to accomplish. 

Josh Uche

People think Josh Uche could be gone in free agency with Matthew Judon entering the final year of his contract. As to which player the Patriots should push to retain, though, it should be the younger Uche. 

Yes, 2023 was a down year, but he's still a solid player who could be the next great pass-rusher for New England. 

Christian Gonzalez

Before his season-ending injury early in the year, Gonzalez was on his way to being named defensive rookie of the year. The Oregon product was excellent in coverage and will be the kind of player the Patriots build their defense around for years. 

DeMario Douglas

There aren't a lot of quality pass catchers in New England. Despite that, I think Douglas, a sixth-round rookie last year, showed enough to warrant at least some trust for whoever is the quarterback and offensive coordinator in 2024. 

If he improves during his first offseason, he could be a borderline quality starter for the next few years. 

Kevin Harris

The Patriots need offensive weapons drastically but they have some nice weapons that could be complimented well. Harris didn't get a lot of time the last two years but has some solid burst and could mold into a James White-type of player. 

He'll need more touches and an offensive line to help block for him, but Harris could be a late-round pick that ends up with a massive role in 2024 and beyond. 

Patriots Already Winning Belichick Breakup?

No. 3 Overall Pick

Yes, the Patriots are very barren of talent. So much so that whoever the team takes with the third overall pick will arguably be the best player on the team right away. 

Whether that's a quarterback like Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, or Marvin Harrison Jr., New England needs offensive talent and will get it in April. 

---